The Seattle Seahawks opened their Super Bowl title defense with a dramatic 13-10 comeback victory over the New England Patriots on Wednesday night at Lumen Field.
What looked like a dream celebration quickly turned into a nightmare for Seattle when starting quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury on the opening drive. Darnold was sacked by former Seahawks defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones while trying to escape the pocket and was eventually ruled out after further evaluation. He completed just one of two passes for 13 yards.
Patriots Take Control Early
With Drew Lock taking over at quarterback, Seattle struggled to generate offense for much of the first half.
New England took advantage, with Drake Maye helping the Patriots build an early lead. The Patriots entered halftime ahead 7-0 and eventually extended the advantage to 10-0.
For much of the night, it looked like New England was going to get its revenge after losing to Seattle in Super Bowl LX.
But Seattle’s defense had other plans.
Seattle’s Defense Takes Over
The Seahawks completely flipped the game in the fourth quarter.
Maye threw three interceptions in the final period, giving Seattle’s offense multiple opportunities to climb back into the game. Those turnovers proved to be the difference as the Seahawks finally found their rhythm.
Lock connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a 45-yard touchdown pass, tying the game and giving the home crowd new life. Smith-Njigba finished with eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Jason Myers later connected on a 26-yard field goal to give Seattle its first lead of the night, 13-10.
Patriots Have One Last Chance
New England still had an opportunity to steal the game back.
Maye moved the Patriots into position for a potential game-winning touchdown, but the drive ended when he threw his third interception of the night. Josh Jobe came down with the game-sealing pick in the closing seconds.
The Seahawks had completed an improbable comeback.
Seahawks Survive
Seattle’s offense struggled without Darnold, but the defense refused to let the defending champions lose their season opener.
The Seahawks overcame a 10-0 deficit, survived the loss of their starting quarterback and forced three fourth-quarter interceptions to secure a 13-10 victory.
For New England, the loss will sting. The Patriots had control of the game before Maye’s late turnovers completely changed the outcome.
For Seattle, however, the biggest question now moves beyond the victory.
How serious is Sam Darnold’s hip injury?
The Seahawks leave Week 1 with a win, but the answer to that question could have a massive impact on their championship defense.
