By Tony Moss, NFL Editor -- (Sports Network) - This Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field was supposed to be a much-anticipated December clash between two perennial playoff teams.

Instead, thanks to both teams' current standing outside the 2008 playoff bracket, the matchup has been demoted from its status as an NBC-televised primetime affair, and will simply be one of the six games contested in the late Sunday afternoon slot in Week 14.

The big problem, frankly, is the homestanding Seahawks.

Fresh off five consecutive playoff berths, Seattle was undoubtedly seen by the network powers as something of a lock to maintain that elite standing coming into the campaign.

But head coach Mike Holmgren's final season with the Seahawks has taken on nightmare proportions, as major injuries and misfortune have combined to send Seattle to a 2-10 mark, tied for the worst record in the NFC West.

The Hawks have lost five in a row since a win at San Francisco on Oct. 26, and last Thursday suffered the indignity of playing out a 34-9 throttling at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys before a national television audience watching on Thanksgiving.

This week's taste of home cooking could be thought to have a positive impact on Seattle, but even the "12th Man" has done little to rouse the Seahawks this year. Holmgren and company carry a four-game home losing streak into Sunday's test, with their last victory at Qwest Field coming on Sept. 21 against the Rams.

That game also marked the most recent victory as a starter for former Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who subsequently missed several weeks with a back problem and has lost three consecutive starts since his return.

The Patriots, meanwhile, are in less dire straits as Week 14 begins, but are something less than the media magnet they were during last year's 16-0 campaign.

The Tom Brady-less team fell to 7-5 with last week's 33-10 rout by the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium, and are currently one game behind the 8-4 Colts and Ravens for the final Wild Card spot in the AFC.

New England is one game back of the first-place Jets in the AFC East heading into the season's final quarter, but is also tied with the surprising Dolphins (7-5) and just one game up on the Bills (6-6).

SERIES HISTORY

The all-time series between the Seahawks and Patriots is knotted, 7-7, with New England evening the series by virtue of a 30-20 home victory when the teams last met, in 2004. Seattle won the previous four meetings, with its most recent win a 10-9 home victory in 2000. The Patriots are 0-1 in Seattle since last winning there in 1985.

Holmgren is 2-2 all-time against the Patriots, including 2-1 while serving as head coach with Green Bay (1992-98). That total includes a victory for the Pack over the Pats in Super Bowl XXXI. New England's Bill Belichick has a 2-1 career mark against the Seahawks, and is also 2-1 head-to-head against Holmgren in his career.

WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL

After becoming just the fifth quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger to post back-to-back 400-yard games in strong performances against the Jets and Dolphins, Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel (2784 passing yards, 13 TD, 10 INT) came back down to earth a bit in last week's loss to the Steelers. Cassel completed just 19-of-39 passes for 169 yards with no touchdown passes, four turnovers (two INT, two fumbles) and five sacks absorbed on the evening, and was victimized by both Randy Moss' (58 receptions, 8 TD) dropped passes (including two in the end zone) and a devastating hit by Steelers safety Ryan Clark that knocked Wes Welker (84 receptions, 1 TD) out of the contest. Welker is expected to be in the starting lineup this week. Multi-purpose threat Kevin Faulk (445 rushing yards, 43 receptions, 4 TD) was actually the Patriots' top receiver against Pittsburgh, hauling in seven passes for 48 yards, and also made his six ground carries count for a team-best 73 yards. The heaviest rushing load in the game went to Sammy Morris (401 rushing yards, 5 TD, 15 receptions), who carried 10 times for 45 yards and a touchdown and figures to be the team's primary rusher again this week. New England dropped to ninth in the league in total offense (355.1 yards per game) following last week's loss, and has now absorbed the fourth-most sacks in the NFL (40).

Cassel would seem to have a prime chance to bounce back on Sunday against a Seahawks defense that ranks last in the NFL against the pass (265.2 yards per game) and has been lax in both coverage and within the pass rush. A week ago, Tony Romo carved the Seattle defense up to the tune of 331 yards and three touchdowns. Marcus Trufant (48 tackles, 1 INT) figures to be matched up with Moss this week, with safeties Deon Grant (56 tackles, 2 INT) and Brian Russell (50 tackles, 1 sack) attempting to lend support over the top. The Seahawks did not have a sack in Dallas last week, and outside linebacker Julian Peterson (69 tackles, 5 sacks) will be among those looking to get into that column against the oft-pressured Cassel. Seattle is allowing 121.5 yards per game versus the run, which ranks 22nd in the league, but comes off a week in which it limited Dallas' Marion Barber to 32 yards on 10 carries. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu (74 tackles), son of ex-Patriot Mosi Tatupu, has been at the forefront of the run-stopping effort this year, as has fellow LB Leroy Hill (84 tackles, 1 sack).

WHEN THE SEAHAWKS HAVE THE BALL

Though Hasselbeck (1216 passing yards, 5 TD, 10 INT) is suffering through arguably his most miserable year as a pro, he was able to inject more life into the Seattle passing game last week than it had seen in quite a while. Hasselbeck completed 22-of-38 passes for a season-best 287 yards with an interception against the Cowboys, consistently moving the Seahawks between the 20's but failing to finish off drives with touchdowns. Hasselbeck's favorite target was blossoming rookie tight end John Carlson (38 receptions, 3 TD), who caught six passes for 105 yards and now leads Seattle in every major receiving category. Wideouts Deion Branch (13 receptions) and Bobby Engram (28 receptions) combined for nine catches and over 100 yards in the loss. Branch, a former Super Bowl MVP for the Patriots who became embroiled in a major contract dispute with the team prior to the 2006 season, will face his former team for the first time since being traded to Seattle in September of that year. The Seahawks running game has struggled of late, with the team managing just 80 yards on the ground in Dallas, and the absence of center Chris Spencer (back) and guard Mike Wahle (shoulder) on Sunday isn't going to help matters any. Running back Julius Jones (674 rushing yards, 2 TD, 14 receptions), who has cooled off following a hot start to 2008 and has just 77 yards on 23 carries in his last three games combined, figures to receive a bulk of the attempts against New England.

Hasselbeck and company will be going up against a Patriots defense that ranks a middle-of-the-pack 13th overall (317.4 yards per game), and last week had particular trouble slowing the Steelers ground game. Pittsburgh rushers Mewelde Moore and Willie Parker combined for 154 yards on 28 combined carries in the game (5.5 per rush), and top team run-stoppers like inside linebackers Jerod Mayo (96 tackles) and Tedy Bruschi (72 tackles), and nose tackle Vince Wilfork (50 tackles, 2 sacks) will be expecting to get pushed around less this week. The Patriots also struggled to get to usually-battered quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last Sunday, managing just one sack, and perhaps in response re-signed veteran outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin on Wednesday. The 31- year-old Colvin had 26.5 sacks as a member of the Patriots from 2003 through 2007, playing on three teams that reached the Super Bowl. Cornerbacks Ellis Hobbs (41 tackles, 2 INT, 1.5 sacks) and Lewis Sanders (17 tackles) will be among those trying to slow Branch and the Seattle receivers on Sunday, with safeties Brandon Meriweather (61 tackles, 4 INT) and James Sanders (55 tackles, 1 INT) also lending assistance.

FANTASY FOCUS

Those who started Cassel based on his back-to-back 400-yard performances were disappointed with his turnover-laden outing against the Steelers, though the quarterback should bounce back in a big way against a Seattle team that doesn't rush the passer well or scare many people in coverage. Start Cassel, and also feel free to go with Moss, Welker, and perhaps even tight end Benjamin Watson. It looks like Morris is going to get the bulk of the carries from here on out, and he's a decent start against a Seahawks team that isn't stifling against the run. The New England defense is a so-so start, and kicker Stephen Gostkowski is a good one.

Seattle lacks reliable fantasy starters with the possible exception of the rookie tight end Carlson and kicker Olindo Mare, who banged home three field goals against Dallas last week but is still viewed as having something of a scatter-leg. Hasselbeck might have a decent game against his hometown team, and Branch could add value against his former employer, but you're really reaching if you start either man.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

There isn't much that the Seahawks do well right now, and you have to believe Belichick will look at the Seattle film and find lots of areas to exploit. Cassel and the offense figure to have a decent day, and Hasselbeck and the depleted Seahawks are unlikely to be able to keep up. Seattle will play hard in order to give the home fans something to cheer about, but doesn't have the talent to get the job done against a Patriots team with one eye still fixed on the postseason.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Patriots 23, Seahawks 13