- Maye wilts under pressure. With a chance for some personal redemption on the line, Drake Maye, New England's MVP finalist looked more like the 24-year-old he is than the star he's become. New England established early control of a low-speed, grind-it-out season opener via a 10-play, 77-yard touchdown drive in which Maye appeared to be completely comfortable, capping it with a play-action pass to rookie tight end Eli Raridon for the game's first touchdown. After the break, however, Maye reverted back to the overwhelmed passer he'd been in Super Bowl LX. The meltdown began early in the fourth quarter when Maye trusted his arm too much and launched a pass down the left sideline toward a window that closed before the ball arrived, resulting in an interception and opening the door for Seattle to mount a comeback. The ensuing drive was even more disastrous, with Maye forcing a pass down the seam that safety Julian Loveread perfectly, sliding in front for another interception. And finally, while mounting a desperate final drive that seemed poised to at least send the game to overtime, Maye sensed pressure from his left, bailed out of the pocket toward edge rusher Demarcus Lawrence, spotted Mack Hollins in single coverage with a step on his defender, heaved a floating pass off his back foot and turned it over a third and final time. Three drives, three interceptions and one loss for the Patriots, who simply cannot give away possession so frequently in such a tight game. It will be up to Maye to respond in Week 2.
- Lock steps up. Sam Darnold's first game as a Super Bowl champion ended after five plays Wednesday night when he was sacked on third down and suffered a hip injury that knocked him out of the game. For a considerable stretch, it knocked the wind out of Lumen Field, too. But when Darnold's backup needed to capitalize on an opportunity, Drew Lock did just that, leading a five-play scoring drive that ended in a short fourth-down completion to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 45-yard touchdown. While that score was most valuable and will be seen on the game's highlight reel for the next week, Lock's play throughout matters almost as much. The veteran avoided risky throws, took the checkdowns frequently when available, used his legs to keep drives moving and finished with a respectable stat line: 16 of 22, 187 yards, one touchdown and a 113.3 passer rating. He didn't light up New England's defense, but Lock gave the Seahawks a fighting chance offensively and calmly led them on three second-half scoring drives that took advantage of good starting field position. It's precisely what a team wants from a backup, and Lock delivered.
- JSN explodes in clutch. In a game that didn't feature many pyrotechnics and saw just 13 combined points scored through three quarters, Seattle needed a spark in the final period. The Seahawks wisely turned to their reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, to light the powder keg. Facing fourth-and-1, the Seahawks broke the huddle in 22 personnel, loading up on beef and signaling they were going to try to convert the crucial down on the ground. New England took the bait. Sensing a run, newly paid cornerback Christian Gonzalez stepped up on the edge, then carried running back Emanuel Wilson into the flat, leaving Smith-Njigba open beyond the line to gain. Lock quickly fired a bullet to Smith-Njigba, who did the rest of the work, sprinting around and through traffic and turning a short completion into a 45-yard, game-tying touchdown that sent Lumen Field into a frenzy. Smith-Njigba caught two more passes in the fourth, piling up 69 of his 122 receiving yards in the final period while reasserting himself as an elite, game-changing playmaker on the national stage. Without him, it's fair to wonder if Seattle might have emerged victorious at all. Fortunately for the Seahawks, Smith-Njigba was there to once again save the day.
- Macdonald's secondary delivers once again. After suffocating New England's explosive offense and winning the game's grandest prize, Seattle's secondary saw some departures in the offseason. Coby Bryant left for Chicago and Tariq Woolen traded his Seahawks uniform for an Eagles kit. And in the first week of the season, Seattle had to accept it wouldn't have defensive X-factor Nick Emmanwori available for its opener. In the end, it wasn't much of a problem at all. The Seahawks' exotic pressures didn't have the same impact in the first half as they did in Super Bowl LX, with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels deftly dialing up well-timed counters that neutralized many of the edge blitzes that had worked well in February. But as the game entered its late stages, the aggression began to pay off, unsettling Maye and opening up opportunities for takeaways. Julian Love produced an excellent game, not only snagging the crucial aforementioned interception, but also adding six tackles to his final line. Nehemiah Pritchett played a key role, recording six tackles, leading the Seahawks with two passes defensed and hauling in the first of Seattle's three fourth-quarter interceptions. Joshua Jobe recovered in coverage to record the final, game-ending interception to go along with six tackles. Collectively, the back end of the defense banded together in the biggest moments and delivered just as they had in their run to the Super Bowl last year. It produced yet another win for Macdonald and an encouraging start to their title defense.
- Injuries dampen mood of kickoff celebration. A.J. Brown arrived as the Patriots' prized offseason acquisition destined to help New England form one of the most feared passing attacks in football, but after just four targets (three catches for 26 yards and one important pass interference drawn), Brown exited due to an ankle injury suffered during an awkward fall on a third-down incompletion. He didn't return, eliminating New England's greatest aerial threat and undercutting an offense that seemed poised to lead the Patriots to victory. Darnold's injury-related exit didn't help matters, either, dampening the mood and silencing Seattle's offense for more than two quarters. It was only two injuries, but both affected star players, forcing both teams to adjust quickly in what became a slog offensively. Each team will hope for encouraging news, but we were all reminded of how much a squad's hopes can rely on just a few players.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Patriots-Seahawks (via NFL Pro): Drake Maye finished 0 for 4 with three interceptions on deep attempts (20-plus yards).
NFL Research: With Wednesday night's win, Mike Macdonald became the seventh head coach in NFL history to win more than 10 straight games prior to turning 40 years old (including playoffs). Five of the previous six head coaches to do so -- George Halas, Paul Brown, Don Shula, Curly Lambeau and Guy Chamberlin -- are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
