The New England Patriots fell 23-20 in overtime in their home opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, which was disappointing after their big Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
New England's offense continued to struggle to move the ball consistently or find the end zone, but they put the team in position to score 23 points had Joey Slye's fourth-quarter field goal not been blocked.
DeMarcus Covington's defensive unit, which is supposed to be the strength of the team, didn't have their best day either.
They allowed Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith to complete 75% of his passes for 327 yards and a touchdown. DK Metcalf caught 10 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown, including a 56-yard pass that was labeled a miscommunication by multiple defenders. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 117 yards, as he was their consistent stick mover.
Second-year defensive end Keion White has looked great to start the year, recording 2.5 sacks in Week 1 and another 1.5 in Week 2. On top of that, he's been one of the players that New England has sent to the podium to speak after both games.
Following this loss, he issued a challenge to his fellow defenders.
“First and foremost, I know y’all just had Jacoby on: The offense did what they needed to do for us to win today,” White said (transcribed by MassLive). “I feel like as a defense, we need to play better. Me included. The D-line, DBs, linebackers, everybody. So we need to go to the drawing board, watch the film, and go see how we can improve. It’s a short week (ahead of Thursday Night Football) and that’s what it’s all about, making the corrections.”
Back in organized team activities, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo picked Keion White as the player that surprised him most, specifically pointing out his leadership, and we're seeing that now.
Unfortunately, New England will only be as good as their defense is this year, so they'll need to keep teams under 20 points.
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