2 Takeaways From The Incredible NFL Season Opener

In the opening drive, the Seattle Seahawks’ starting quarterback went down with what appeared to be a hip injury. Later in the game, it was ruled that he would be out for the rest of the contest. It was an unfortunate moment, but a moment that the Patriots had to capitalize on. 

It looked like the game flow was going New England’s way. Drake Maye and company found themselves up 10-0 in the middle of the third quarter. It was a game where points were hard to come by. When up double digits against a backup QB, the number one priority for the Pats was ensuring no self-inflicted mistakes. 

For the first three quarters, that was on full display. The Patriots did a great job avoiding penalties, Maye got rid of the ball quickly and wasn’t sacked once, and the Seahawks couldn’t move the ball. Then the fourth quarter approached. 

This was as disastrous a quarter as a team could get. New England had three drives in the fourth quarter. All three drives ended in Maye interceptions. The first one took place with the Pats up 10-3 at midfield and changed the flow of the game. 

Seattle took that opportunity and tied the game at 10. Then, in the next drive, Maye and company made more mistakes. Romeo Dobbs had a critical drop on second and 14 as no one was near him. The play after, Maye threw an interception in triple coverage. 

The Seahawks took that turnover and turned it into three points. The score became 13-10. The Pats still had a chance to win the game with five and a half minutes left. Then came the worst interception of them all. 

The Patriots found themselves on the Seattle 16 on third and five. They were already in field goal range, so there was no reason to do anything risky. The team overcame three sacks in that drive to get to this spot. 

All New England needed to do was play it safe and get the game to overtime. Instead, Maye threw a horrible interception down the right side of the end zone, and the game ended. With how his season ended last year, a three-interception game to begin the 2026 season was certainly not a promising look. 

It was a disastrous NFL season opener for the 2025 runner-ups. 

Another Moment For Drew Lock

It was another moment for Drew Lock on the primetime stage. Everyone remembers what he did against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023 on Monday Night Football. He helped lead the Seahawks down 13-17 on a 92-yard drive with around two minutes left to win the game. 

The game-sealing throw was to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to put the team up 20-17 on third down. Three years later, Lock had another opportunity. Unlike the Philly game, he didn’t have much time to prep as Darnold’s early injury thrust him onto the field.

Professionally, Lock did what the team needed. He completed 16/22 passes for 187 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers. Was he perfect? No. He, however, did nothing to get in the way of the team. 

In the fourth quarter, Lock threw for 136 yards on 10/14 passing, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to Smith Njigba to tie it 10-10. When Seattle needs him most on the big stage, the QB seems to deliver. 

It was really cool to see another moment like this from Lock, especially in the NFL season opener. His career was not what he envisioned, but he is certainly one thing: The epitome of staying ready.

Depending on how Darnold’s injury is looking, Lock may have to hold it down a bit longer, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t.

End Of My NFL Season Opener Rant

This NFL season opener told me two things: Never understate the heart of a champion, and the Patriots could have some serious problems to address. A loss like that against a team that lost its starting QB early in the game is bone-crushing. Maye’s three interceptions and AJ Brown’s injury make the loss even worse.

It’ll be interesting to see how the season plays out for both teams.