Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold expects the New England Patriots to provide a difficult challenge when the teams meet in the season opener.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Darnold assessed how the matchup against New England will fare him and his teammates.
”It’s a great opportunity for us,” Darnold said. “Obviously, this is a really good football team, coming in here in New England. Really good defense, offense, good special teams, obviously, and really good coaching staff. So, we got our work cut out for us, but it’s exciting, man. Exciting to have football back.
Seattle enters the game as the defending Super Bowl champions after defeating New England in the title game last season. But Darnold knows the Patriots will have a different
mindset when they arrive in Seattle.
New England remains a talented team led by quarterback and last season’s AP MVP finalist Drake Maye, as well as star wide receiver A.J. Brown. The Seahawks, meanwhile, return much of the core that helped them win the Super Bowl last season and will try to begin their title defense with another victory in Week 1 against New England.
For Darnold, the matchup offers an early test of Seattle's ability to handle the pressure that comes with being the reigning champion. The Seahawks will need to execute from the opening kickoff to avoid an upset.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks’ Sam Darnold acknowledges Patriots’ strength prior to opener
