Patriots Provided Not-So-Gentle Reminder In Loss To Seahawks

FOXBORO, Mass. -- The New England Patriots don't have the same luxuries as others.

New England was able to earn a season-opening victory despite its lackluster roster largely because the Patriots were well-coached, benefited from a few breaks and didn't shoot themselves in the foot. But the Patriots were quickly reminded of what will happen if they make it harder on themselves.

New England suffered a 23-20 overtime loss against the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The Patriots didn't turn the ball over but made result-altering mistakes which cost them a 2-0 start to the season.

"It's all about the details," Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said after the loss. "If we get the little things right, the big things will take care of themselves. We just didn't take care of the little things, and we weren't as detailed or on top of our Ps and Qs like we should have been."

Arguably New England's most notable miscue was the blocked field goal with less than four minutes remaining. It prevented the Patriots from taking a six-point lead and instead allowed the Seahawks to drive for a game-tying field goal, which they converted with less than a minute left in regulation.

Patriots tight end Austin Hooper questionably took the outside rusher instead of the inside rusher, who is closer to blocking the kick. Seahawks safety Julian Love did just that and it resulted in three fewer points for New England -- a gut punch after Antonio Gibson's 45-yard run four plays prior.

"You've got to take advantage of those," Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett said of the drive.

The blocked field goal came after Brissett took a 9-yard sack on third-and-6. It pushed Joey Slye's field goal attempt back to 48 yards instead of an easier 39-yard attempt. While we're not going to say that sack cost the Patriots the win -- or even the kick -- it's not something you want from a veteran quarterback. Brissett lamented the poor play after the game.

On the other side of the ball, the Patriots defense made a game-altering mistake in the first quarter. A miscommunication between New England safety Kyle Dugger and cornerback Christian Gonzalez allowed Seattle receiver DK Metcalf to race past Gonzalez and go untouched on a 56-yard touchdown. Dugger took responsibility for the botched defensive coverage, indicating he expected a quick pass from Seahawks QB Geno Smith. Accountability is good, but the Patriots still need more from those players.

Additionally, fellow Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones was whistled for a massive defensive pass interference penalty when Seattle faced a third-and-5 in the second quarter. It gave the visitors a fresh set of downs at the New England 1-yard line and Zach Charbonnet easily converted the 1-yard run. It's fair to think it was a four-point penalty.

New England's coaching staff made questionable decisions, too.

There was the end-of-half middling from Mayo and company, which went run-pass-pass with less than one minute left. The two incompletions stopped the clock, allowed the Seahawks to keep their timeouts and ultimately convert a field goal in the final seconds.

"Probably a game-changing type series," Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said.

Then there was New England's timeout just one minute into the second half, which avoided a 12-men penalty but also took a timeout away. Let's not forget the puzzling personnel decisions and play-calling, which included a third-and-1 question mark in overtime. New England tried to get tricky with Hunter Henry at tackle, Caedan Wallace as the jumbo tight end and Tyquan Thornton in the backfield. It failed as Rhamondre Stevenson was stopped for no gain while an illegal formation penalty was declined.

The inability to get wide receiver DeMario Douglas involved was as puzzling as anything.

The Patriots will enter each contest behind the sticks given the makeup of their roster. If they want to remain competitive and win games, and it's clear they do, they can't beat themselves.