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In a highly anticipated Super Bowl LXI rematch, the Seattle Seahawks overcame the loss of starting quarterback Sam Darnold on their first series — and a 10-0 third-quarter deficit — to beat the New England Patriots 13-10 in the NFL’s 2026 season opener. Jason Myers’ 26-yard field goal with 5:50 remaining provided the winning margin.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, last season’s MVP runner-up, struggled mightily in the second half against the tough Seahawks defense. He tossed three fourth-quarter interceptions, including one in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining.
Darnold injured his hip while being tackled on the final play of the Seahawks’ first drive. He played only five snaps and did not return.
But backup Drew Lock stepped up admirably in his place, going 16-for-22 passing for 187 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-1 to reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Maye got off to a solid start for the Patriots, hitting Eli Raridon for a short touchdown in the second quarter, a play that was set up by a pass-interference penalty drawn by receiver A.J. Brown.
But Brown’s debut with New England was not a successful one. He suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter and did not return.
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Seahawks win without Darnold
The Seahawks had to adapt without Sam Darnold, and Drew Lock demonstrated he can keep his team afloat should its starter be out for an extended period of time.
In his 42nd career NFL game, Lock looked the part of a competent backup, for the most part running first-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense quite smoothly. Aside from an ill-advised throw on third down in the second quarter that should have been picked off, and an illegal-shift penalty in the red zone in the third quarter, Lock provided a steady presence under center.
Initially, Seattle ran the ball more frequently once Darnold went down, particularly with rookie Jadarian Price. But in the second half, and with the Seahawks trailing, Fleury opened up the offense, much to the team’s benefit. Lock’s pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 45-yard touchdown on fourth down was on the money, and he completed a number of intermediate passes as well.
It remains to be seen how long the Seahawks will need Lock, if at all, depending on Darnold’s status. But the Seahawks demonstrated they can win with their backup. — Destin
Brown doesn’t do much for Pats
One reason the Patriots thought Wednesday might go differently from the Super Bowl — and why this team could be better than last year’s group — is that they added a true No. 1 wide receiver in A.J. Brown.
Now, they may be without Brown going forward.
Brown suffered an ankle injury early in the third quarter and limped back to the locker room for further evaluations before being ruled out. Since ankle injuries tend to linger, the Patriots could be without their big offseason acquisition for a couple of games.
But what made things worse is what happened after Brown left.
Romeo Doubs became New England’s No. 1 target. The Pats added the former Packer in free agency, and he had a strong training camp, especially in the red zone. But Doubs struggled on Wednesday.
Maye’s first interception came when targeting Doubs downfield, though that was more the result of a poor pass. Then, in the fourth quarter, Doubs, wide open with a chance to run downfield, dropped a would-be first-down pass. On the very next play, Maye threw his second interception of the night, which led to Seattle’s go-ahead field goal.
The Pats will be hoping for a quick recovery from Brown, and they need Doubs to bounce back from a rough debut. — Graff
Mayday for Maye
Last season, Drake Maye was the NFL’s best deep-ball quarterback. Coaches raved about the way he threw downfield and his acumen in knowing when to go for it.
Wednesday night didn’t look anything like that. Maye threw three interceptions in a costly fourth quarter that flushed away any chance of a comeback win.
In the first half, Maye was efficient and took what the Seahawks defense offered him. Seattle sat back in deep zones, looking to take away Maye’s strength. And for the most part, Maye responded well, checking the ball down and making the right decisions.
But in the second half, Maye’s patience appeared to wane, and he made the types of downfield mistakes that rarely happened a year ago. He underthrew Doubs on a deep ball, which led to a deflection and an interception. Then, after Doubs’ brutal drop, Maye tried to put the ball on DeMario Douglas’ back shoulder over the middle of the field, but that too led to an easy interception.
Late in the fourth quarter, Maye drove the Patriots into the red zone for a potential go-ahead score. But while facing pressure with 26 seconds remaining, he threw up a terrible pass that was picked off and effectively ended the game.
Even the Patriots’ biggest play, a flea-flicker that led to Brown getting wide open downfield, saw another underthrown pass from Maye — though the ensuing pass-interference call bailed them out.
It was just one game, and Maye didn’t play in the preseason, so perhaps there was some rustiness, especially against the NFL’s top defense. But Maye needs to be far more careful with the ball. — Graff
Battered Seattle defense still comes up big
Seattle fielded the top scoring defense in the league in 2025, one that called itself the Dark Side. The Seahawks were without key members of the secondary, like nickelback Nick Emmanwori and safety Ty Okada due to injury, but the rest of the unit showed it was more than capable of picking up the slack.
Reserve cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett recorded the first of three interceptions of Maye, thanks in no small part to the play of backup safety Rodney Thomas II, who was elevated from the practice squad before Wednesday’s game. Thomas, who signed with Seattle in free agency, raced over at just the right time to break up a deep pass intended for Doubs.
Of course, cornerback Josh Jobe picking off Maye with 21 seconds to go was the cherry on top for this secondary, which recorded three takeaways. All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon was stellar as well, shutting down the Patriots’ top receiving targets all night.
Seattle’s front seven made life difficult for Maye, too, sacking him three times. — Destin
Patriots running on empty
The Patriots spent considerable time and money this offseason to try to get better and more consistent at running the ball. It was their top priority offensively.
They signed a physical left tackle, a blocking tight end and a fullback. They hoped the addition of Brown would mean opposing defenses couldn’t load the block against them. The thought was it would lead to the Patriots becoming a more efficient running team.
But that phase of the game was a total mess for the Patriots. A matchup in Seattle against a great Seahawks defense was always going to be a tough measuring stick, but the ground game was no better Wednesday night than it was in the Super Bowl.
The Patriots managed just 62 rushing yards on 24 designed rushes.
They played without boom-or-bust back TreVeyon Henderson, who sat due to an ankle injury. But the way the running game looked against the Seahawks, it’s going to take more than just Henderson getting healthy for things to change with the run game. — Graff
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