Your Seattle Seahawks kicked off the regular season with a straight-up clutch 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots, and if that wasn’t sweet enough for the 12s, it appears their number one wide receiver, A.J. Brown, is now dealing with a high-ankle sprain directly because of our defense. Brown exited Wednesday’s absolute nail-biter against our Hawks in the third quarter, and while X-rays thankfully showed no fracture in his right ankle, an MRI on Thursday will confirm how much time he’s actually going to miss. This isn’t just a win, folks, it’s a statement from Lumen Field!
The Costly Exit From Our Gritty Win
We saw Brown out there, hustling on 31 of New England’s first 35 offensive snaps. He was their main man, no doubt. Before his injury, he managed to grab three passes for 26 yards, and heck, he even drew a crucial 34-yard pass interference penalty that set up their only touchdown of the game. So, he was making an impact. But then, in that third period, after a target he couldn’t haul in, he stayed down. You could feel it in the stadium, that collective gasp from their side. We all saw him eventually get up, clearly in pain, limping straight to that blue medical tent on the sideline, then heading for the locker room. He was officially ruled out for the rest of our hard-fought contest. That’s a brutal blow for them, and honestly, a testament to the pressure our defense was putting on all game long.
“Next Man Up” Mentality Gets An Immediate Test
Brown, who the Patriots brought in from the Eagles this offseason to be their top pass-catcher, took on that starting role immediately. With him off the field, New England had to scramble, leaning heavily on Mack Hollins and giving some reps to Kyle Williams at the X-receiver spot. It shows you the immediate impact when you lose a talent like that. Patriots offensive tackle Morgan Moses tried to put a brave face on it after the game, saying, “We don’t blink at all. It’s always been the-next-man-up mentality.” He added, “We know in that room we have some dogs. It’s not just one guy. When you have a room like that, full of guys that can make the play, you’re never thinking on one guy. The opportunity for the other guys to step up was there, and they did what they needed to do. A.J.’s a professional, and he’ll do what he needs to do to get back.” Sure, Moses, but losing your go-to guy against a tough opponent like us? That’s not a situation anyone wants early in the season.
The Patriots will get a mini-bye to try and regroup, assess Brown’s injury, and figure things out before their next game on September 20 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. For us, the Emerald City, this early-season win against a challenging AFC opponent feels like more than just one notch in the column. It’s a statement that Mike Macdonald’s squad is ready to cause problems, both on the scoreboard and with opposing team’s star players. Let’s keep that momentum rolling, 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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