The Seattle Seahawks opened the 2026 FNL regular season the hard way, then finished it the hard way too.
Already down starting quarterback Sam Darnold after the first offensive series, the defending Super Bowl champions dug out of a 10-0 hole and beat the New England Patriots 13-10 on Wednesday in a rematch of the Super Bowl. That result gives Seattle the early lead in the NFC West heading into a Week 2 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
For much of the night, the Seahawks’ offense had trouble getting anything going. Their first six possessions ended in punts or with the first half expiring, and Seattle didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet after that either.
The team finished with 285 total yards, but Drew Lock delivered the biggest offensive play of the game when he hit reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown in the second half. Jason Myers added two field goals, including the go-ahead kick with 5:50 left.
Smith-Njigba was the clear centerpiece of the passing game, catching eight passes for 122 yards and that touchdown. Seattle’s other receivers combined for just nine catches and 78 yards. Rookie running back Jadarian Price added 52 yards on 10 carries.
The real difference, though, came on the other side of the ball.
New England managed only 277 yards, and the Seahawks’ defense turned the fourth quarter into a nightmare for Drake Maye. Seattle intercepted him on three straight possessions in the period, and Josh Jobe sealed it by picking him off in the end zone with 21 seconds remaining.
By the end, the Seahawks had three interceptions, three sacks, nine tackles for loss and six pass breakups. For a team that had to survive a quarterback injury and a sluggish offensive night, the defense carried the load and made the opener feel like a statement.
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Los Angeles provides an early test for a team still trying to settle into life under LaFleur, and the spotlight will be just as much on Arizonas new leadership as on the result itself. The game is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, with streaming available on Fubo and Paramount+, and it gives the Cardinals an immediate chance to show what this reset is supposed to look like. [Read more 🡒]