The NFL season officially kicked off on Wednesday (yes, Wednesday) night. The Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks hosted the Miami Dolphins AFC East rival Patriots in a rematch of last year's big game.
Throughout the offseason, the talk has centered on what the Patriots would do coming off that Super Bowl appearance. There are still 16 games left for New England, but the opening picture isn't very good.
The Patriots' loss to the Seahawks wasn't the story. It's a long cross-country road trip against a good football team, but Dolphins fans are snickering at the play of quarterback Golden Boy Drake Maye. The QB threw three interceptions, including one on 3rd down, deep in Seattle territory, down by three.
Miami Dolphins fans can at least laugh at the Patriots dismal opener
We all know the Dolphins are not going to be very good this year, but taking comfort in watching a hated division rival is a trade-off. Especially one that has been riding high on the shoulders of the media. The Patriots did not look good on Wednesday.
Maye went 23 of 33 for 178 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. Granted, he didn't get much help from his receiving unit, which saw a critical drop from Romeo Doubs, and A.J. Brown exit the game early with an ankle injury.
It didn't matter who the WRs were. In the 4th quarter, down by three points, Maye threw three interceptions on three consecutive drives, including the game-sealing pick in the end zone.
The Patriots were once again gifted the fortune of playing against a team that lost their starting quarterback. Sam Darnold took five snaps, hurt his hip, and didn't return. The Seahawks turned to Drew Lock, who went 15 of 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown.
No one expected either team to run away with the game, and it lived up to a defensive, low-scoring affair, but the Patriots looked like a mess throughout the opener.
To be fair, most teams don't come out of the starting gate strong, especially given the changes to the preseason that see most starters sitting out every game. Still, it looked sloppy.
New England's biggest question entering the season is whether or not they can beat good football teams. Last year they cake-walked through a last-place schedule, and they enter 2026 playing the top teams from last year.
The AFC East is expected to be a two-team show between the Patriots and the Bills. Buffalo got handed an early-season opportunity. The Bills play in Houston on Sunday. In an ironic twist, every AFC East team opens on the road this year. The Dolphins play in Las Vegas, and the Jets will travel to Tennessee.
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