The Seattle Seahawks began their title defense with a bumpy but successful start, beating the New England Patriots 13-10 in Wednesday’s NFL season opener at Lumen Field — a game defined less by clean execution and more by which team could overcome its own mistakes.
Darnold’s Early Exit Forces Lock Into Action
Seattle’s night was upended almost immediately when starting quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a right hip injury on a sack by former Seahawk Dre’Mont Jones, knocking him out after just five plays. Darnold, a two-time Pro Bowler who threw 60 touchdown passes across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, had been the driving force behind Seattle’s Super Bowl run.
His replacement, veteran backup Drew Lock, struggled early as the offense searched for rhythm, managing just 120 yards and no points in the first half. But Lock settled in after the break, going 10-of-14 for 136 yards and a touchdown in the second half alone under new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s playcalling.
The Seahawks’ offense didn’t come alive until wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, hauled in a 45-yard touchdown from Lock in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Smith-Njigba finished with eight catches for 122 yards, easily the standout offensive performance of the night for either team.
Patriots Collapse Late as Maye Throws Three Picks
New England led 10-0 in the third quarter before its offense unraveled. Quarterback Drake Maye, last year’s runner-up for NFL MVP, threw three interceptions in the second half — including one into the end zone on the Patriots’ final offensive snap, with New England driving for a potential game-winning score. Maye has now thrown five interceptions across his last two meetings with Seattle.
Seattle’s defense capitalized on the turnovers. Safety Rodney Thomas II deflected a Maye pass that safety Nehemiah Pritchett ultimately intercepted, and Julian Love picked off Maye on the Patriots’ following drive — matching his interception total from all of last season in a single game. Cornerback Josh Jobe sealed the win with a toe-tapping interception in the end zone. Despite missing several regular defensive contributors, Seattle held New England to 277 total yards and just 4.1 yards per play.
New England’s night was further complicated by the loss of wide receiver A.J. Brown, who exited in the third quarter with an ankle injury in his Patriots debut. Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler acquired this offseason from Philadelphia, had drawn a 34-yard pass interference penalty on a second-quarter flea flicker that set up New England’s only touchdown, but finished with just three catches for 26 yards.
Portnoy Calls Patriots’ Performance “Disgusting”
The loss did not sit well with prominent Patriots fan and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who blasted the team’s performance on X afterward.
“Only the first game of the season but that was tough to watch,” Portnoy wrote, calling Maye’s final interception “disgusting” and criticizing New England’s play-calling. He also raised concern over the severity of Brown’s injury, though no official update had confirmed its extent at the time of his comments.
A Sloppy Start With Room to Improve
Seattle wasn’t penalty-free either, drawing 10 flags for 98 yards, including a roughing-the-punter call, a 34-yard pass interference penalty, and an illegal shift that wiped out a touchdown and forced a field goal instead. Head coach Mike Macdonald is expected to address the discipline issues this week, though season-opening sloppiness is common now that starters rarely play in the preseason.
The night also carried ceremonial weight: Seattle’s second Super Bowl banner was raised at Lumen Field before kickoff, and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready performed the national anthem. The Seahawks’ new ownership group, led by the Khosla family after a league-record $9.6 billion purchase, also met with reporters ahead of the game, with patriarch Vinod Khosla praising the atmosphere at Lumen Field and the team’s fanbase.
What’s Next
The severity of Darnold’s hip injury remains unclear, leaving open the possibility that Lock could start for Seattle anywhere from a few weeks to the remainder of the season. The Patriots, meanwhile, will look to regroup in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, potentially without Brown, their new No. 1 receiver, if his ankle injury proves serious.
