Our Seahawks defense kicked off Week 1 with a statement, shutting down the reigning AFC champions 13-10 right here in the Emerald City. Our D showed up big time, forcing three turnovers and ensuring those Super Bowl issues for the Patriots did not disappear. Their offense put up only 10 points, plagued by three critical giveaways from quarterback Drake Maye. We sealed the deal in their rematch, snagging a 13-10 victory over the reigning AFC champs, and it felt so good.
Maye’s Meltdown and Vrabel’s Defense
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels caught flak for what looked like a super conservative game plan. But their head coach Mike Vrabel stepped up on Monday to defend it. “I don’t look at things as conservative. That’s what we felt like was best against this defense,” Vrabel said on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. He blamed it on them “not hit[ting] some things” and said you “have to be able to run the football against split safety defense.” He explained how that defense prevents big plays, not stops the run, and how they “tried to hit some shots down the field.” He even said Maye “should have thrown it to the back again” on one of those game-changing interceptions. Vrabel’s take was all about sticking to the plan, saying, “You just can’t get bored doing things right. If it’s not there it’s not there.” Honestly, it sounds like our D truly confused the heck out of them.
Fourth Quarter Floods the Field for Seattle
Let’s talk about how the game actually went down, especially that wild fourth quarter. Through three quarters, the Patriots actually looked decent against one of the league’s best defenses, even going up 10-3. They kept moving the ball even after losing their star receiver A.J. Brown to a high-ankle sprain. They started the fourth quarter deep in Seattle territory, hoping to add to their lead. Corey Kiner ran for a yard on the first snap, looking to set up something bigger. Then BOOM! Drake Maye threw an interception trying to hit Romeo Doubs deep on the very next play. That turnover was the turning point, y’all, and it opened the floodgates for our Hawks! Five plays later, we scored the game-tying touchdown. Then Maye threw another pick on their next possession, and we cashed in with three more points off that giveaway. The Patriots drove deep into our territory again, only for Maye to throw another game-ending interception. Vrabel was quick to shut down any talk about a different game plan changing things, simply stating, “Every game is different, every defense is different,” and ending with the cold truth: “we didn’t win.”
This Week 1 win was a declaration. Our defense, under Head Coach Mike Macdonald, absolutely suffocated the reigning AFC champions, showing the entire league what they are made of. Forcing three interceptions, including that game-sealing one, proves this defense is ready to dominate. This 13-10 victory is a huge early statement for our boys and gives us so much to be excited about for the season. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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