Seattle, WA
Key Matchups to Watch as Seattle Seahawks Battle New England Patriots in Week 2
In a somewhat unlikely contest between 1-0 teams, the Seattle Seahawks will hit the road looking to stay undefeated in the Mike Macdonald era with a physical matchup against the New England Patriots on tap in Week 2.
Which matchups will have the greatest influence on who snags an early season victory in Foxboro? Here are six positional battles to watch at Gillette Stadium on Sunday:
–Seahawks tackles Charles Cross and Stone Forsythe versus Patriots edge defenders Keion White and Josh Uche: Amid struggles for the entire offensive line in the season opener, Cross stood out as a lone bright spot, allowing only one pressure and dishing out several quality blocks to spring Ken Walker III in the run game against Denver. The third-year tackle will be tested in Foxboro by two vastly different rushers in White and Uche, however. Built like a defensive tackle at 285 pounds, White has impressive power and length to go with surprising quickness at his size, allowing him to collapse pockets both as a bull rusher and using his long arms for effective counters. He generated 2.5 sacks and three quarterback hits in Week 1 while seeing action at multiple alignments up front and may require help from tight ends to keep him from wreaking havoc on Sunday. As for the 6-1, 245-pound Uche, speed and quickness are his calling card, and he’s only two years removed from an 11.5-sack season for the Patriots, which could pose major problems for the 6-8 Forsythe filling in for an injured George Fant on the right side and trying to block him.
–Seahawks edge Boye Mafe, defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy versus Patriots left tackle Vederian Lowe and left guard Michael Jordan: While the Patriots may have an advantage with White and Uche going against an undermanned tackle group, they also have their own offensive line injuries to be concerned about that could dramatically impact their ability to move the ball on Sunday. Lowe didn’t start Week 1 coming off an injury, but he quickly came in for Chukwuma Okorafor in the first half and had his share of issues, allowing three pressures and a quarterback hit on just 23 pass blocking reps. Next to him, Jordan fared okay in pass protection with two pressures allowed, but he wasn’t able to consistently create push in the run game starting in place of an injured Sidy Sow. The Seahawks have far better interior talent and depth than the Bengals did with Williams, Murphy, and Jarran Reed all eager to feast on a practice squad guard, while Lowe surrendered six sacks and nearly 40 pressures last year, which should have Mafe and Derick Hall licking their lips ready to go into attack mode hunting down Jacoby Brissett.
–Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba versus Patriots cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, and Marcus Jones: For a second straight week, Metcalf will be pitted against a quality young corner in Gonzalez, who allowed three catches on three targets for only 15 yards against Cincinnati last week. The former Oregon standout offers good size at 6-1, 205 pounds and ran a sub-4.40 40-yard dash at the combine two years ago, so he has the physical traits to match up against a freakish athlete such as Metcalf. Still, he isn’t near as polished as Pat Surtain II, and the veteran receiver should have his share of opportunities to make plays against the young defender on Sunday. Now in his ninth season, Jonathan Jones has been around the block for a while and squaring off against Lockett will present a fun contest between wily veterans who consistently get the job done. In the slot, Marcus Jones has been rock solid since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2022, allowing only one touchdown in coverage. He’s just 5-8, however, and the 6-1 Smith-Njigba could create a significant size mismatch for the former Houston star that the Seahawks can capitalize on in the middle of the field.
–Seahawks linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker versus Patriots running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson: Seattle held its own against Javonte Williams and Denver’s stable of backs last week, allowing 64 combined rushing yards to the three backs who received carries in the opener. The defense did that with Dodson and Baker being active, however, and both veteran linebackers received questionable designations with injuries on Friday, creating questions both about their availability and their effectiveness if they do play in Foxboro. Under the assumption each player suits up and starts, Dodson and Baker will need to bring their hard hats bracing for the bruising 227-pound Stevenson, who produced an NFL-high 118 yards after contact last week and forced a whopping 10 missed tackles as he put the Patriots offense on his back. New England also has a dangerous change of pace option to throw at the two linebackers in coverage in the speedy Gibson, who has nearly 1,300 career receiving yards with seven touchdowns. If the Seahawks have to play rookie Tyrice Knight and/or untested second-year defender Drake Thomas, this could be a major advantage for the home team.
–Seahawks tight ends Noah Fant, AJ Barner, and Brady Russell versus Patriots linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai: Tight ends weren’t a big part of Seattle’s passing attack in Week 1 with Fant, Barner, and Russell combining for just two catches and 11 yards. But while Bentley and Tavai are capable downhill tacklers and offer some pass rushing ability as blitzers, neither player brings above average athletic traits to the table as sideline-to-sideline defenders, and both can be liabilities in coverage. Last week, the Bengals targeted Bentley seven times and completed seven passes for 62 yards against him. As for Tavai, he has allowed 78 percent of targets against him in his career to be completed while allowing six touchdowns. If offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb can scheme up one-on-one situations for Fant and the rest of his tight ends against New England’s off-ball linebackers, including on play action with an effective run game, the Seahawks should have chances to attack the middle of the field and potentially down the seam with their receivers drawing a ton of attention on the outside.
–Seahawks safeties Julian Love and Rayshawn Jenkins versus Patriots tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper: Without prime Randy Moss, Wes Welker, or Julian Edelman walking through the door, the Patriots lack proven weapons on the outside and their best weapons in the passing game reside at tight end in Henry and Hooper, two experienced vets with soft hands who can create downfield and after the catch. In the past, the Seahawks have had major issues defending tight ends, though the Broncos only got two catches for 12 yards from that group last week. Hooper led the Patriots with 31 yards on two catches and Henry added two catches for 18 yards, and though those are far from impressive stat lines, both players have extensive track records of doing damage as chain movers and in the red zone. The onus will fall on Love and Jenkins, who each will see action matched up against tight ends on Sunday, to prevent the two veterans from consistently providing a security blanket for Brissett and allowing the home team to stay on schedule.
SEATTLE – Known for their high-flying skills above the skies during air shows, the Blue Angels will be in Seattle once again on Monday.
But with Seafair not until the summer, many are wondering why the Navy pilots are in the Emerald City ahead of schedule.
Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets are flying The Diamond Roll (four planes in formation), doing a 360-degree roll as one unit, flying at 400 mph over Lake Washington for the Seafair weekend in Seattle. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Keep reading to find out why the U.S. Navy Blue Angels are in Seattle on Jan. 12.
Why are the Blue Angels in Seattle now?
The Blue Angels returned to Seattle on Monday to begin preseason planning for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show.
Pilots will assess airshow locations, scouting the skies and getting familiar with the landscape ahead of the Seafair Weekend Festival, when they perform in three separate air shows. Their visit brings the iconic Blue Angels F/A-18 Super Hornets to the city, the aircraft pilots use during the air show.
Blue Angels pilots plan to stay in Seattle until Tuesday, coordinating with Seafair event organizers. Last year, only two Blue Angels pilots were in Seattle for preseason planning, instead of the entire squadron.
When are the Blue Angels coming back to Seattle?
The Blue Angels will fly back to western Washington for the 2026 Boeing Seafair Air Show, on Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2, 2026.
They’ll also be in town for two practice runs on Thursday, July 30.
When is the 2026 Seafair Air Show?
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will perform in three air shows throughout Seafair weekend. They’re happening each afternoon on July 31 through Aug. 2 on Lake Washington and at Genesee Park.
The multi-day Seafair Weekend Festival also includes the Apollo Mechanical Cup Hydroplane Races, along with live entertainment, food and drinks, and family-friendly activities. Tickets for the festival go on sale in February.
Who are the Blue Angels?
The Blue Angels is a team of elite Navy flight demonstrators, showcasing their aviation skills in high-speed, precision aerobatic performances.
They perform in air shows across the U.S. each year, with the goal of inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country, displaying the teamwork and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.
Formed in 1946, this year marks the 80th year of the Blue Angels. They take pride in performing for audiences both at home and abroad, showcasing the excitement, precision, and power of Naval aviation.
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The Source: Information in this story came from U.S. Navy Blue Angels, Seafair, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
No matter how the playoffs go for the Seatte Seahawks, general manager John Schneider and his team are looking at a very busy offseason ahead.
In addition to their usual preparations for the 2026 NFL draft, Seattle has a ton of important players who are about to become unrestricted free agents. That list includes special teams superstar Rashid Shaheed, running back Ken Walker and defensive standouts Boye Mafe, Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant.
It’s going to be really difficult to keep that entire group together, even with a lot of cap space projected to be open in 2026. The Seahawks may have to create room with some salary cap casualties after the season is over.
On that note, Over the Cap has listed a pair of Seattle players as potential cap casualties. Let’s review both of them.
OLB Uchenna Nwosu
Coming in at No. 46 on OTC’s list is veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu, who has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit just over $20 million. Nwosu has been valuable when he’s on the field but he’s also missed a ton of time due to injuries and it will be difficult to justify his cap hit with so many other players to pay.
Seattle can save a little over $11.5 million if they cut Nwosu, before June 1 or after. However, they would also take on a dead money hit north of $8.5 million, which takes a lot of the flavor out of those cap savings.
In 45 games with the Seahawks, Nwosu has tallied 19.5 sacks, 52 QB hits, 24 tackles for a loss, five forced fumbles and eight pass breakups.
That’s a lot of good production across the board as an all-around defender, but he’ll turn 30 years old before next season is over and there are a lot of mouths to feed for Mike Macdonald’s defense.
Over the Cap projects there’s a 58.5% chance that the Seahawks will wind up cutting him. Our best guess is that will be the case, especially if they want to pursue someone like Maxx Crosby on the trade market.
K Jason Myers
The only other Seahawks player who made the list (at No. 77) was placekicker Jason Myers, where the team has an interesting choice to make.
Myers has been around since the 2019 season and he’s come through for them more often than not. In 117 games he’s converted 200 of 232 field goal attempts, coming out to 86.2%. On extra point attempts he’s gone 292/307 for 95.1%.
Those are very solid numbers for an NFL kicker, and when you have a solid option at this position you don’t mess with it.
Another factor working in Myers’ favor is that Seattle really can’t save all that much money by cutting him. According to OTC’s numbers the Seahawks would create $5.1 million in cap room by cutting him, with a dead money hit of $1,875,000.
Five million might get Seattle a decent backup for their interior offensive line, or another contributor to Mike Macdonald’s defense. It’s not enough to really move the needle for this roster, though.
OTC gives it a 52.5% chance that Myers will get cut, but we don’t see that happening. If they want to lower his cap hit, the Seahawks can create a little over $3 million for 2026 with an extension. That’s the only move they should be looking to make at this spot.
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And while Dunn’s head coach insisted afterwards he doesn’t believe in “measuring stick games” the Kraken measured up fairly well in this one considering they played a pretty poor first period and needed half of the second frame to get any type of offense going against the league’s No. 2 defensive unit.
But they eventually got it going and the salvaged point, as Dunn mentioned, was huge in that it allowed the Kraken to remain in third place in the Pacific Division – just two points behind leaders Vegas and Edmonton – as they now embark on a five-city road trip. They extended their points streak to 10 games in the process, going 8-0-2 that stretch to transform a season hinging on the brink.
Mats Zuccarello got the overtime winner for Minnesota, converting a Kirill Kaprizov pass off a 2-on-1 break after the Kraken had been foiled just moments prior on their own odd-man rush. That foiled an outstanding night for Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, who’d made several huge stops in both overtime and the third period to keep things tied, as well as prior to that frame to give his team the shot at a comeback.
The Kraken had spent the past week filling opposition nets with pucks but waited until the final 17 minutes to score their first goal of this game. By that point, they’d been trailing 2-0 since a pair of 42-foot wrist shot goals by Ryan Hartman and Brock Faber in the first period silenced the home crowd.
“The first period was awful, and our execution was probably the biggest part of that,” Dunn said. “It’s just tough when you’re chasing the game a little bit to start the game. So, we kind of set ourselves up for the second period to come out and play the right way and I thought as the game went on, we got a lot better.
“And I thought it was a pretty competitive game both ways. A lot of chances both ways.”
Grubauer kept things close from there, stopping 31 of 34 shots on the night to give his team a chance to get back in it.
Adam Larsson then got the Kraken on the board three minutes into the final period with a slap shot goal from the right circle after Dunn had rung one off the post on a prior blast seconds earlier. And the Kraken weren’t done yet.
The Wild ran into penalty trouble not long after and the Kraken capitalized on the power play with Matty Beniers banging home a net front rebound off a Jared McCann shot that lifted the home side into a 2-2 tie and sent the Climate Pledge Arena crowd into a frenzy.
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