Seahawks, Patriots Have Big Questions Ahead of Regular-Season Opener

Wednesday night's Super Bowl rematch will give the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots their first opportunity to answer big concerns in 2026.

by Luke Easterling

Sep 9, 2026

Wednesday night's Super Bowl rematch will give the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots their first opportunity to answer big concerns in 2026.

Mark J&period; Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL regular season finally kicks off Wednesday night with a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl matchup, as the New England Patriots travel to the Pacific Northwest to seek revenge against the Seattle Seahawks.

Both teams dealt with their share of adversity over the offseason, with big-name departures creating some uncertainty in Seattle, while off-field drama kept the Pats in the headlines for non-football reasons. If these clubs want to get back to the top of the mountain in 2026, they’ll need to meet those challenges with solutions, and their first chance to prove it comes Wednesday night.

Here’s the biggest question facing the Seahawks and the Patriots heading into this season-opening showdown:

Can the Seahawks’ Offense Survive the Losses of Klint Kubiak and Kenneth Walker III?

The Seahawks lost Kenneth Walker III in free agency after he won Super Bowl MVP last year. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Last season, Kubiak was one of the most effective offensive coordinators in the NFL, and the combination of overall scheming and game-day play-calling kept opposing defenses guessing all year long. Star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba took home NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Darnold and Walker kept the offense balanced and producing at a high level through the air and on the ground.

But Kubiak’s success made him too attractive of a head-coaching candidate for Seattle to retain in the offseason, and now that he’s leading the Las Vegas Raiders, it falls to Brian Fleury to keep the unit operating at a high level. Fleury spent the previous seven seasons in various roles with the division-rival San Francisco 49ers, learning from one of the league’s best offensive minds in Kyle Shanahan, so hopes are high that Seattle’s offense can keep things running on all cylinders.

The other challenge will be replacing Walker, Seattle’s lead running back and the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Veteran backup Zach Charbonnet is still working his way back from last year’s season-ending knee injury, but the Seahawks spent their first-round pick on Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price, with hopes that he can replace Walker atop the depth chart.

On paper, it looks like the Seahawks made the right moves to ensure the offense doesn’t miss a beat this season, but it’ll have to translate to the execution on a weekly basis if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champs. Starting with a big home win over the Pats would be huge.

Can the Patriots protect Drake Maye?

The Patriots’ offensive line struggled to keep Drake Maye protected against the Seahawks in last year’s Super Bowl loss. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

The hallmark of last year’s Super Bowl was the dominance of Seattle’s defense, which had Maye running for his life all night long. After a regular season worthy of MVP consideration, Maye was reduced to bailing from the pocket and making rushed throws, and the sacks, hits and turnovers piled up as the Seahawks built an insurmountable lead.

Rookie top-five pick Will Campbell struggled at left tackle for much of the 2025 season, but the Pats are hoping for a bounce-back sophomore campaign. The rest of the starting unit is back for 2026 outside of Alijah Vera-Tucker, who is plugging into the left guard spot to hopefully provide a veteran upgrade alongside Campbell.

There’s no reason to believe Maye will do anything but keep getting better in Year 3, as he’s got all the physical and mental tools to remain one of the league’s best signal-callers for years to come. His effectiveness and production in 2026 should be aided by the arrival of AJ Brown, who gives him a legit No. 1 receiver and a go-to target who can challenge the best defensive backs in the league. The backfield tandem of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson is back, so the ground game should remain a strength to help the offense stay balanced.

But none of that will matter if the Pats can’t keep Maye upright, whether that’s keeping the pass rush at bay to give him a clean pocket, or giving the running game enough room to operate effectively. This weak link in the chain scuttled their Super Bowl chances last year, and their first chance to prove it won’t be an issue this time around will come against the same defense Wednesday night.