The New England Patriots could have a doozie on their hands. The Patriots are projected to lose their opening game of the season, with a road matchup against the Seattle Seahawks waiting, taunting. After a strong last season, New England will have to immediately deal with the challenge of playing its first game away from home.
The matchup also carries some extra weight because of what happened the last time these teams met. Back in February, the Patriots were destroyed by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, although that game was obviously played at a neutral site. This time, Seattle will have home-field advantage, which could make an already difficult matchup even tougher for New England.
Sports news: Bengals May Have Found a Playmaker in Jack Endries That setting is a big part of the concern surrounding the Patriots' chances. The Seahawks won't have to travel for this one, while the Patriots will be heading into Seattle for their first game. That's not easiest way to begin a season, especially against a team that just beat New England on the biggest stage in football.
The Super Bowl matchup already showed how much of a challenge Seattle can present for the Patriots. Now, New England will have to try to turn the page and start a new season with a win against the same opponent. That's easier said than done.
The road setting could make the game even more difficult for the Patriots. While the previous matchup between the teams took place at a neutral site, this time the Seahawks will have their home crowd behind them. According to CBS Sports' John Breech, the Patriots are among the teams projected to lose their first game of the season.
Breech's projection points to the Seahawks' home-field advantage as one reason this matchup could become an even bigger blowout than the Super Bowl meeting. The Patriots already know what Seattle is capable of after their February matchup, and now they'll have to find a way to avoid another lopsided result. More sports: Ravens’ Matthew Hibner Could Be a Rookie to Watch For New England, the opening game will be an immediate test.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
