Defending champion the Seattle Seahawks came out on top over the New England Patriots in the opening match of the NFL season with a 13-10 win.
For the first time in 10 years, the new NFL season commenced with a re-match of the previous year’s Super Bowl, where the New England Patriots suffered a defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, whose defense was dubbed ‘the Dark Side’.
They again showed their best when Seattle was deprived of their quarterback, Sam Darnold, due to a hip injury sustained in the initial drive of the match at Lumen Field, scoring three interceptions in the final quarter of play.
BBC Sport reported that Patriots were 10-0 up with rookie tight end Eli Raridon scoring the first touchdown of the season in the second quarter.
Seattle’s back-up quarterback, Drew Lock, started Seattle’s offensiveness in the later stages of the third quarter with Jason Myers reducing the deficit with a successful field goal.
Nehemiah Pritchett of Seattle scored his first career interception when Drake Maye’s pass was deflected by Seattle’s rookie Rodney Thomas, in the fourth quarter.
Nehemiah Pritchett and Josh Jobe entered tonight with a combined two career INTs.
They each came up with a huge interception to give the @Seahawks the victory. pic.twitter.com/FtF9gT289j
— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2026
In the very next play, Lock found wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in space, and this year’s offensive player of the
Love picked off Patriots QB Maye, and thus, Myers got an opportunity to help the Seahawks get ahead with a 26-yard field goal.
New England was in prime position to kick a field goal with just 21 seconds left on the clock, but decided to try and win the game rather than end up in overtime, but their plan backfired, and Maye’s pass to Mack Hollins was intercepted by Josh Jobe in the end zone.
Maye only threw more than one interception in the game last year in the Super Bowl, where he was intercepted on all three of his team’s final possessions of the regular season.
Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald has said that initial tests indicate Darnold did not break his hip.
Week one ends with the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. The Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne on Thursday (01:35 BST, Friday).
