The Seattle Seahawks opened the 2026 NFL season with a dramatic 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots at Lumen Field on Wednesday night. The game marks the first meeting between the teams since Seattle's 29-13 Super Bowl victory in February.

Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold almost immediately left the game after suffering a hip injury on the Seahawks' opening drive, putting his season on standby and breaking the hearts of every manager that drafted him for a fantasy team this year. Seattle's backup Drew Lock took over for the rest of the game and managed a respectable performance, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a single touchdown.

The first half looked promising for the Patriots, entering halftime with an unanswered lead. New England achieved a solid 10-0 after a touchdown pass from quarterback Drake Maye to Eli Raridon and a 50-yard field goal by Andy Borregales. Seattle, despite losing their starting quarterback, came back in the second half to score 13 unanswered points.

Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from Lock, tying the score 10-10 after Kicker Jason Myers put through a 26-yard field goal. Smith-Njigba ultimately finished the game with eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown, justifying his fantasy stock even with a second-string quarterback.

Maye shouldered pre-season expectations of a Brady-esque dynasty returning to New England after his previous breakout season. His performance in 2026 Week 1 was not as great as his supporters had hoped. Maye ended the game completing 22 out of 33 for 178 yards and a touchdown.

However, it was Maye throwing three interceptions in the fourth quarter that hurt him and, ultimately, sealed the game. Seattle Cornerback Josh Jobe caught Maye's third interception in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining in the fourth, closing out the game.

“You can’t throw three interceptions," Patriot's head coach Mike Vrabel said in a press conference after the game. "Drake knows that.”

The Seahawks improve to 1-0 on the season while the Patriots fall to 0-1.