Drake Maye struggles, Jaxon Smith-Njigba eats despite Sam Darnold injury and more fantasy football takeaways from Patriots-Seahawks opener
Yahoo Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- The 2026 NFL season opener saw the Seattle Seahawks narrowly defeat the New England Patriots 13-10, with the Patriots' offense struggling against Seattle's top-ranked defense and losing key receiver A.J. Brown to injury.
- Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had a poor performance with inaccurate throws and an ineffective passing game plan that relied heavily on static routes, raising concerns about the offense's design and effectiveness moving forward.
- Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba excelled despite quarterback Sam Darnold leaving early with a hip injury, demonstrating his role as the primary target and maintaining high productivity even with a backup QB.
- Rookie running back Jadarian Price showed promise with explosive runs but was limited to early downs, sharing carries in a role similar to Kenneth Walker III's usage last season, suggesting a boom-or-bust fantasy outlook.
- Seattle's defense continued to dominate against the run, allowing minimal yardage and maintaining their status as the NFL's best run defense, while Patriots receiver Romeo Doubs had a disappointing debut, casting doubt on his fantasy value given his limited and inconsistent role.
