The New England Patriots were riding high after their Week 1 upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but things crashed back to Earth on Sunday when they fell to the Seattle Seahawks 23-20 in overtime at Gillette Stadium.
New England's offense still wasn't the best, and the defense had its fair share of lapses as well, leading to the loss in a winnable game.
Before we turn the page to Week 3, let's give some credit to those who deserve it and point out who needs more work before their next game.
WINNER: TE Hunter Henry
Henry had a career day on Sunday, reestablishing himself as one of the top tight ends in football. He tied a career-high in receptions (eight) and set a new one in yards (109) while being Jacoby Brissett's favorite target.
The 29-year-old hasn't looked his best in recent seasons, so this performance was great to see.
LOSER: OT Michael Onwenu
Onwenu, New England's highest-paid player on the field, struggled on Sunday. He got beat multiple times while run-blocking and pass-blocking, making life more difficult for Brissett and the Patriots' backs.
Considering the state of the rest of the line, New England can't afford these type of performances from someone who's supposed to be stable in his play.
WINNERS: RB Rhamondre Stevenson and RB Antonio Gibson
Speaking of those backs, they looked solid in Week 2. Stevenson rushed for 81 yards on 21 carries and one of New England's lone scores on the ground, while Gibson rushed for 96 yards on 11 attempts, including a 45-yard run where he got hit in the backfield.
The Patriots are going to rely on the ground game until they can figure out a vertical attack, and that doesn't appear to be happening any time soon.
LOSER: Coaching/Preparation
New England played some poor situational football on Sunday and had some real teachable moments.
Head coach Jerod Mayo took the blame for the miscommunication in the secondary between safety Kyle Dugger and cornerback Christian Gonzalez that led to a 56-yard touchdown between Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf.
On New England's blocked field goal attempt that would've put them up six points in the fourth quarter, Austin Hooper didn't know who to block and allowed the rusher inside.
Then, on their final offensive possession in overtime, Caedan Wallace was flagged for an illegal formation penalty that Mayo also took the blame for.
This team can't hurt themselves like this. They're not talented enough to overcome these issues.
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