New England Patriots Opponent Profile: The Legion Of Boom Looks To Shut Down Tom Brady
It's obvious that the Seattle Seahawks have not had the kind of season in 2016 that they are used to having up to this point. Two losses aren't a lot, but the tie earlier this season does hurt them in the NFC playoff race. While the Seahawks have had a tough go by their standards so far, they're still an incredibly dangerous team and the New England Patriots can't consider this week an easy win.
Seattle Seahawks Season Record: 5-2-1
Five wins halfway through the season is not a bad record for any team, and being in a rather weak NFC West this year means that five victories has the Seahawks on top of their division. They are actually two full games ahead of the Arizona Cardinals, three ahead of the Los Angeles Rams and decades ahead of the San Francisco 49ers.
Still, Seattle has fallen to the Rams once already in Week 2 and lost a heartbreaker to the New Orleans Saints in Week 8. Matters weren't helped when they ended in a 6-6 tie with the Arizona Cardinals, either. Maybe they're winding down a bit after years of dominance, or maybe something is just off, but this Seahawks team is different than the one we've seen in years past.
Seahawks On Offense
Obviously, things begin and end with quarterback Russell Wilson, who has more than 2,000 yards passing, but the rest of his numbers aren't as good as they have been in past seasons. Wilson has just seven touchdowns—which is a lot less than anyone expected from a team that now has Jimmy Graham at tight end. He does keep his turnovers down, though, and that is evident by a mere two interceptions thrown this season.
Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Tyler Lockett are all strong targets for Wilson, but except for Baldwin and Graham, receiving numbers are down for everyone else.
Seahawks On Defense
When it comes to the Seattle Seahawks, they have a lot of names that are simply synonymous with the word "defense." The "Legion of Boom" has terrorized opposing offenses for years now, and they're still doing a good job. However, time eventually catches up with everyone. Richard Sherman is still leading the secondary as he patrols with Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and DeShawn Shead.
This year, though, Sherman is spending more time arguing with the refs and Chancellor is questionable for Sunday's game with the Pats due to a groin injury.
Up front, linebacker Bobby Wagner plays the part of leader for the defense and he has a good squad with him in Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and others. The Patriots will have to play at a high level and use a combination of LeGarrette Blount's legs and an air attack to shake things up.
Seahawks Players To Watch: RB Christine Michael and DE Cliff Avril
If the Seahawks didn't have Christine Michael, they would not have a running game at all. He is their primary back and he's having a pretty good season with 447 yards and six touchdowns. The player with the most rushing yards after Michael is Wilson, who has 54. Michael is a strong back who has good speed when he's out in open space and the Patriots will need to make sure he's kept in check.
Others may have more tackles and make a lot more noise with their trash talking, but defensive end Cliff Avril has a great case for being the best player on Seattle's defense. In just eight games, Avril has nine sacks, which has him on pace to obliterate his previous career high (11) for a single season. Even though he's in his ninth year, Avril is getting faster, stronger and better.
Tom Brady needs to make sure his offensive line is up to the task, or he's going to see a lot of Cliff Avril all day.
Outlook
If New England plays the way they have been playing this entire season, there is honestly no team in the NFL that can beat them. When they're at the top of their game, the Pats can outplay every single team in the league, and that includes the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has had a few cracks this season and in their last four games they have allowed three opponents to score 24 points or more. Tom Brady and the Patriots can handle the Seahawks and get past their strong defense, but they will need to stay sharp for 60 minutes.
