It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
The Seattle Seahawks started their Super Bowl defense bid with a comeback 13-10 home win vs. the New England Patriots on Wednesday.
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Sam Darnold couldn’t continue just one possession in, forcing Drew Lock to come in when he probably least expected it.
It wasn’t a pretty performance by Seattle’s offense, but its defense can win them games and that was the case today as Drake Maye had another game to forget. Maye’s outing came down to a terrible interception in Seattle’s end zone.
Let’s dive into the opener on NBC and Peacock further with winners and losers:
WINNER: Defenses
Defense was the story of the Super Bowl that resulted in running back Kenneth Walker III winning MVP. That was again the case in this game, as neither team could sustain positive drives without needing some luck to come their way.
The difference was in Maye’s decision making under pressure, which Seattle capitalized on. Nehemiah Pritchett, Julian Love and Josh Jobe got the picks.
LOSER: Sam Darnold and Drake Maye
That’s definitely not how the reigning Super Bowl-winning quarterback drew up his first game since. After just six snaps, Darnold could no longer continue and was officially ruled out at halftime with a hip injury. Lock came in and threw for 187 yards and a touchdown on 16 of 22 completions, as Seattle did a great job in simplifying the offense for him.
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The same could not be said for Maye, who did throw a touchdown in the second quarter to open the scoring before faltering when it mattered most. It’s not the best sign that he didn’t look much different from the Super Bowl loss.
WINNER: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks
Seattle needed a moment of magic to get a possible seven points on the board as New England did well to limit Lock and Co. That moment came early in the fourth quarter, giving Seattle newfound hope.
Lock found his top man in Smith-Njigba on a short route, but the star wideout ended up bursting away for a 45-yard score. He had eight catches on 11 targets for 122 yards and the score.
LOSER: A.J. Brown, Patriots
Brown’s debut as a Patriot did not go to plan. The star wideout was limited to just three catches on four targets for 26 yards. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson had more impact in the receiving game. Brown then suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter and could not continue, a sour start.
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Up next
Seattle heads to Arizona next to meet the Cardinals in an NFC West battle.
New England hosts Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.