Sports
Patriots Fall to Seahawks in Season Opener as Three Interceptions Prove Costly
The New England Patriots opened their season with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, with head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye both pointing to second-half turnovers as the difference in the game.
Speaking after the game on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Vrabel said the Patriots failed to make key plays in the second half. "We didn't win the football game in the second half. That's really when you have to win these games in this league," he said. He noted the team could not afford to turn the ball over and needed to generate more turnovers of their own. Despite the loss, Vrabel praised his team's effort, noting the offense battled back with a fourth-down conversion and that the defense recorded stops early in the game. He said the team handled a difficult road environment well, aside from a false start on the punt team and one other similar penalty.
Maye threw three interceptions in the game, including one on the final play that ended New England's comeback bid. He admitted to losing patience as the game wore on. "We had the game under control. Thought we had a good plan to start chipping away and be patient and lost patience and it cost us," Maye said. He specifically cited a forced throw down the sideline to receiver Romeo Doubs as a turning point where the offense's rhythm broke down.
On the final interception, Maye explained he was trying to get rid of the ball under a certain protection scheme but didn't get enough velocity on the throw, allowing Seahawks safety Mack Hollins allowed the ball to be caught by the defense. He acknowledged the team had a chance to force overtime at worst but instead turned the ball over.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown left the game with an injury, and neither Vrabel nor Maye had an update on his status afterward. Maye said he had not yet spoken with Brown but expressed confidence that Brown would fight to return quickly. Teammates including Romeo Doubs and tackle Morgan Moses said Brown reassured the team that he would be fine.
With Brown out, receiver Mack Hollins stepped into a larger role, including making a key play on a fourth-down conversion. Maye praised Hollins' ability to step up in big moments.
Vrabel addressed Seattle's pressure packages, including blitzes from cornerback Devon Witherspoon similar to those seen in the Super Bowl. He said the offensive line, including tackle Mike Onwenu, handled the pressure well for the most part, allowing at least one downfield completion after moving the pocket.
On the ground game, Vrabel credited Seattle's run defense, which ranked second in the league last season, for limiting New England's rushing attack, though he noted the Patriots had some positive runs mixed with negative plays.
Defensively, safety Kevin Byard III said turnovers were the deciding factor. "It just came down to turnovers. We didn't get any, and they got three," he said. He also credited Seattle's receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 45-yard touchdown run that resulted from a busted coverage, and noted Cooper Kupp made a difficult catch that helped set up a Seattle field goal.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who recently became the highest-paid cornerback in the league, said Seattle did a good job moving playmakers like Smith-Njigba, Shaheed, and Kupp around to create confusion for the defense.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson said the team would review film and continue building for the season, emphasizing that the loss was a collective failure rather than the fault of one player. Linebacker Gabe Jacas, playing in his first regular-season NFL game, recorded a sack and said he felt comfortable overall despite areas to improve.
Tackle Will Campbell said the offensive line handled Seattle's crowd noise well through preparation on silent counts, while cornerback Carlton Davis III said the team showed it could compete with the defending conference representative but must learn to close out games.
The Patriots will now shift focus toward their home opener against Pittsburgh.