BSJ Game Report: Seahawks 13, Patriots - Patriots melt down and blow the opener

Everything you need to know from the Patriots’ 13-10 loss to the Seahawks in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

HEADLINES

Well, that was a blown opportunity. No way to sugarcoat it. The Patriots had the Seahawks on the ropes in Seattle. They were up 10 points in the third quarter against the defending Super Bowl champs, who were forced to play without their leader, Sam Darnold after he was hurt on the opening series of the game. And yet the man who finished runner-up as the NFL MVP a season ago, Drake Maye, imploded, and the rest of the team went down in flames with him.

"We can't turn the ball over, and we have to create more turnovers," Mike Vrabel said postgame. "Again, it's a broken record, but we gotta have a chance. We gotta be great in that situation."

I had no idea that the teams could flip quarterbacks in the final quarter (must be some rule I’m unaware of). Maye morphed into the mediocre Drew Lock - throwing three terrible interceptions to change the tenor of the game and ice it, for the other guys. Meanwhile, Lock looked poised, managing the game well with both his arms (45-yard TD) and his legs (key scramble on the go-ahead drive). What in the heck did we just watch?

The Pats' offensive approach was perhaps more conservative than you’d like, with Maye coming off the season he was - how many times are you going to run into a brick wall? - but there was a reason for that: Vrabel didn’t want to see Maye and the offense in the type of situations they were in the Super Bowl, where too many second-and-third and longs opened them up to the pressure packages that help define Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Instead, the Pats leaned on bigger personnel (12, 21, 22, jumbo with an extra offensive lineman) to influence the edges of the defense. Josh McDaniels also relied on plenty of misdirections, boots, screens, and quick game to keep that pass rush at bay, which they did, at least until late.

TURNING POINT

I don't have one. If the quarterback had played in control and done what he is capable of, the Pats would have had a nice opening-night win. Instead, pundits will talk about how last year was a fluke and that they lost to a suspect backup QB. Maye opened that door.

THREE UP

Mack Hollins - One of the least talked about receivers this summer did exactly what he did a year ago, show up in big moments and make big plays. Hollins remains in Maye's trust tree.

Dre'Mont Jones - He had a tepid training camp. That changed in week one. Good push off the edge as a pass rusher. They'll need that a bunch, especially early in the year. 

The kids were alright - Third-round pick Eli Raridon’s first-ever catch goes for the game’s first touchdown, and second-rounder Gabe Jacas had an impressive TFL, a good hustle play to chase down a run, and got his first sack, again just staying active and taking down a clueless Lock.

THREE DOWN

Drake Maye - A really bad decision to throw that ball to Romeo Doubs swung the door open for the Seahawks and they came charging through. The Pats were five yards away from being in (long) field goal range, and 10 from being in a good spot for Andy Borregales. That second INT wasn't as bad as the one he threw in the Super Bowl (a pass to nowhere) but barely.

Romeo Doubs - A brutal drop after Maye had bought himself time took a 20+ yard gain off the board. He was also the intended target on the first INT and was locked up on a big third down late in the game.

4th quarter defense - Somebody needed to make a play. That’s something Vrabel noted postgame. They’ve got to turn the opposition over more. It was a talking point all spring and summer. In week one, however, it didn’t show up.

INJURIES

A.J. Brown left the game with an ankle injury and was ruled out.

Carlton Davis and Hunter Henry both spent time in the blue medical tent but both returned to play.

TOP PLAYS

THREE TAKES GIARDI WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

1. From what I’ve learned about Maye, this is going to eat away at him, even more so because the team has to sit around and wait 10 days or so to play again (Steelers in the home opener). He got off to a rough start in the opener last year and didn’t really fully flip the switch until week four. There’s a lot of pressure on him to turn it around quicker this time around because this September is brutal, schedule-wise. I believe he will respond the right way - he did after a number of turnovers vs. Pittsburgh last year - but it’s a new season and he must re-establish he’s that guy.

2. Look, you're not going to play a front that's much better than the one the Pats saw tonight in Seattle, but when you finish with a success rate south of 30%, perhaps you shouldn't run it 31 times. Odd for me to say "Let Drake cook" after he melted down as he did, but if he's the franchise QB we all believe he is, and he was calm, cool, and collected for three quarters, maybe they should have taken advantage of that more than they did.

3. The Pats paid Christian Gonzalez the big money. They needed to have him follow Jaxon Smith-Njigba wherever he went, even if it was to the restroom. They didn't do it enough for my liking tonight. After the game, Gonzalez spoke on his contract extension: 'I'm extremely blessed. Thankful. I love this team. I love Boston. I love the city. It's where I want to be. So I mean, I'm happy to be here, and glad we were able to get it done."