TEAM NOTES
- Eighth meeting between two head coaches under 40.
- Patriots rush for 185 yards for a 5.1-yard average.
- QB Jacoby Brissett throws first TD as a member of the Patriots.
- TE Hunter Henry has career-high with second career 100-yard game.
- RB Antonio Gibson sets career-high with an 8.7-yard average.
THE TWO YOUNGEST HEAD COACHES
The game featured a meeting between the two youngest active coaches in the NFL with Jerod Mayo (38) and Mike Macdonald (37). It marked the eighth matchup between first-year head coaches both under the age of 40 since 2000, joining DeMeco Ryans (Houston) and Shane Steichen (Indianapolis) in 2023 (twice), Mike McDaniel (Miami) and Kevin O'Connell (Minnesota) in 2022, Joe Judge (NY Giants) and Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland) in 2020, Brian Flores (Miami) and Zac Taylor (Cincinnati) in 2019, and Sean McVay (LA Rams) and Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco) in 2017 (twice).
PATRIOTS RUN THE BALL
The Patriots followed a 170-yard rushing performance in the season-opener at Cincinnati with 185 yards rushing against Seattle. It is the first time since the team has rushed for back-to-back games with at least 170 yards rushing since the 2020 season when they had 250 yards rushing vs. Las Vegas (9/27), followed by 185 yards at Kansas City (10/5). It is the first time the Patriots opened the season with at least 170 yards rushing in their first two games since 1974 when they had 196 yards rushing vs. Miami (9/15) followed by 173 yards rushing at the New York Giants (9/22).
THE PATRIOTS HAVE TWO PLAYERS REACH AT LEAST 80 YARDS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2014
RB Antonio Gibson rushed for 96 yards and RB Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 81 yards against Seattle. It is the first time that the Patriots had two players reach at least 80 rushing yards since Oct. 5, 2014 when RB Stevan Ridley gained 113 yards and Shane Vereen had 90 yards vs. Cincinnati on Oct. 5, 2014.
PATRIOTS HAD A 5.1-YARD RUSHING AVERAGE
The Patriots rushed for a 5.1-yard rushing average with 36 rushing attempts for 185 yards. In 2023, the Patriots had one game when they averaged more than 5 yards per carry. On Nov. 5 vs. Washington, the Patriots had 19 rushing attempts for 107 yards for a 5.6-yard average.
PATRIOTS DO NOT COMMIT ANY TURNOVERS
The Patriots did not commit any turnovers in their first two games. It is the first time they have had at least two straight games without a turnover since the 2022 season when they went three-straight games without a turnover – vs. N.Y. Jets (11/20), at Minnesota (11/24) and vs. Buffalo (12/1). It is the first time the Patriots did not have any turnovers in back-to-back games to open the season since the 2017 season when they had no turnovers vs. Kansas City and at New Orleans.
STOPPING THE RUN
The Patriots held Seattle to a 2.4-yard average on 19 rushing attempts for 46 yards. The Patriots held their opponents to under 3.0 yards per carry (ypc) six times in 2023.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
JACOBY THROWS FIRST TOUCHDOWN AS A MEMBER OF THE PATRIOTS
QB Jacoby Brissett capped an 8-play, 64-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to WR Ja'Lynn Polk in the first quarter, Brissett's first touchdown throw as a member of the Patriots.
HUNTER HENRY HAD CAREER HIGH
TE Hunter Henry finished with 8 receptions for 109 yards. The 8 receptions tied a career-high and his 109- yards are a career-high. It is his second career 100-yard game. He had 100 yards receiving and 8 receptions vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 13, 2019, as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. Henry set a new career-high for receptions and receiving yards in one half with 7 receptions for 98 yards in the first half. It is the Patriots first 100-yard receiving day since WR Kendrick Bourne had 6 receptions for 100 yards vs. Cincinnati on Dec. 24, 2022.
HENRY ACCOUNTED FOR SEVEN FIRST DOWNS
Hunter Henry recorded a career-high 7 receptions for a first down against Seattle. His previous career-high was 6 receptions for a first down, which he accomplished three times, the last being at Indianapolis on Dec. 18, 2021.
GIBSON HAS CAREER-HIGH 45-YARD RUSH
RB Antonio Gibson broke free for a career-long 45-yard run in the fourth quarter. His previous best was a 40- yard run vs. Dallas on Oct. 25, 2020 when he played for Washington. In 2023, the Patriots had just one 40- yard run, a 64-yard touchdown run by RB Rhamondre Stevenson vs. Washington on Nov. 5.
GIBSON HAD AN 8.7-YARD AVERAGE
Gibson finished the game with 96 yards rushing on just 11 carries for an 8.7-yard average. It was the highest average of his career in games where he had at least 10 carries. His previous high was a 7.0-yard average when he had 21 carries for 146 yards at the New York Giants on Jan. 9, 2022. It is the highest average for a Patriots player since RB Rhamondre Stevenson had a 9.1-yard average with 19 carries for 172 yards rushing at Las Vegas on Dec. 18, 2022.
POLK MAKES FIRST START AND HAS FIRST NFL TD
2024 second-round draft pick WR J'Lynn Polk made his first NFL start and caught his first NFL touchdown pass on a 5-yard pass from QB Jacoby Brissett in the first quarter.
WHITE FOLLOWS A 2½ -SACK PERFORMANCE WITH 1 ½ SACKS
DE Keion White registered a career-high 2½ sacks in the win at Cincinnati in the season-opener. He followed that game with 1½ sacks against Seattle. It is his first back-to-back multi-sack performance.
BARINGER EXTENDS STREAK
P Bryce Baringer extended his streak of 19-straight games with at least one 50-yard punt with a 56-yard pint in the first quarter. The NFL record for the longest streak with at least one 50-yard punt since 1970 is 38 by Shane Lechler (2007-10).
BARINGER HAS FOURTH CAREER GAME WITH TWO 60-YARD PUNTS
Baringer had a 65-yard punt in the second quarter and a 67-yard punt in the third quarter for his fourth career game with two 60-yard punts. As a rookie last season, Baringer had three games with at least two 60- yard punts (at Miami on Oct. 29 with a 60 and 63-yard punt), vs. Indianapolis on Nov. 12 with a 79 and 65- yard punt and vs. the New York Jets on Jan. 7 with two 60-yard punts). He is the only Patriots player to have at least two games with two 60-yard punts in a season. Overall, in 2023, Baringer had 12 punts of 60 or more yards
DUGGER AND TAVIA COMBINE FOR A FOURTH-DOWN STOP
S Kyle Dugger and LB Jahlani Tavia stopped Seattle RB Zach Charbonnet for a 1-yard loss on a fourth-and-one rushing attempt in the third quarter.
LINEUP NOTES
- G Michael Jordan started at left guard in place of the injured G Sidy Sow for the second straight week after being elevated to the active roster from the practice squad.
- T Vederian Lowe started at left tackle. In the 2024 season-opener at Cincinnati he entered the game early in the first quarter at left tackle and played the rest of the game. In 2023, he made four of his eight starts at left tackle.
- WR Ja'Lynn Polk made his first NFL start.
- WR Javon Baker made his NFL debut on the kickoff return team on the opening kickoff. He entered the game for his first offensive snaps in the third quarter at wide receiver.
- TE Austin Hooper made his first start with the Patriots when the team opened in a two-tight end set.
- T Zach Tomas played in his first game with New England, seeing action on the extra point attempt in the first quarter.
- LB Raekwon McMillan saw his first action of the season at linebacker in the second quarter when LB Ja'Whaun Bentley was out with an injury.
- RB JaMycal Hasty saw his first snaps on offense when he lined up at running back in the second quarter.
- G/C Nick Leverett saw his first snaps on offense in the fourth quarter at fullback.
- T Caedan Wallace saw his first snaps at left tackle when he replaced Vederian Lowe in overtime when Lowe left the game with an injury.
