The Seattle Seahawks will open their title defense against a New England Patriots team that has spent the offseason staring directly at what went wrong in Super Bowl LX.
Patriots guard Mike Onwenu surfaced a striking example of that preparation on Friday.
Asked how many times he has watched Seattle’s 29-13 Super Bowl victory over New England, Onwenu told WEEI’s “Jones & Keefe” that the number was “probably 30 times,” per a clip from the show.
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That’s plenty of repeat viewing for a game New England would rather have ended differently. And it makes clear how seriously the Patriots are treating Wednesday night’s rematch at Lumen Field.
The teams will meet Sept. 9 at 8:20 p.m. ET in the NFL’s regular-season opener.
Patriots Starter Has Rewatched Seahawks Loss ‘Probably 30 Times’
Onwenu’s answer came five days before the teams were scheduled to meet again.
The veteran guard has more reason than most to study the tape.
A Patriots.com film review of the loss credited Onwenu with allowing four pressures, while New England surrendered pressure on 43.4% of its dropbacks. Seattle recorded six sacks and repeatedly created problems with Mike Macdonald’s pressure packages.
The trouble extended across the offensive line. Jared Wilson allowed two sacks, while Will Campbell was charged with a sack, a quarterback hit and six hurries in the Patriots.com review.
Seattle’s front and secondary worked together to keep Drake Maye uncomfortable. Devon Witherspoon was especially disruptive when Macdonald sent pressure from the secondary, finishing with three pressures, including a sack and a quarterback hit that contributed to a pick-six.
Onwenu is entering the final season of the three-year, $57 million contract he signed in 2024, via Spotrac. His $25 million cap hit is another indication of how heavily New England is counting on him up front.
Seahawks’ Super Bowl Pressure Plan Is Now Patriots’ Study Guide
The Seahawks should expect New England to arrive with answers it lacked in February.
The Patriots have already altered the offensive line around Onwenu.
Wilson has moved from left guard to center, while newcomer Alijah Vera-Tucker is listed at left guard on the team’s first unofficial depth chart. Onwenu remains at right guard, with Campbell and Morgan Moses holding down the tackle spots.
Seattle, meanwhile, retained the backbone of the defense that created those Super Bowl problems. Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II and Witherspoon remain featured pieces of a group preparing to defend its championship.
NFL.com described Seattle’s Super Bowl defensive performance as a “suffocation” of New England’s offense. The Seahawks built a 19-0 advantage before the Patriots finally scored and finished off a 29-13 victory for the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
Onwenu watching the game around 30 times suggests New England will arrive with a detailed plan for the looks that hurt it most.
But on the other hand, Seattle knows exactly which tape the Patriots have been studying.
Wednesday will reveal whether Macdonald has another wrinkle waiting for them.
Seahawks’ Super Bowl Watched ‘30 Times’ by Patriots’ $57 Million Starter