--When the Seahawks defeated the Patriots in 1992, Seattle won the battle but lost the war. It allowed the Patriots to draft No. 1, and they took quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Seattle took quarterback Rick Mirer with the second overall pick.

--Seahawks LB Lofa Tatupu and Patriots QB Matt Cassel are very good friends from their time together at USC, even though Tatupu was a starter and Cassel played behind first Carson Palmer and then Matt Leinart.

--Part of the reason that WR Deion Branch is in Seattle is because of his performance in the 2004 Super Bowl, when he was the MVP for New England. "It's a little awkward to answer" questions about that Super Bowl, Branch said. "That's why you never see me with the ring. Once we had the parade, it was over."

--Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck grew up in New England and rooted for the Patriots as a youngster. When he was asked which team his family would be rooting for in this game, he said, "I hope Seattle. But you just don't know anymore. You just don't know."

--Seahawks S Brian Russell was teammates with Patriots WR Randy Moss in Minnesota. "He was a great guy and a great teammate," Russell said. "I don't know what the public perception is out there, but all I can tell you is he is a great teammate. As far as me telling these guys about his tendencies, I'm not sure I can tell them anything that they can't see on film."

--LB Lofa Tatupu, a Pro Bowler his first three years in the league, said he doesn't believe he deserves to make the Pro Bowl this season.

BY THE NUMBERS: 90.47 -- K Olindo Mare's field goal percentage one year after making only 58.8 percent of his attempts in New Orleans last year.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I can't say (how he is) in the locker room, he never came in the locker room. He may have peeked in the training room to get guys out of there, but other than that, he's a coach. He stays where the coaches are supposed to stay. The locker room is for the players. He's not like that. I just think he's (like that) when the cameras are on. He puts on a show for you all, and you all are biting. You all bite every time! As soon as the cameras go off, he laughs about it!" -- Seahawks WR Deion Branch on Patriot coach Bill Belichick, for whom Branch used to play.