Roger Goodell Gets Called Out for Opening 2026 Season With “Snoozefest” Seahawks-Patriots Game

There was a lot of buzz when the NFL announced that the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will play in the season’s opening fixture at Lumen Field. Many called it a Super Bowl rematch as these two teams locked horns in the final back in February.

Seattle won on that occasion and stopped the Patriots from securing an eighth championship. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold completed 19 passes for 202 yards and threw one touchdown pass. Running back Kenneth Walker rushed 27 times for 135 yards. Walker was voted the game’s MVP.

Seattle’s defense chipped in, recording 6 sacks on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Maye also turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions. Seattle won 29-13 and secured a second championship in franchise history.

Ahead of Wednesday’s kickoff, the Seahawks were favored by 3 points against the Patriots. Darnold suffered an early injury and left the game. Drew Lock replaced Darnold. Both Lock and Drake Maye struggled to spread the ball to their receivers. The scores remained deadlocked in the first quarter.

Fans waited more than half a year for football to resume and expected both teams to attack from the first whistle. But they were deprived of creativity in the first quarter and vented their frustration on Twitter, calling out NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for picking boring teams to start the season.

Roger Goodell saw that Snoozefest of a Super Bowl and was like “yeah let’s put that on opening night that’d be fire.”

— Pranav Sriraman (@PranavSriraman) September 10, 2026

Super Bowl 60 averaged 125.6 million viewers across television and digital platforms. It was the second most-viewed Super Bowl in history. A regular-season game doesn’t generate enough hype to get close to that number unless the fixture involves either the Dallas Cowboys or the Kansas City Chiefs. According to ESPN, the 2025 Thanksgiving fixture between the Cowboys and the Chiefs averaged 57.23 million viewers on CBS Sports, shattering all previous records.

The Patriots lose a low-scoring thriller

The Patriots didn’t break the deadlock until the second quarter. Maye connected with rookie tight end Eli Raridon for a touchdown six minutes in. Maye also threw his first interception of the season to Nehemiah Pritchett. But Seattle failed to capitalize on the turnover. Patriots went to the halftime break with a slender lead.

Patriots kicker Andres Borregales extended the lead by three points with a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter. Eight minutes later, Seattle finally scored their first points. Kicker Jason Myers successfully converted a 30-yard field goal, giving Seattle the momentum.

Three minutes into the final quarter, Lock connected with reigning Offensive Player Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a pass. JSN covered 45 yards to score Seattle’s first touchdown of the year. Seattle finally took their first lead of the night after Myers converted his second FG.

In the meantime, Maye threw his second interception while trying to connect with wide receiver DeMario Douglas. His pass was picked off by Julian Love. With the game on the line, Maye threw his third pick. Josh Jobe intercepted his intended pass to Mack Hollins inside the red zone.

lmao look at spoon giving mack hollins the business immediately after jobe's pick pic.twitter.com/NZoVD1Yh8l

— Ty Dane Gonzalez (@TyDaneGonzalez) September 10, 2026

Seahawks kicked off their title defense with a 13-10 victory. Lock went 16 of 22 for 187 yards and threw one touchdown. Rookie running back Jadarian Price, in his league debut, rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries. JSN caught 8 passes for 111 yards and one score.

Maye completed 23 of his 33 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown, but turned the ball over three times. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson gained 102 all-purpose yards on 23 touches on the ball.

In Week 2, the Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers in New England. The Seahawks hit the road for a rivalry game against the Arizona Cardinals.

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