The Seattle Seahawks overcame an early injury to starter Sam Darnold and a series of costly turnovers to defeat the New England Patriots 13-10 in the NFL season opener on Wednesday night at Lumen Field in Seattle. The victory marked the Seahawks’ 11th consecutive win overall and extended their dominance over the Patriots, whom they also defeated in last season’s Super Bowl.
Darnold exited the game early after suffering a hip injury on the opening drive following a sack by Dre’Mont Jones. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald later confirmed there was no fracture but said further tests were pending. Backup quarterback Drew Lock entered the game and led Seattle’s offense, which struggled until a late fourth-quarter surge.
The Patriots took an early lead, scoring two touchdowns in the first half. Quarterback Drake Maye connected with rookie tight end Eli Raridon for a two-yard touchdown following a defensive pass interference call on a deep AJ Brown reception. The Patriots added a field goal in the third quarter to go up 10-0.
Seattle responded in the fourth quarter, with Lock engineering two scoring drives. On one key play, Lock found wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 45-yard touchdown on fourth-and-1, tying the game at 10-10. The Seahawks then took the lead on a 26-yard field goal by Jason Myers.
Maye, who had been sacked six times in the Super Bowl last February and faced three more sacks in this game, struggled with turnovers in the final quarter, throwing three interceptions. Nehemiah Pritchett intercepted Maye’s downfield pass in the third quarter, setting up Seattle’s tying score. Julian Love added another interception later, and the decisive play came when Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe made a toe-tapping interception in the end zone on the Patriots’ final possession inside field-goal range, sealing the Seahawks’ win.
Maye acknowledged the impact of his mistakes, calling his interceptions "unacceptable" and taking responsibility for costlier decisions late in the game. He emphasized the need to improve as the season progresses.
The game began with a ceremony celebrating Seattle’s Super Bowl LX championship, including the raising of a new banner and a national anthem performance by Mike McCready of Pearl Jam. Despite the festive atmosphere, the Patriots’ offense couldn’t sustain momentum after Maye’s turnovers, while Seattle capitalized on defensive plays and Lock’s late composure.
Several new Patriots acquisitions had difficult nights. AJ Brown left with an ankle injury, and Romeo Doubs was involved in a critical interception and committed a costly drop. The game underscored ongoing challenges for the Patriots as they start the season following their Super Bowl loss.
Seattle’s win demonstrated resilience and defensive strength, while New England faced questions about protecting its young quarterback and improving offensive consistency moving forward.