Drake Maye left Seattle with the kind of night a quarterback wants to flush immediately.
The Patriots’ second-year passer had already been through one ugly trip against the Seahawks in New England’s Super Bowl LX loss back in February, when he was “got pulled into a bad movie” and absorbed six sacks while turning it over three times. On Wednesday night, the rematch delivered another painful script: three interceptions in the fourth quarter of a 13-10 season-opening loss for the Patriots.
Afterward, Maye owned it without trying to dress it up. Per the Patriots’ website, he said the defeat came down to “decisions that cost us the game on my part.”
He also made clear how he plans to respond.
“I vow to myself to be better and realize it's a long season, but at the same time we can't have those,” Maye continued. “We can't have those.
It's unacceptable, and I know we got to get back to work. That wasn't how I play football and how I want to represent my game and playing quarterback for the Patriots.”
The numbers around the outing were as harsh as the film. Mike Reiss of ESPN noted that Maye became just the second quarterback in the past 25 seasons to throw three interceptions in the fourth quarter of a season opener. The other was Baker Mayfield, who did it in 2019 with the Cleveland Browns.
Josh Dubow of the Associated Press added another layer to the history: Maye is the first quarterback to throw three picks in the fourth quarter of a season opener with his team tied, in the lead or down by one score since at least 1991.
Even with the earlier mistakes, New England still had a live shot late. Trailing 13-10, the Patriots got the ball in position to either tie the game or steal the lead.
With 26 seconds left, Maye took the snap at Seattle’s 16-yard line on third-and-5 and tried to force a throw to a covered Mack Hollins. Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe read it, made the grab, and got both feet down to seal it.
Maye explained what he saw on the play.
“It was something where we had a certain protection on, we were cutting [with offensive tackles], and I was trying to get rid of it,” Maye said about that mistake. “I realized Mack was there in the back and didn't put enough on it to get it out [of bounds].
It was just unacceptable. With a chance to send it to overtime at the worst, and the only thing you can do is turn the ball [for that not to happen] -- that's what I did.”
Now the Patriots move on to a Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 20 at home. The Steelers open their season Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Falcons.
In Other News...
Drake Maye Hit Could Leave Patriots Fans Wanting More After Loss
Drake Maye gave the Patriots a mixed afternoon in Seattle, moving the ball well enough to keep New England in striking range but also giving the Seahawks plenty of help along the way. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, yet the three interceptions and three sacks were enough to tilt a tight game that ended 13-10 in Seattles favor.
The sequence that drew the most attention came when Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall was flagged for unnecessary roughness after a late hit on Maye, a play the NFL is now reviewing for possible further punishment. Maye stayed in the game after the hit, and while the Patriots left with another narrow loss, they now have a short week to reset before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 20. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Keep Targeting Seahawks Talent After Another Seattle Departure
The Raiders interest in former Seahawks talent has not slowed down, and Bryce Cabeldue is the latest name to follow that path. Las Vegas claimed the rookie offensive lineman off waivers after Seattle moved on, adding another player with familiarity to the Seahawks recent roster churn and another piece for a group that has been reshaped under head coach Klint Kubiak, who previously served as Seattles offensive coordinator.
Cabeldue entered the league as a 2025 sixth-round pick and saw action in a small but useful sample last season, logging snaps at multiple spots along the offensive line. For Seattle, his departure is another reminder of how quickly late-round development projects can become roster casualties, while for the Raiders it continues a clear pattern of looking toward familiar Seahawks connections as they build out their depth. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Opener Chaos Turned A Tense Win Into Something Else
The NFL season opener at Lumen Field had enough on-field edge already, but the scene in the stands briefly stole the attention away from the Seahawks and Patriots. A dispute over seating escalated when a Patriots fan allegedly would not move from seats belonging to other spectators, and what began as an argument turned into a physical confrontation that drew in ushers, security and police before order was restored.
For a few tense minutes, the football game was secondary to the disruption above it, a reminder of how quickly a night at the stadium can veer off script. The fan was eventually handcuffed, and while the crowd settled back in, the incident lingered as one of the stranger moments of an opener that already had plenty of bite. [Read more 🡒]