NFL Week 2 picks: Roundup of expert predictions for Patriots-Seahawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots surprised many football fans and pundits in Week 1 by going into Cincinnati and beating the Bengals.
And not only did the Patriots leave Paycor Stadium with a 16-10 victory, it was a very deserving win. The Patriots didn’t just get lucky. They were the better team.
New England won the turnover battle 2-0, it won the time of possession battle, it dominated in the run game and did a tremendous job slowing down Cincinnati’s high-powered passing offense.
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The Patriots pulled off the largest Week 1 upset since 2018, per ESPN Stats & Info. Can they put together a similar performance against the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium?
The Seahawks defeated the Broncos 26-20 at home in Week 1. They did a great job making life difficult for Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who threw for just 138 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
This game likely will be decided on the ground.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III gained 103 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in Week 1. The Seahawks, as a team, picked up 146 yards (4.4 per carry) and two touchdowns in the run game. Walker might be questionable for Sunday’s game due to an oblique injury. He missed practice Wednesday and Thursday. If he doesn’t play or is limited, we could see backup running back Zach Charbonnet play a larger role.
The Patriots ran for 170 yards (4.4 per carry) against the Bengals — the sixth-highest team total in Week 1. Patriots running back Rhamonde Stevenson did the bulk of that work, tallying 120 yards and a touchdown. Whichever team can establish the run game, chew up the clock and not turn the ball over will likely win.
Will the Patriots start 2-0 for the first time since 2019, or will the Seahawks travel all the way across the country and win their second straight game in Foxboro?
Here’s a roundup of expert picks for this Week 2 game (with a score prediction, if given).
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 16-13 Patriots
Chris Simms, Pro Football Talk: 19-17 Seahawks
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 20-16 Patriots
Kalyn Kahler, ESPN: Patriots
Seth Wickersham, ESPN: Patriots
Dan Graziano, ESPN: Seahawks
Jeremy Fowler, ESPN: Seahawks
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: Patriots
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated: Seahawks
Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: Patriots
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times: 26-17 Seahawks