The 2026 NFL season will kick off with the two teams that closed out last season in Super Bowl LX – a Patriots-Seahawks rematch that will take center stage in a rare Wednesday night contest.
Both teams feature some notable changes but not too many. These are largely two teams with the same foundations that got them to the big game last season. Seattle has a new offensive coordinator and will have a new-look backfield without Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, while the Patriots added receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, a veteran duo that has the potential to help Drake Maye and the New England offense reach new heights.
Despite the threads that reach back to what happened in San Francisco last February, and the coaching and personnel differences from then to now, this is the start of a new season and a new journey for two teams.
After a productive training camp that included joint practices against the Colts and Eagles, the Patriots are ready to get going on that journey, and what better way to fully put last season to bed than by seeing how they stack up to a Week 1 Seattle team that will be looking to re-establish their own identity.
Here are three key areas to watch for as New England tries to get 2026 rolling on the right foot.
1. Which Offense Can Run the Ball?
An early Super Bowl stalemate was broken wide open once Walker started finding some success on the ground, while the Patriots rushing offense could never quite find their footing before the scoreboard turned the game into an all-drop-back passing affair. Establishing the run and stopping the run are age-old keys in a football game, and this is one game where rushing success is vital.
On defense, the Pats must contain rookie running back Jadarian Price and not allow him the kind of game-changing plays that Walker delivered multiple times to help Seattle pull away to a championship. Their run defense should have an upgrade on the edge with the addition of physical free agent Dre'Mont Jones, but will need Corey Durden to continue his ascension without stout veteran Khyiris Tonga in the mix.
Seattle's offense starts with wide zone runs, and everything is built off of that. Put a stop to it, and the pressure will build on quarterback Sam Darnold, who led the league in turnovers last season, yet didn't give the Patriots one in the Super Bowl despite playing his fourth-worst game of the season in QB rating (74.7). The Pats also sacked Darnold only once.
Stop the run. Put the pressure on Darnold to play another clean game.
On the flip side, there could be a lot on Rhamondre Stevenson in this game with TreVeyon Henderson's status uncertain due to an ankle injury. Stevenson had an outstanding camp. He's one of the best all-around backs in the game, one who can play on any down at a high level whether he's running the ball, catching it, or protecting the passer. Stevenson should get a huge bulk of the carries, where having success on early downs is critical.
Seattle's defense is not friendly on third-and-long. Maye and the offense got a full taste of that last time. Thus, staying on time, keeping the chains moving, and not allowing Seattle's defense to dictate terms is vital for the Patriots offense.
Maybe it's an oversimplification, but there's a good chance whichever team is better on the ground will win the game.
2. Drake Ready for Rematch
Even with favorable down-and-distance, the Seahawks defense can put opposing quarterbacks in the blender. Maye saw their potency seven months ago, but this time around he should be better prepared to deal with Mike Macdonald's elite scheme.
It starts with the experience from the Super Bowl and understanding how Macdonald attacked them the first time. Then comes the overall experience from having a year in Josh McDaniels' system. All offseason, McDaniels and quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant have challenged Maye to take the next step in taking total control of the offense. Now, he'll try to apply those lessons learned under the live fire of Week 1.
Maye said this week that he thinks he and the offense are better prepared the second time around, but there's no way to know until after the ball gets kicked off.
"I think you would like to think you are, but it's really when you are out there, and you got to react, and you got to have some urgency, and we got to get ready to play at their place," said Maye. "It's going to be a tough environment. They are well-coached; they got great players."
There are more tools that Maye can use to help him against Seattle. Whether it's purposeful use of cadence, going hurry-up in select moments, or simply taking an extra pre-snap beat to decipher any oncoming blitzers, Maye should lean into his experiences, good and bad, from last season and hope to pull everything together for a great performance in a hostile environment.
3. Who's More Special?
Both the Patriots and Seahawks feature dangerous returners who can change the game in an instant. Punt returner Marcus Jones is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, just as Rashid Shaheed is on both punt and kickoff returns.
Similar to the running game, whichever team wins the special teams battle will have a big advantage. Seattle held that advantage in the Super Bowl with consistent punts that kept the Patriots buried deep in their own territory throughout the game.
The Patriots will also see significant change on special teams, exacerbated by the absence of standout Brenden Schooler, who started the season on the NFI list and will miss at least the first four games.
Perhaps five faces on the kickoff team will be new, potentially six if Elijah Ponder is kept on defense-only due to his roster importance, while their punt team could have as many as seven new faces from the Super Bowl if Ponder doesn't play there.
This time, there will be distinctly different units trying to contain Shaheed and likely some of them will be rookies playing in their first NFL game, like Gabe Jacas and Namdi Obiazor.
In front of Jones, there will be as many as eight new players blocking for him on the punt return team. Similarly, the kickoff return team could have as many as nine new players depending on Ponder's usage.
Add up all that turnover with the practice squad signing of veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky, and it's clear that the Patriots special teams will rely on a lot of new faces out of the gate, trying to get Marcus Jones loose, maintain field position, and contain the explosive Shaheed.
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