New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The New England Patriots suffered an ugly loss in the season opener for the 2026 NFL season. New England lost 13-10 against Seattle, squandering a golden opportunity with Sam Darnold missing nearly the whole game with a hip injury. Patriots QB Drake Maye simply could not get revenge against the Seahawks after last season's Super Bowl defeat.
The wheels fell off for Maye in the second half and ended up costing the Patriots the game.
Maye's worst decision came at the very end of the game. New England had the ball deep in Seattle territory with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. The Patriots were in position for an easy field goal that could have forced overtime. Instead, Maye threw an ugly interception in the end zone to Josh Jobe, handing the game to Seattle.
Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth could not believe what they were seeing on the broadcast.
“A pick! A terrible decision!” Tirico exclaimed after the play.
“I can't believe that throw. Wow! There are certain things you just can't do or try when you have field goal range and overtime in your grasp,” Collinsworth added. “And that was the play. Off his back foot, fading away, and didn't get it out of bounds. Ouch!”
It was a terrible conclusion to game where Maye went 23-of-33 for 178 passing yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.
Now all eyes will be on New England's young quarterback for the next week after yet another ugly loss against Seattle.
Should Maye be on fraud watch after another terrible performance against the Seahawks?
Patriots fans should give Drake Maye some slack after going against an elite defense
Article Continues Below
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) scrambles during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
It would be incredibly easy to pile on Maye right now, especially after his boneheaded decision that ended the game. But it would be overreacting to give up on Maye after one bad performance.
Maye finished second in MVP voting last year behind Matthew Stafford and led the Patriots to the Super Bowl. Those are major accomplishments for a second-year quarterback that cannot be ignored after one ugly half of football.
Remember, the Seahawks don't simply have an elite defense. They have the best defense in the entire NFL with only the Texans looking to be in a similar tier. Any quarterback deserves some grace when going up against a unit like that. Especially on banner raising night in front of an incredible fanbase like the 12s.
It is also important for fans to not overreact too much to either team this early in the season. The sample size could not be any smaller with this being the only game played so far this season. Nobody knows how the Patriots or Seahawks will look against different opponents in Week 2. The outcome of those upcoming matchups will be important data points to pair with last night's contest.
The Patriots host the Steelers in Week 2, giving Maye an immediate opportunity to prove himself against a solid NFL defense.
Patriots fans should wait until after that game to get too worried about Maye. But if New England suffers another ugly defeat in Week 2, Maye's critics will be out in full force. And with good reason.
Hopefully New England can collect themselves and move on from last night's ugly season opener.