The Seattle Seahawks opened the 2026 season in style, handling the New England Patriots 35-21 at home in Week 1. It was the kind of statement start every franchise wants, and Seattle never looked rattled in front of its own crowd. New England hung around long enough to make it interesting, but the Seahawks controlled the scoreboard and the tempo. Fourteen points is the final margin, and it felt earned. Sam Darnold was the story, carving up the New England secondary for four passing touchdowns and setting the rhythm for everything Seattle wanted to do. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was his favorite target, piling up 96 receiving yards and consistently winning on the perimeter. Jadarian Price gave the offense balance with 88 yards on the ground, keeping the Patriots honest and the play-action game alive. On the other side, Drake Maye led all passers with 228 yards and kept New England within striking distance, but the Patriots simply couldn't match Seattle's finishing punch in the red zone. Defensively, New England found individual bright spots without ever getting the stop it needed. Deion Jones paced all tacklers with five stops, and Gabe Jacas recorded the game's lone sack. The swing came courtesy of Ernest Jones IV, whose interception was the only takeaway of the afternoon and handed the Seattle offense exactly the short field it needed. Darnold cashed in, and from there the Seahawks played with the lead the rest of the way.