Image courtesy of AP Photos
FOXBOROUGH – On a day where the 2014 Patriots were recognized for the 10 year anniversary of the Super Bowl win against the Seahawks, it looked as if there was going to be a little magic for the home team.
The Patriots won the coin toss in overtime and got the ball. In the past, the story wrote itself for years when that would happen.
But, times are different now.
Three plays later, the ball was being punted back to Seattle and that was pretty much the game.
Sure, there was a very questionable pass interference call on Jonathan Jones on the ensuing drive that probably helped hand the Seahawks a 23-20 win after a Jason Meyers 31 yard field goal, but the real story is still the lack of offensive production, particularly from the receivers.
Jacoby Brissett had just 125 yards through the air and the only receivers who caught passes were Ja’Lynn Polk (two, including a touchdown) and KJ Osborn (one for seven yards). Hunter Henry had a big eight-catch, 109 yard day, but the majority of that came in the first half. DeMario Douglas was mind-bogglingly quiet again as the Pats seemingly have zero ideas to get him the ball. The running game was good again, with Rhamondre Stevenson racking up 81 yards on 11 carries and Antonio Gibson posting his best day as a Patriot with 96 yards on 11 carries. Although, a lot of that came on a 45 yard run late in the game that gave the Pats an 82% win probability at the time.
Defensively, New England was good, but not great. The Patriots gave up 358 yards, including 327 to Geno Smith. The secondary struggled too as DK Metcalf (10/129/1) and Jackson Smith-Njigba (12/117) carved them up. There was also some key departures as Ja’Whaun Bentley and Oshane Ximinies were both injured and did not return to the game.
“We definitely have to start to get the ball down the field,” Mayo said postgame. “We’ve got to start pushing the ball down the field to get that shell defense, and we’ve got to be able to run. We’ve got to be able to pass. We’ve got to be able to ping-pong between the two. It’s something that we need to work on. That’s what I would say.”
Each team traded punts to open the game until a methodical nine-play, 60 yard drive – where Henry had three catches – ended with a five yard TD pass from Brissett to Polk for the rookie’s first career score. Seattle responded quickly and tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter on a busted play that saw Metcalf get behind the defense all alone for a 56 yard catch and run.
“We was in max blitz coverage,” explained Kyle Dugger, who along with Christian Gonzalez got beat on the play. “And, you know, just a bad read by myself and they caught us in a call that was kind of problematic.”
Joey Slye gave the Pats a 10-7 lead with 11:05 left in the second quarter on a 29 yard field goal, capping a 16-play drive that lasted just 6:45. 11 plays and 70 yards later, Seattle went up 14-10 on a Charbonnet one yard TD run that was set up on a questionable Marco Wilson PI call in the end zone. Another 29 yard field goal from Slye with 2:31 to go in the half made it 14-13. Both teams traded punts, but the Seahawks managed to get a 44 yard field goal in the final seconds of the second to take a 17-13 lead into halftime.
New England’s defense forced a turnover on downs after a lengthy opening drive of the third for Seattle, but the offense couldn’t do anything with it. A punt fest ensued until the Pats took over at their own 34 with 3:52 left in the quarter. 11 plays later, Stevenson rumbled in from a yard out on a direct snap to put the hosts back up 20-17 with 12:43 to go.
With just 3:52 remaining, the Pats had a chance to make it a 23-17 game, but a Slye field goal from 48 yards out was blocked. Nine plays and just under three minutes later, Seattle tied the game again at 20-20 with a 38 yarder for Meyers. The Pats got the ball back with 55 seconds left but quickly went three-and-out and eventually, the teams headed to OT.
“Yeah, I think obviously we would like more in our passing game,” said Brissett. “I’ve got to do a better job of getting a lot of those guys involved in the game plan and throughout the game. I take responsibility for that.”
David Andrews went out for the coin toss in OT and after the Seahawks called tails, it landed on heads and Andrews proclaimed ‘we want the ball.’ Unfortunately, the rest of his offensive mates couldn’t do anything with it, quickly going three-and-out in just 1:48.
Following a quick first down with the ball at the Seahawks’ 31, Jonathan Jones was called for PI against Tyler Lockett despite turning his head around for the ball. That moved Seattle to the Pats’ 49. Five plays alter, Meyers buried the game-winning 31 yarder to hand Jerod Mayo his first loss and drop the Pats to 1-1.
Jones said postgame that Lockett even told him it “wasn’t a penalty.”
“Straight up, that’s what he told me,” Jones said at his locker. “It sucks because I feel like that was the play of the game.”
There’s little time to dwell on this one. Not only does Alex Van Pelt need to figure out ways to get the receivers more involved (perhaps a younger, more athletic quarterback could help push the ball down field…), but, it’s a short week. New England travels to take on the Jets Thursday night in New Jersey.
“Well, I told the team, it’s a Wednesday in our world,” added Mayo. “We have to be ready to change the page, move on and get ready to win this next football game. This is NFL football. It’s one play here, one play there. You just never know which play it is. It’s easy to try to pick out some plays here and there, but it’s all of us.
“We have to get better as a team and look forward to getting back on the practice field and getting better.”