The New England Patriots went into Lumen Field on Wednesday night and watched as the Seattle Seahawks raised a Super Bowl victory banner commemorating a championship won at their expense.
As a result, Drake Maye, an MVP frontrunner last season who led the Patriots to Super Bowl LX, was hoping for some revenge along with his teammates to start the new year on the right foot.
Instead, it was Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe who got his feet down in the end zone on the final play of Maye’s night, notching Seattle’s third interception of the Patriots quarterback and icing a 13-10 victory in a thrilling finish in the Pacific Northwest.
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Maye, the Patriots’ offense, had converted on fourth-and-9 to put themselves in field goal range with less than a minute to play in the NFL’s season opener, and he was hoping this fourth-quarter drive ended with some points, because the other two he had in the quarter ended with interceptions – ones that got Drew Lock and the Seahawks’ offense back in the game.
Yes, it was Lock who played most of the game due to Sam Darnold suffering a hip injury just five snaps into the new season. It was looking bleak for a usually raucous “12’s” fan base in the seats, as a dull murmur fell over Lumen Field when Lock took to the field.
But ultimately, his second-half performance turned the tide, making the most of Maye’s mistakes.
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Maye’s biggest came on third-and-5 from Seattle’s 16-yard line, where he scrambled out to his right, and instead of going out of bounds or throwing the ball away, he tried to give Mack Hollins a jump ball in the end zone.
Jobe, though, made an incredible acrobatic catch, contorting his body so both his feet remained in bounds and sealed victory. The “12’s” were in rapture when they saw their stellar defense once again save the day, while the Patriots’ sideline couldn’t believe what just happened.
Maye’s opening night was a roller-coaster. He finished 23-of-33 through the air for 178 yards with one touchdown pass to rookie tight end Eli Raridon – the first of the NFL season – while his three interceptions will be a pain point in team meetings later this week after they watch the tape.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks were thankful for the decision of Maye to not throw it away, as they were at least looking at overtime football with a chip-shot field goal in play before that final interception.
They must also be thankful that Lock was ready to go once Darnold was ruled out the rest of the way. He was highly efficient, as the backup quarterback went 16-of-22 for 187 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers.
And it also helps when the reigning Offensive Player of the Year is locked in to help his backup quarterback find some easy pitch-and-catch scenarios. Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished the night with eight catches for 122 yards, including the game-changing 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown on a clever fourth-and-1 call by the Seahawks to pass instead of run.
Smith-Njigba was wide open and all Lock had to do was hit him in the numbers. From there, the Ohio State product used his blazing speed to get past multiple Patriots defenders and tie the game following the Jason Myers extra point.
That touchdown came after Maye’s first interception, which was hauled in by Nehemiah Pritchett on a deep ball intended for new Patriots receiver Romeo Doubs. No, it wasn’t A.J. Brown, the top offseason acquisition by New England, who was targeted after he suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of the game like Darnold.
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With a tie game, Maye was trying to get the Patriots the lead back, but veteran safety Julian Love had other things in mind. This time, it was a target for Pop Douglas, but Love read Maye the entire way, jumping the route and securing a great field position for Lock and company to work with.
Myers knocked through a 26-yard field goal to end the ensuing drive, and it was the game-winning points for Seattle, who now start the season off 1-0 and make their Super Bowl-winning celebration that much sweeter.
However, all eyes will be on what happens with Darnold later this week, considering their Super Bowl hopes for this season ride on their franchise quarterback being healthy. Darnold landed awkwardly on his knee when Dre’Mont Jones sacked him in the first quarter, and he was noticeably limping to the sideline.
After a trip to the dreaded blue medical tent, Darnold limped his way to the locker room where he was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald will learn of his quarterback’s diagnosis soon, and like the rest of the franchise, hope it’s nothing too severe.
The same goes for Brown, whom the Patriots traded for from the Philadelphia Eagles before the start of training camp. He finished his debut with three catches for 26 yards before leaving the game.