McDaniels has reason to feel confident about his team's chances entering Wednesday. Left tackle [Will Campbell](/players/will-campbell) -- who struggled mightily in the Super Bowl while playing with an ailing knee -- is healthy and has shown improvement during preseason preparation. Neither team has a book on each other either, offering the advantage of unpredictability for both squads.
It's why we see some surprising results in Week 1 that often don't serve as reliable predictors of season-long success. And it's why McDaniels believes his team might have an edge.
"Opening day is completely different than every other week in the year because you're hunting and pecking for, 'How do you want to play the game?' as the game is unfolding," McDaniels said. "They're going to tell us some things in the first quarter that maybe we don't know."
As is always the case, Wednesday night's game will be a battle of adjustments. McDaniels, a well-seasoned play-caller, will need to lean on his experience and expertise to guide Maye and the rest of the Patriots offense -- which also includes new addition [A.J. Brown](/players/a-j-brown) -- to a level of success they never tasted in Super Bowl LX.
If he can do that, McDaniels' prediction could come true. Given Seattle's defensive excellence, it will likely be essential.