I did this years ago when the Seahawks were in the SB, both against the Broncos and thought I'd give it another go (maybe even make it a yearly tradition, no matter who's in it). Apologies in advance that I have more to say on the Seahawks games than the Patriots; it's no slight to them, I honestly just paid more attention to the NFC than the AFC this season. The two teams had seven common opponents, in the Steelers, Saints, Buccaneers, Texans, Titans, Falcons, and Panthers:
Steelers:
Seahawks win 31-17 (+14) on the road in Week 2
Patriots lose 14-21 (-7) at home in Week 3
By coincidence, back-to-back weeks. The Seahawks fell behind early, then took the lead late. for the Patriots, it capped off a first three weeks in which the team struggled to find their footing (playing much better since). They outgained the Steelers by over 160 yards, but were doomed by five turnovers (one INT, four fumbles lost).
Saints:
Seahawks win 44-13 (+31) at home in Week 3
Patriots win 25-19 (+6) on the road in Week 6
Both quarterbacks played well, with Darnold throwing two TDs and Maye three, both with no INTs. The difference was in the run game and special teams, with the Seahawks getting two TDs from Kenneth Walker III and one punt-return TD from Tory Horton. Oddly enough, if you just looked at the stats other than total points, you'd think Seahawks-Saints was a close game, with first downs, time of possession, total yards, and even turnovers close. Go figure.
Buccaneers:
Seahawks lose 35-38 (-3) at home in Week 5
Patriots win 28-23 (+5) on the road in Week 10
Remember when Baker Mayfield looked like the MVP? The Seahawks did their part! Mayfield was the one QB other than Matthew Stafford to pick apart Seattle's defense in the regular season, overcoming a 4-TD, 1-INT night from Sam Darnold, to throw the game-tying TD with a minute left and setting up the game-winning FG as time expired. The Patriots played evenly, and much better on defense, with a TD in each quarter, two passing and two rushing.
Texans:
Seahawks win 27-19 (+8) at home in Week 7
Patriots win 28-16 (+12) at home in the Division Round
A Monday Night Football victory for the Seahawks that nobody in Seattle watched, because we were all glued to Game 7 of the ALCS, eagerly hoping the Mariners would make the World Series for the first time. But I digress. The Seahawks survived four turnovers, including a Darnold interception and three fumbles, one of which was in their own endzone for a Texans TD, for a win that didn't seem as close as the scoreboard.
The Texans were sneakily the hottest team in the NFL, which ended with their playoff loss to the Patriots, in which New England forced five turnovers, especially 4 interceptions, one of which was a pick-6. Drake Maye played well, with 3 TDs and 1 INT. The Patriots felt firmly in command all game.
Titans:
Seahawks win 30-24 (+6) on the road in Week 12
Patriots win 31-13 (+18) on the road in Week 7
The Seahawks came closer than they should have to blowing a 20-point lead by giving up three TDs late to make it close. The Patriots did the opposite, playing close early, and pulling ahead big in the second and third quarters. Both teams played the Titans clean, with zero turnovers. The main difference was that the Patriots forced two turnovers to the Seahawks' zero, and dominated the time of possession, while the Seahawks were dominated on the same.
Falcons:
Seahawks win 37-9 (+28) on the road in Week 14
Patriots win 24-23 (+1) at home in Week 9
A tale of two quarterbacks. The Seahawks faced Kirk Cousins, who threw zero TDs and two INTs, trading field goals in the first half before Shaheed's 100-yard opening kick return in the second half started the blowout. (I sense a potential Metamucil endorsement.) Michael Penix Jr. threw for three TDs and zero INTs against the Patriots, in a game where the Falcons surged back in the 4th Quarter, but ultimately lost on a missed PAT. (For obvious reason, I'm assuming the Patriots are the team Falcons fans dread playing the most.)
Panthers:
Seahawks win 27-10 (+17) on the road in Week 17
Patriots win 42-13 (+29) at home in Week 4
After a rocky first few weeks, a statement win for the Patriots! Much like the Saints against the Seahawks, if you only read the stat sheet, you'd have no idea this game was a blowout. No turnovers from either team, with the Panthers actually gaining more yards and dominating time of possession, but the Patriots scored every other way they could, with two passing TDs, three rushing TDs (including one from Maye), and one punt returned for a TD.
The Seahawks were coming off of an epic 38-37 OT win against the Rams, and going into a 13-3 defensive shutdown of the 49ers, with the Panthers sandwiched in between. (Honestly, I was fully expecting a trap game out of this.) In the inverse of the Patriots' win against the Panthers, the Seahawks dominated time of possession and yardage, but put up significantly fewer points, tying 3-3 heading into halftime, and pulling out ahead in the second half.
So, there we go. Did I miss anything big? If we're just going by point differential, the Seahawks played better than the Patriots against common opponents 3 times out of 7, and the Patriots played better 4 times out of 7. Darnold's best game against the Buccaneers (4 TDs, 1 INT) and Maye's against the Saints (3 TDs, 0 INT).
