The Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks are kicking off the 2026 NFL season right here in the Emerald City on Wednesday, September 9th! It’s a rematch of The Big Game, with the New England Patriots coming back to town, and you know there’s gonna be serious fire from the jump.
The Ultimate Rematch to Start the Season
It’s the same exact matchup that closed out last season’s Super Bowl, folks! Our Hawks, fresh off that 29-13 victory over those very same Pats in The Big Game, are hosting them for the NFL Kickoff. It’s only the second time the Kickoff Game isn’t on a Thursday, so get ready for Wednesday night football at 8:20 p.m. ET. Both our Seahawks and the Pats went an insane 14-3 in the regular season last year, with New England crushing it in Mike Vrabel’s first year. This sets the stage for an absolute slugfest, doesn’t it?
The betting lines are already buzzing, and our Hawks are sitting as a solid 3.5-point favorite. That line hasn’t moved an inch since it opened, which tells you what the sharps think. The over/under for total points is set at 44.5, and honestly, that number feels like it could get blown out of the water the way these two teams play. SportsLine’s projection model, which has been on a ridiculous 53-37 run on top-rated NFL picks since 2024, has been running 10,000 simulations, and guess what it’s saying? It’s going Over 44.5 points, and you know I’m listening.
Offensive Firepower and Early Season Shuffles
Why the confidence in the over? Simple: these were two of the top three scoring offenses last season, and both went out and upgraded their units. The Patriots brought in three-time All-Pro A.J. Brown and used a first-round pick on an offensive tackle to protect Drake Maye. Yeah, they’re loaded up. But what about our boys under Coach Macdonald and OC Brian Fleury? Our offense is ready to roll, though we’ve got new looks in the backfield. With Kenneth Walker III’s departure and an injury to another back, a rookie running back is slated for a heavy workload right out of the gate. That’s a huge opportunity for someone new to step up alongside Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp. It’s gonna be electric. On the flip side, New England’s running back TreVeyon Henderson missed practice Monday with an ankle injury, so keep an eye on that for them.
This isn’t just a regular game, this is a statement. This is our Super Bowl champs defending their title from moment one against the team they beat to get it. Lumen Field is going to be rocking. You know the 12s will be loud and proud, ready to see our Hawks prove why they’re the best in the league. Wednesday night, folks, don’t miss a second!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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