The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots meet again just seven months after Seattle walked away from Super Bowl LX with a 29-13 victory and the Lombardi Trophy.
This time, there is no championship on the line, but there is still plenty at stake as Seattle begins its title defense at Lumen Field. The Seahawks are currently 3.5-point favorites (-104) over the Patriots at FanDuel Sportsbook, with the game total set at 44.5 points.
While another Seattle victory feels like the safest prediction, the more
interesting question is how the game gets there. I don’t expect Sam Darnold to put up huge numbers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Seattle once again relies heavily on its defense to control the game.
So, rather than just predicting the final score, here are five total predictions for Seahawks vs. Patriots.
Sam Darnold stays under 300 yards and throws an interception
Let’s start with the obvious one: I don’t expect Sam Darnold to need to throw the ball 40 times for Seattle to win this game.
That was essentially the formula in Super Bowl LX. Darnold completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception as Seattle’s defense dominated the Patriots and carried the Seahawks to a 29-13 victory.
Darnold averaged 238.1 passing yards per game during the 2025 regular season, and FanDuel’s current passing-yard market is sitting around 227.5 yards. New England also allowed more than 300 passing yards to only two quarterbacks last season.
The Patriots should also be better equipped to deal with Seattle’s passing game this time around, while the Seahawks have plenty of reasons to lean on the running game and their defense if they can establish control early.
My prediction: Darnold finishes with fewer than 300 passing yards and throws one interception.
Elijah Arroyo has his breakout game
Elijah Arroyo didn’t have a huge rookie season statistically, finishing 2025 with 15 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown. But the second-year tight end has the athletic profile to become a much bigger part of Seattle’s offense.
One particularly interesting prediction: Arroyo will record his first career 50-plus-yard receiving game.
He never reached 50 receiving yards in a game during his rookie season, with his best performance coming against Houston when he finished with 42 yards. He already showed the ability to create explosive plays during the preseason, however, including a 36-yard touchdown against Tennessee.
With defenses having to account for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seattle’s other weapons, Arroyo could find himself with favorable matchups in the middle of the field. His size and athleticism make him an intriguing play-action weapon, particularly if the Seahawks can establish the run.
I’m going one step further: Arroyo scores a touchdown, too.
FanDuel’s current anytime touchdown market has Arroyo at +1100, making this one of the more aggressive predictions on the board.
Jadarian Price scores his first NFL touchdown
The Seahawks selected Jadarian Price with the final pick of the first round, and the rookie running back should have an opportunity to make an immediate impact.
With Kenneth Walker III no longer in Seattle and Zach Charbonnet beginning the season on the PUP list, the backfield has opened the door for Price to receive meaningful touches from the start of the season.
FanDuel currently has Price at +135 to score a touchdown, while his rushing yardage prop is set at 51.5 yards.
That combination makes this prediction fairly straightforward: Price finds the end zone for the first time in his NFL career.
Whether it comes on a short goal-line run, a longer explosive play or even through the passing game, Seattle should have enough opportunities to get its rookie running back involved near the goal line.
Seahawks and Patriots combine for at least five sacks
The final prediction is all about the defensive fronts.
Seattle’s defense recorded six sacks against New England in the Super Bowl, and Mike Macdonald’s defense remains built around creating pressure through different fronts, alignments and blitz packages rather than simply relying on one elite pass rusher to win every down.
The Patriots have their own ability to generate pressure, and Drake Maye will be facing a Seattle defense that should be eager to start the season by setting the tone.
I’m not expecting another six-sack performance from Seattle alone, but five or more combined sacks between the two teams feels very attainable.
If the Seahawks can consistently put Maye in obvious passing situations, the defense should have plenty of opportunities to get home.
Score Prediction: Seahawks 24, Patriots 20
I don’t expect another 29-13 game, but I do expect some similarities to the Super Bowl.
Seattle’s defense should once again be the biggest difference between the two teams, while the offense doesn’t need Darnold to put up spectacular numbers to win.
The Patriots are a more experienced team than they were seven months ago, and Maye should be better prepared for Seattle’s defensive schemes. At the same time, the Seahawks have questions of their own after losing Kenneth Walker III and making changes to their offensive structure.
Ultimately, I still trust Seattle’s defense to make more plays.
Seahawks 24, Patriots 20.
