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The Seahawks opened their season the way you defend a title: without much comfort, but with enough grit to survive. Down 10-0 to the Patriots and losing Sam Darnold very early, the defending champions turned the NFL season opener around to win 13-10 at Lumen Field. Drew Lock stabilized the offense, the defense snatched three interceptions in the fourth quarter, and New England let slip an evening it had firmly under control.
A Banner, Then an Immediate Warning
Seattle wanted to celebrate its status as champion, not open a medical bulletin from the very first offensive series.
Seattle wanted to celebrate its status as champion, not open a medical bulletin from the very first offensive series. Yet Darnold left the game after a sack by Dre’Mont Jones, suffering a hip injury, before quickly being ruled out for the rest of the game. Mike Macdonald later said the initial examinations had ruled out a fracture, while remaining cautious about what comes next.
That nuance changes a lot. For a franchise defending a Super Bowl title, losing its starting quarterback in September could have turned an opening win into lasting bad news. The official word from the Seahawks speaks of relative relief, not a green light. Darnold still needs to be evaluated, and his condition will already weigh on preparations for the trip to Arizona.
On the field, the impact was visible. Seattle looked for a long time like a team disconnected from its offensive rhythm. The Patriots took the lead thanks to a touchdown by rookie Eli Raridon and a defense capable of taking advantage of the home team’s hesitations. At 10-0, New England had a chance to spoil the celebration and make a major statement on the season’s very first night.
Drew Lock Finds a Way Out
Lock did not turn the game into a virtuoso performance. For Seattle, he did something better: he waited for the moment when one clean play was enough to reopen the game. His 45-yard pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a fourth down brought the Seahawks level, in a sequence where the game’s temperature changed all at once.
It was not merely a matter of statistics, even if his 187 yards and touchdown provide substance. More than anything, Lock prevented Darnold’s absence from becoming a collective panic. In an opener against the last Super Bowl opponent, with an offense that had been silent for a long time, that is already a valuable skill.
Seattle then took control on a 26-yard field goal by Jason Myers, after an interception by Julian Love. The shift was not spectacular in the conventional sense: it was methodical, defensive, almost grinding. Exactly the kind of game in which a championship team wins without looking very good, then leaves others to explain why it remains dangerous.
Maye Cracks at the Worst Possible Moment
Drake Maye still had a chance to send the Patriots to overtime, or even win the game for them. Instead, he finished the game with three interceptions in the fourth quarter, the last of them in the end zone, caught by Josh Jobe as New England was in position to mount a comeback.
That is the hard part of the evening for the Patriots. The decision to go for the touchdown rather than choose a more cautious scenario will remain a topic of debate, but the execution mainly handed Seattle the door it needed to slam shut. Maye, already expected to be the face of the response after the lost Super Bowl, leaves with a stat line that will weigh on the week’s discussions.
The Patriots can take positives from their strong start, Raridon’s impact, and a defense that stifled Seattle for a long time. But losing after taking a ten-point lead against a backup quarterback leaves a clearer mark than September’s promises.
Seattle Wins, but What Comes Next Gets Complicated
This victory is worth more than a simple 1-0 record. It confirms that the Seahawks’ defense can still close out a game, even when the offense moves in fits and starts. It also gives Lock immediate credibility if Darnold has to miss time.
The margin remains thin. Seattle won thanks to three takeaways in the money time, not because everything is already clicking. The champions avoided a false start, but their week will revolve around a hip, a Plan B at the most exposed position, and one certainty: their defense can still save an evening that is tilting the wrong way.