Seahawks Entering Uncharted Territory As Tough Road Opponent For Patriots
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots face as big a test as any game all season on Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks come to Foxboro. But that doesn't mean Seattle doesn't face a challenge of its own - in fact, for them it may be a new challenge altogether.
As tough as the Patriots have traditionally been at home under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady - they're 29-4 since 2012 - the Seahawks have been a tough out on the road under Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson. They're 21-16-1 in the Wilson era on the road. But simply playing in Foxboro isn't the only hurdle facing the Seahawks on Sunday night.
The Seahawks are also heading from Seattle on the Pacific to Foxboro in the eastern time zone, the 13th time since 2012 that they traveled from coast-to-coast in either direction for a game. They are 10-3 in those games. They're also playing on a short week, as they just played the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. In those spots, they are 1-4.
This is the first time that the Seahawks have to travel from west to east on a short week, which makes their challenge somewhat unprecedented. The closest comparison is 2014, when they traveled from D.C. after Monday Night Football to Seattle for a Sunday afternoon game. They lost 30-23 to the Cowboys at home in what was one of the more stunning losses of that season.
Now, they go from west-to-east and face one of the league's toughest teams to beat in their home stadium. But if any team is tough enough to handle the challenge, it's Seattle. There's a reason Belichick was so effusive to start his Wednesday press conference - you know, before that whole other thing.
"There's no team or organization I have more respect for than the Seattle Seahawks. I think that John [Schneider] and Pete [Carroll] have done a tremendous job with that organization. We've spent a lot of time studying what they do both on the field and in terms of their building – team building. So we've learned a lot from them from the outside, obviously. I have tremendous respect for Pete, the way he coaches the team, the way they play. They have great physical toughness, mental toughness. They compete extremely hard. [They're] one of the best teams, one of the best organizations that I've gone up against in my coaching career. I just have tremendous respect for them."
The Seahawks have been strong in coast-to-coast travel situations, but not so hot in Monday-to-Sunday situations. Something has to give. Ultimately, this remains one of the Patriots' biggest challenges and Seattle should not be taken lightly, especially since they will not be taken lightly with Belichick and Brady.
The Seahawks have shown plenty of toughness to overcome challenges in the Wilson-Carroll era, but this week, the challenge is uncharted territory for them. They also face a Patriots team that will play their first game since Belichick traded Jamie Collins during last week's bye, which presents significant challenges of their own.
The point, here, is that both teams will be tested heavily on Sunday night. Both have been tested in the past and are deep and well-coached on both sides of the ball. In a matchup of two tough, talented teams, the outcome on Sunday night could come down to a battle of sheer will.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
