Lumen Field (Seattle) — The Seattle Seahawks avoided the heartbreak of losing on the night they unfurled their Super Bowl LX banner, scoring 13 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the visiting New England Patriots 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch.
The Seahawks struggled to contain quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots early on. However, Seattle’s potent defense, engineered by head coach Mike Macdonald, showed up in the second half, helping the Seahawks start the season 1-0 on the year, while Mike Vrabel and the Patriots dropped to 0-1.
Here are my takeaways:
1. WTF, Drake Maye? Seahawks Darkside Defense Coaxes Nightmare Performance From Pats QB
Things started out well for Maye, as Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels provided good answers for the Seahawks’ defensive pressure. Patriots left tackle Will Campbell did a much better job of protecting his quarterback in pass coverage than he did in Super Bowl LX, too, giving New England a chance to win.
However, that all changed in the fourth quarter, as Maye threw interceptions on back-to-back drives that led to 10 points for the Seahawks, changing the momentum of the game in Seattle’s favor and serving as a catalyst for Seattle’s comeback win.
The interceptions didn’t end there for Maye, either. After Maye got the Patriots down to the Seahawks’ 16-yard line with under 30 seconds remaining, he threw his third interception of the game on an awful throw. He tried to force a pass to Mack Hollins along the side of the end zone, but Seahawks defensive back Josh Jobe made a tremendous toe-tapping pick to seal the victory for the Seahawks.
With the interception, Maye now has 11 interceptions in his last five games. He threw that many picks in the 17-game regular season in 2025, as his only multi-interception games since the start of last year came against the Seahawks.
On top of that, Maye has already thrown more interceptions on deep balls this season than he did last season. He threw just one interception on passes of at least 20-plus air yards last season, but had two interceptions on such passes on Wednesday night, per Next Gen Stats.
Seattle’s defense finished with three sacks, nine tackles for loss and six pass breakups, playing at the elite level it played at last season.
2. If Darnold’s Hip Injury Is Serious, Lock Provides Glimmer Of Hope For Seahawks
Just like that, Seattle’s push to repeat as Super Bowl champs took a big hit when Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury and did not return. The USC product suffered the injury on the second drive of the game, when he tried to scramble out of the pocket on third-and-five but was sacked by Patriots linebacker Dre’Mont Jones for a 5-yard loss.
Darnold limped to the locker room for further evaluation and did not return. Backup Drew Lock replaced Darnold. While Lock is an experienced backup who knows Seattle’s offensive system, Darnold is the starter for a reason. And if he’s out for a prolonged period, the chances for Seattle to stay within striking distance in the ultra-competitive NFC West will be an uphill climb.
However, Lock did lead the Seahawks to a come-from-behind victory in the second half, completing 16-of-22 passes for 187 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions for a 113.3 passer rating. It was enough to at least show some confidence in Lock in the short term, as the Seahawks await to find out if they’ll be without Darnold for the long run.
3. Need A Big Play? Jaxon Smith-Njigba To The Rescue
The reigning Offensive Player of the Year showed why he’s the highest-paid receiver in the league. Facing a fourth-and-short and trailing 10-3 early in the fourth quarter, Lock found Smith-Njigba on a short pass over the middle of the field, and the Ohio State product turned it into a 45-yard touchdown to tie the game.
Smith-Njigba finished with seven receptions for 111 yards on eight targets. His teammate Cooper Kupp also made an acrobatic catch in the series before, setting up a Jason Myers 30-yard field goal.
3 ½. What’s Next
The Seahawks will look to continue the momentum when they hit the road against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. However, their concentration over the next few days will be on whether Darnold’s injury is severe enough to force him to miss more time.
Meanwhile, the Patriots will try to move on from the season-opening loss when they host Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.
