The New England Patriots dropped their season opener to the Seattle Seahawks 13-10 Wednesday night. Now, preparation turns to their home opener next Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Before we officially turn the page, however, let’s take one final look back at the week that was. Welcome to the latest installment of our Sunday Patriots Notes.
Moving on
Week 1 of the NFL season does not define what’s to come.
The Patriots learned that lesson in opposite ways over the last two years.
In 2024, the Jerod Mayo-led
Patriots opened the season with a road win over the Cincinnati Bengals. They won just three more games the rest of the season.
Last year, Mike Vrabel’s Patriots lost their Week 1 home opener to the Las Vegas Raiders. By the end of the season, New England was playing in the Super Bowl while Las Vegas was picking No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.
So, as the Patriots dropped their season opener Wednesday night to the Seattle Seahawks, they aren’t ready to let one game define what comes next.
“It’s a long season. We’re going to hold our head up high. We have nothing but the utmost confidence in [Drake] and everyone on this football team,” Vrabel said post-game.
The loss still stings, though. The Patriots held a 10-0 lead in the second half before Drake Maye threw three fourth-quarter interceptions as Seattle and backup quarterback Drew Lock scored 13 unanswered points. New England lamented its inability to finish the game, but there was also a belief inside the locker room that Wednesday night was not an accurate reflection of what this team can become.
“We came back just as good as that team from last year, maybe better,” cornerback Carlton Davis said. “Just got to finish, man. Moving on, we know that we have a team that can go back. We’ve just got to execute.”
That confidence extends beyond the talent on the roster. The Patriots believe in the way they fought, even in a game that ultimately slipped away.
“The one thing to look at is we went out there and battled all 60 minutes. You can hang your hat on that and say that this is a team full of guys that laid it on the line for their brothers,” Morgan Moses added.
The Patriots will now turn the page and begin preparation for their Week 2 home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The message inside the locker room is simple: Wednesday night was one game.
“You either move past it or you go 0 and 17. I’d rather move past it,” Mack Hollins said.
Receiver reset
The Patriots will be without star wide receiver A.J. Brown for at least four weeks with a high-ankle sprain as he landed on injured reserve. Losing their top receiver Wednesday night coincided with New England’s offense severely dropping off, as the following drives ended with a field goal, three-and-out, and three straight interceptions.
Moving forward without Brown, the Patriots will need better from Romeo Doubs (0 catches on 3 targets) while Mack Hollins will continue to be counted on. It also will provide a big opportunity for second-year wide receiver Kyle Williams to see increased opportunities as his game continues to evolve.
“His release package, the way he sets things up at the second level has really been cool to watch that mature,” wide receiver coach Todd Downing said ahead of Week 1. “He’s trending towards more confidence with more and more roles on this team.”
While losing Brown is a key loss for the Patriots, Williams emerging over the next month would be a bright spot for the long-term. Fellow second-year receiver Efton Chism III should now also be part of the game day roster.
Glad it’s done
Roughly 48 hours before kickoff, the Patriots inked star cornerback Christian Gonzalez to a record-setting four-year, $135 million contract. Despite some frustration throughout the process, it was the solution Gonzalez was always looking for.
“I’m extremely blessed and thankful,” Gonzalez said. “I love this team. I love Boston. I love the city. This is where I want to be, and I’m happy to be here. I’m glad we got it done.”
Gonzo vs. JSN
With his extension in hand, Gonzalez was in mid-season form Wednesday night particularly against reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. In 10 coverage matchups vs. JSN, Gonzalez allowed just one catch: a 5-yard completion on a bubble screen.
New England’s top cornerback played with great technique to record a pass breakup in the red zone and take away the Seahawks top option throughout the night. He also had another breakup in coverage on Cooper Kupp, but admitted dropping the interception was a play he needed to make.
While the damage was not done against Gonzalez, the Seahawks still were able to get JSN free elsewhere as he finished Week 1 with 122 yards and a touchdown. The majority of that damage came against zone and the 4th-and-1 score, where New England sold out against the run with Gonzalez crashing down to take the running back away in the flat.
“I think the Seahawks do a great job of moving their playmakers around,” Gonzalez said. “They do a lot of motions to keep people moving. As a defense that’s hard when you never know where a receiver is going to be. Props to them for doing that and making it tough on us. On that touchdown, they caught us in defense. We’ll watch film and move on from it.”
Glitch blitz
A common theme in Super Bowl LX was cornerback Devon Witherspoon breaking through the line of scrimmage untouched as a free rusher — often on Mike Macdonald’s popular “glitch” blitz.
One of the more disappointing parts of Wednesday night’s opener was the Seahawks and Witherspoon getting home on the same pressure scheme twice (1Q: 7:41, 4Q: 2:16) leading to a throwaway and sack. Despite having seven months to find an answer, the Patriots did not have one.
Year 2 Will
Starting left tackle Will Campbell faced an immediate litmus test Week 1 against the Seahawks, who feasted on the tackle in the Super Bowl. Campbell was flagged for two penalties and his chemistry on line games with Alijah Vera-Tucker remains a work in progress. But now healthy, the 22-year old looked stronger and played with improved technique as he allowed just one pressure on 44 pass blocking snaps.
“I just think there’s a lot of growth. From the Year 1 guy to the Year 2,” Campbell said post game. “I really attacked this offseason, and the coaches, we really honed-in on some things, and we’re working on some new stuff. Just trying to excel in every area of my game from last year.”
Pre-game huddle
21 times last season, wide receiver Stefon Diggs broke down the Patriots pre-game huddle with a passionate speech to get the team ready. With Diggs now in Washington, those duties went to new safety and captain Kevin Byard III.
Rookie report
The Patriots got strong contributions from second-round pick Gabe Jacas and third-round pick Eli Raridon in their NFL debuts. Jacas showed improvement from his preseason performance with a TFL in the run game and his first career sack, while Vrabel noted the rookie’s third tackle was his most instinctive play since arriving in Foxboro.
As for Raridon, the tight end played 38 snaps (54%) and caught his first career pass for a touchdown on a delayed release from the two-yard line. The Patriots continued to rely on Raridon as an in-line option, and the results were inconsistent against a physical, talented Seahawks front — a tough task for a rookie in his first game.
One other rookie worth highlighting was linebacker Namdi Obiazor, who tied for a team-high with 20 special teams snaps and recorded three tackles.
Week ahead
Following a weekend off, players and coaches will return to the facility on Monday as preparation for the Pittsburgh Steelers fully begins. After a bonus practice on Monday, the Patriots will fall back into their usual in-season schedule:
- Monday, September 14: Mike Vrabel availability, Open locker room, Practice (2:10 p.m. ET)
- Tuesday, September 15: Players day off
- Wednesday, September 16: Mike Vrabel availability, Open locker room, Practice (TBD)
- Thursday, September 17: Open locker room, Practice (TBD)
- Friday, September 18: Mike Vrabel availability, Open locker room, Practice (TBD)
- Saturday, September 19: Walkthrough, no media availability
- Sunday, September 20: Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
