In last season's Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks entered the game as the better team than the New England Patriots and spent the matchup proving just that. The game wasn't even as close as the final score might imply. Seattle dominated.
But 2026 is a new season, and while Seattle brings back a lot of starters, they also lost some good talent in free agency. New England, meanwhile, isn't a perfect team, but they did acquire wide receiver AJ Brown, and he should seriously upgrade the Pats' passing attack. In other words, the game likely won't be as easy as the Super Bowl for Seattle, and 12s have a right to feel nervous.
Quarterback Sam Darnold admitted to as much in a press conference on Sunday, adding succinctly, "We've got our work cut out for us."
Sam Darnold's succinct remark about Week 1 shouldn't worry Seattle Seahawks fans
To be sure, Darnold was confident in what his offense is capable of, and he isn't going to say he thinks the Patriots will win in Week 1 because he doesn't. The quarterback knows how good he can be, and he is assisted by high-end talent like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and others.
Still, this season is different from last year. By the time the Seahawks destroyed New England in the title game, the team had had an entire season to perfect their form. Week 1s are often lies, and one might lose their first game and then go on to win a championship. That is exactly what happened to Seattle last year.
The Seahawks also have an unknown to work through, as they did last season as well. In 2025, Klint Kubiak was the new offensive coordinator. He turned out to be brilliant for the Seahawks for one season before leaving to become the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders. Kubiak also had previous experience as an OC with other teams.
This season, Brian Fleury will be directing the offense, and the challenge is greater because he has never been an OC, nor has he called plays before. He is a very smart person and has a strong grasp of what he wants to accomplish, but just like any person doing a job for the first time, Fleury will make mistakes.
Sam Darnold, thankfully, has played with Fleury before when both were with the San Francisco 49ers. That connection is something the team is counting on to reach a high level of success and do so quickly. Still, the offense's efficiency is currently unknown, as there are too many factors in question.
So Darnold is clearly correct: The Seattle Seahawks have their work cut out for them against the New England Patriots in Week 1. The positive is that all 12s know the team is capable of greatness, and putting in the work is just one step in that process.
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