The Patriots will host the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener on Sunday and the two Week 1 winners will compete to extend their starting record to 2-0.

The two teams' respective victories looked similar on kickoff Sunday, as hard running and tough defense won the day for both squads. Now the Super Bowl XLIX combatants will try to build off those victories by forcing each other to find new ways of moving the ball.

That might prove a bigger challenge for Seattle with Kenneth Walker landing on the injury report this week, while New England's bell-cow back Rhamondre Stevenson and the rest of the Pats appear to have escaped the opening weekend without a significant injury hit.

With Week 1 in the books, the chess match has truly begun.

Here are the players and positions to watch as the Pats look to move to 2-0 for the first time since 2019.

Jacoby Brissett

Week 1 was the perfect example of why the Patriots chose Brissett to be their starting quarterback entering the 2024 season. He completed 15-of-24 passes for just 121 yards but avoided any critical mistakes and managed the offense to an efficient victory. Seattle's defense should pose a bigger challenge this week with Mike Macdonald's aggressive style that will send blitzes from all over. However, like he had experience against the Bengals defense, Brissett also had a 2022 start against Macdonald's defense in Baltimore, completing 22-of-27 passes in a 23-20 loss. It's a good bet Macdonald will focus on stopping the Pats run game, meaning this game will be even more on Brissett's arm. Unlocking the passing game figures to be a major key to moving the ball this week.

"[Jacoby] has a good pocket presence," said Jerod Mayo this week. "This is a veteran player that went out there and did everything we expected him to do. We talk about not turning over the ball, and not taking negative plays. I thought he did a good job with that. Historically, he has done a good job with that. Hopefully this week, we'll see some progress."

Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson was a monster against the Bengals, rushing for 120 yards, 118 of which came after contact. It was the third-highest rushing total of the fourth-year back's career and was most impressive at the end when Stevenson's hard running closed out the game and allowed the Patriots to kneel on the ball in victory formation. There will be carryover into the Seattle game, as the Seahawks will likely make Stevenson their primary focus. The Bengals knew the Pats wanted to run the ball, Jerod Mayo has said it explicitly, but they were still unable to stop it. Will New England be able to similarly exert their will over Seattle? It's perhaps the biggest key in the game, especially if the Pats struggle to kickstart their passing attack.

"I've always thought that Rhamondre was one of the best backs in the league," said Mayo. "I've always thought that. A guy that can do it all, catch the ball at the backfield, a very patient runner that can break tackles. Last week you got an opportunity to really see what he could do."

Hunter Henry & Austin Hooper

The tight ends are the easiest position group to start with for the Patriots to get their passing game going. All summer long, the duo Henry and Hooper were among the team's most consistent pass catchers. Against the Bengals, both came through with big catches in the fourth quarter that helped the team seal the game. They combined for just four catches for 49 yards on seven total targets, but those catches were effective and reason for optimism that Henry and Hooper could emerge as reliable pass catchers against Seattle's aggressive defense. Quick throws to the tight ends figure to be prominently on the offensive menu.

"Obviously, they give you a lot of different looks up front with the guys," assessed Jacoby Brissett this week of Seattle's defensive approach. "Obviously, having good cover guys helps... I think taking that approach and kind of, I guess, screwing with the offensive rules as far as protection or run game and things like that, I think that's what this style of defense tries to do really well."

Keion White

White had a breakout game in the season opener, logging 2.5 sacks and showing some of the aggressiveness that he displayed this summer. However, the Patriots had limited pass rush production from the rest of their defense, a potential cause for concern against an experienced and talented Seahawk passing attack. White will be even more heavily counted on this week. Expect defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington to continue to use White creatively, as the second-year player from Georgia Tech can play up and down the line. He's been most effective inside and that could be a favorable matchup against the Seattle offensive line that allowed a decent pressure rate of 36.7% in Week 1 according to Next Gen stats.

Christian Gonzalez

It was great to see Gonzalez pick up in 2024 where he left off an injury-shortened 2023. He allowed just three catches for 15 yards and flashed his smooth and sticky athleticism as he stayed on Ja'Marr Chase's hip almost every time he was asked to cover him. This week things get even tougher, as Seattle features three good receivers led by the freakish D.K. Metcalf. Gonzalez has the size and mirroring ability to stick with anyone and he'll be a key chess piece for Covington. Expect Gonzo to see plenty of veteran Tyler Lockett, who remains Seattle's go-to receiver in big moments.

Marcus Jones

Jones had his own impressive return from injury last Sunday, recovering a fumble and showing strong tackling skills despite his lack of overwhelming size. This week the Patriots will need even more from Jones, as a matchup against Jaxon Smith-Njigba could be looming. JSN had just two catches for 19 yards, but he's a dangerous receiver who had 63 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns last season. But it's not just on defense where Jones' impact could be felt, as the explosive returner is always just one play away from taking one to the end zone. Jones was a wild card this season, but through one game he's shown the speed and all-around talent that could elevate the entire defense and return teams.

Geno Smith

Smith had a quiet opening game but still did enough, including a 34-yard rushing touchdown, to help the Seahawks pull out an opening victory. The almost-34-year-old has been one of the NFL's best stories of recent seasons, resurrecting his career in 2022 and leading Seattle to back-to-back winning seasons while throwing for 50 total touchdowns and nearly 8,000 yards. The Patriots will have to be conscious of his scrambling ability, a problem they didn't have to worry much about with Joe Burrow, but it's the deep ball that is most important to take away. Smith is a smart veteran, keeping him in the pocket then closing in with the pass rush is a critical key to the game.

D.K. Metcalf

At 6-foot-4, Metcalf is a freak and someone who can quickly turn a deep ball into a score. Despite a quiet opening week (three catches, 29 yards), Metcalf has broken 1,000 receiving yards in three of his first five seasons and is a big play threat on every play. Keeping a safety over the top of Metcalf is another big key in the game. In the past, the Pats defense has often put their best corner on the opponent's number two receiver and doubled the number one. That seems like a good approach this week with Metcalf, with Jonathan Jones being a fast and competitive corner underneath and someone like Jaylinn Hawkins making sure that Metcalf doesn't do any downfield damage.

Julian Love, Riq Woolen & Devin Witherspoon

The Seahawks talented defensive backfield has two really good corners in Woolen and Witherspoon, along with a Pro Bowl safety in Julian Love, who made a whopping 12 tackles in the season opener while forcing a fumble and picking up an interception. If the Seahawks can keep Stevenson under wraps, it will put the focus of the game on Seattle's secondary. If New England does focus on their tight ends, Love will be a key matchup to look out for. There are plenty of ballhawks in Seattle's defensive secondary. Avoiding interceptions is always a big key, but especially this week, when pressure can force hurried throws.

Mike Macdonald

It's a matchup of first-year coaches who both led their teams to opening wins. Macdonald has a significant challenge getting his team ready to play across the country with a 1 pm start time that would equal 10 am in Seattle, but he has plenty of talent to overcome any jet lag. As mentioned plenty of times above, the former Ravens defensive coordinator is a creative coach with a knack for sending disguised blitzes from all levels of the defense. Quickly locking in on how Macdonald wants to attack the Patriots will be a key, but the expectations should be obvious. He'll likely target the weak spots on the offensive line from Week 1, namely the left tackle and the rookie right guard. Handling that pressure and exploiting it will be a major key for Alex Van Pelt and the Patriot offense.

"Everyone is a threat," said Mayo this week of Macdonald's scheme. "When we talk about known rushers, it's really the unknown rushers that make that Baltimore defense special. You don't know who's coming. They drop out defensive ends. They do things that are very similar to some of the things that we do as well, the zone blitzing and protecting the deep part of the field. Historically they've always had a good defense, and they have a bunch of good players."

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