The New England Patriots opened the season with a gut-punch, falling 13-10 to the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday night, and the box score told a split story. Even with Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold missing most of the game because of a hip injury, New England still came up short.
Some of the roster struggled badly. A few young players, though, gave the Patriots real reasons to keep watching.
The biggest bright spot may have been edge rusher Bradyn Swinson Jacas. Entering the summer, that position group was one of the main questions on the roster, and those concerns only grew when veteran Harold Landry III opened the season on the physically unable to perform list.
Jacas answered right away in his regular season debut. The 22-year-old rookie, who had a rough preseason, looked at ease in the role on Wednesday night and finished with a sack, three tackles, and an impressive tackle for loss.
At quarterback, Drake Maye had the kind of night that will sting for a while. He’s usually compared to the elite names that have come before him, especially after last season’s MVP runner-up run when his accuracy had fans thinking of Tom Brady.
But against Seattle, he looked much more like Mac Jones. Maye threw three interceptions, all of them in the fourth quarter, and the last one came with less than a minute left while the Patriots were down three and already inside field goal range.
"You can’t have those, it’s unacceptable," Maye said in reference to his turnovers after the loss. "I gotta get back to work, because that wasn’t how I play football."
That late interception stood out for another reason, too. Per ESPN Stats and Info, the last QB to throw a pick......down by 3...with less than a minute left...inside of the 20...was Kyler Murray on Week 8 of 2021. It’s been almost five years since a decision that costly in that kind of spot.
There was better news at tight end, where third-round rookie Raridon continued to build on a strong summer. Unlike Jacas, Raridon had already turned heads in training camp and the preseason, and he carried that momentum into Week 1. The 22-year-old, who came into the year looking like a clear second option behind Hunter Henry, found space in the end zone and scored New England’s only touchdown of the day.
Romeo Doubs, on the other hand, had a debut to forget. The Patriots expected him to be a reliable second target in the passing game behind A.J.
Brown, but that never materialized against Seattle. Doubs was targeted three times and didn’t come down with any of them, and the worst moment came on a wide-open first down drop during New England’s second-to-last offensive drive.
The offensive line had its own mixed bag, but Campbell was a major positive. After the Patriots’ entire line struggled in the Super Bowl against the Seahawks seven months ago, and after Campbell played in last season’s finale despite a recently torn MCL, he looked far more settled this time around. Fully healthy, he didn’t allow a single pressure and helped limit Maye to three sacks, a sharp drop from the six allowed in the Super Bowl.
The run game, though, never found its footing. TreVeyon Henderson did not play, and the Patriots leaned on Rhamondre Stevenson, who finished with just over 50 rushing yards on 18 carries for a 2.8-yard average.
Corey Kiner, acquired by New England on roster cutdown day, added only 11 yards on six carries. With the ground game sputtering like that, Henderson’s eventual return could be exactly what this group needs.
In Other News...
DreMont Jones Just Turned A Painful Patriots Hit Into Drama
DreMont Jones made his presence felt early in the Patriots season opener, flattening Sam Darnold on a sack that led to a hip injury and quickly became one of the nights most talked-about moments. Even in a loss, the play gave New England at least one hard-hitting highlight to point back to, and Jones leaned into it by posting video of the hit on social media afterward.
Mike Macdonald later offered some relief by confirming there is no fracture, but the bigger question around Darnold is still the same: how long will this keep him out? For the Patriots, the injury added another layer to a game they already wanted to put behind them, while Jones' post kept the moment alive long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Just Added Veteran Help Up Front And Another Move Is Coming
The Patriots are adding some veteran heft to their defensive front, agreeing to a one-year deal with DaQuan Jones as they continue to reshape the interior of the defense. Jones, a Penn State product who has played in 179 NFL games across multiple teams, had been on the market since March and gives New England another experienced body to lean on up front.
The move is not a simple one-for-one addition, either. Because the signing pushes the roster above the 53-man limit, another transaction is coming soon, leaving one current Patriot on the bubble as the team makes room for Jones. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Make Urgent D-Line Move After Week 1 Warning
After a Week 1 reminder that the interior can get tested fast, the Patriots moved quickly to shore up their defensive front by agreeing to a one-year deal with defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. Jones brings veteran size and experience, and he arrives with familiar ties to head coach Mike Vrabel from their past together, a detail that should help him settle in without much delay.
His first chance to suit up comes against the Steelers, where New England is looking for more help and more stability in the middle of the line. The addition does mean a corresponding roster move is coming, so the Patriots are not only adding depth, but also making a calculated choice about who stays put to make room for it. [Read more 🡒]