Mike Vrabel’s Patriots face quite a challenge in opening the NFL season next Wednesday, stepping immediately into the fire in the rematch of a painful and forgettable Super Bowl. The stakes are obviously lower this time around, but the environment might actually be tougher, played inside the very loud confines of a Seattle stadium that routinely sets records for crowd noise.

Can’t help but wonder how much of it will be aimed directly at the Patriots’ coach.

Vrabel’s tumultuous offseason was largely ignored throughout training camp, but it feels ripe for the taking for the Seahawks’ legendary fans, so effective they’ve had a 12th man jersey retired in their honor. There would be no shock if they bring up the apparent affair between the coach and reporter Dianna Russini, the salacious details of which took over the NFL discourse for the better part of a month. It was the loudest non-football story of the offseason.

Read more from Tara Sullivan at Globe.com/Sports.