Seahawks Defeat Patriots 13-10 as Sam Darnold Exits with Hip Injury

Seattle quarterback Drew Lock threw a 45-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to help secure a 13-10 victory over New England.

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 13-10 on Wednesday night at Lumen Field to open the NFL season. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold exited the game on the opening possession with a right hip injury and was taken to Harborview Medical Center for a CT scan. Backup Drew Lock replaced him, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown. Lock’s 45-yard scoring strike to Jaxon Smith-Njigba tied the game in the fourth quarter before Jason Myers provided the winning margin with a field goal.

New England took an early 10-0 lead behind a 2-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye to rookie tight end Eli Raridon. However, the Patriots' offense struggled after wide receiver A.J. Brown left the game in the third quarter with a right ankle injury. Maye finished the game with three interceptions, including a final pick by cornerback Josh Jobe in the end zone that prevented a potential game-tying field goal. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett recorded Seattle's second interception on a tipped pass earlier in the fourth quarter.

Seattle’s backfield utilized a committee approach led by rookie Jadarian Price, who rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries. George Holani added 29 yards on eight attempts, while Emanuel Wilson contributed 3 yards. The Seahawks' defense, which allowed the fewest points in the league last season, limited Maye to just 15 combined air yards on 11 of his 12 first-half pass attempts.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, initial tests on Darnold were encouraging and suggested no fracture, though an MRI is scheduled for Thursday. The Seahawks (1-0) next play the Arizona Cardinals on September 20, while the Patriots (0-1) will host the Pittsburgh Steelers.