New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) scrambles during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The New England Patriots came into Wednesday night seeking revenge for their loss in Super Bowl 60 against the Seattle Seahawks, but they came up short once again in a 13-10 loss to start the 2026 campaign.
Despite Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold going down in the first quarter with a hip injury, the Patriots couldn't get much going against the Seattle defense once again. When the Pats did get chances, quarterback Drake Maye threw them away with three interceptions in arguably the worst start of his career.
The last of Maye's interceptions was by far the most costly. Trailing by three with less than a minute to go and the Patriots in field goal range, Maye inexplicably tossed the ball into traffic in the end zone and was picked off by Seattle cornerback Josh Jobe to seal the win for the Seahawks. After the game, Maye summed up the poor decision with just three words.
“I lost patience,” Maye said, per Patriots reporter Evan Lazar.
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Maye was under pressure right from the snap on that final play, but if he had just thrown the ball out of bounds, the Patriots would have been able to kick a field goal and likely force overtime.
Of course, it's still very early in the season, and there is plenty of time for the Patriots to get back on track and get back in the win column. New England will have a mini-bye before getting back in action in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Seahawks' defense will likely end up as one of the best units in the league this season, so there is no shame in having a rough night against a Mike Macdonald and company. However, after a tough playoff run and a brutal opening night game, all eyes will be on Maye and this offense moving forward as they try to turn things around and get back to the elite unit that they were a season ago on their way to an AFC Championship.