Keys to the game: Scoping out the season opener between the Seahawks and Patriots

It's finally here.

Football is back in Seattle.

This one obviously hits different with the Seahawks returning as defending Super Bowl champions and having to face the same New England team they beat back in February.

So, as much as it's facing the same team in consecutive games, it's just wildly different this time around.

Let's dive into the keys to the matchup:

One of the secret ingredients for Mike Macdonald's vaunted defense was the ability of the front four to generate incredible pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This was especially true in Super Bowl XL.

Byron Murphy, Jarran Reed, Ryle Mills, Derick Hall -- you name it. They got to Drake Maye.

And that made it so much more effective when Mike Macdonald dialed up exotic blitzes like sending Devon Witherspoon from the corner spot.

All of that is a goal for the Seahawks, and if they can generate something similar, they'll be in great shape.

Now the front seven is largely intact, and that's a great thing.

The secondary? That's a different story.

Gone in free agency are Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen. Injured heading into this are Ty Okada and Nick Emmanwori. Rookie safety Bud Clark is out for the year.

Suddenly, that's a much different-looking secondary defending Maye and the Patriots.

Now, it's not to say the results will be different; it's just part of a larger picture that bears watching.

A new season without film, but memories are certainly still fresh of what we saw 7 months ago.

The story of the Seahawks offense is an interesting one.

Gone are Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III and Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak, but still here in town are star players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sam Darnold, Rashid Shaheed, and so many more --including the entire offensive line, veteran Cooper Kupp, and a promising tight end room.

So what can we really expect?

It's reasonable to think the offense will be fine but slightly different. Brian Fleury comes from the same coaching tree as Kubiak but is certainly his own man and play-caller. At the running back spot, Walker III is gone, and Zach Charbonnet is hurt, but there's not a lack of talent with the capable Emanuel Wilson and the exciting rookie Jadarian Price.

So, there are new things with returning star power to help make it work.

How will it fare in its first test -- against a stingy Patriots defense?

It's an interesting thing to ponder and absolutely a key to how this one will shake out.

We didn't see the starters in the preseason, but if the offense takes to this new playcalling and system right away, the Hawks should be in good shape.

If not, it could end up as a storyline as the game goes on.

These guys are professionals; we know that. So they'll be locked in on New England.

But there is a lot of circumstance surrounding this one, the sort of thing you can't avoid with the Super Bowl banner being raised before this one.

A nice reflective moment for Seattle, perhaps extra motivation for the other side.

I say this is a key, but I genuinely believe that the Seahawks' ability to overcome these sorts of external factors is their separator.

It's why they're Super Bowl champs.

So, take it all in and enjoy -- the team tells me they will, too.

But understand it's all business against a powerful team after it.

I've been wrong before, and I'll be wrong again. (I had the Seahawks winning Super Bowl 60 by a score of 21-17 or 21-13, depending on the day) And we know it was much different than that in the best way for the PNW.

For the Season Opener:

Seattle 28, New England 23

Football season is back, dig in!