Facing the Seattle Seahawks anywhere is a difficult matchup. But Wednesday, the New England Patriots will try to knock off the defending Super Bowl champions immediately after they raise their Super Bowl LX championship banner in Seattle.
That will bring extra energy to an already loud Lumen Stadium. To overcome that, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel stressed to reporters Monday that starting fast will be key.
But Vrabel also indicated there’s any even more important x-factor to the 2026 season opener than starting fast.
“We can say we have to get off to a good start,” Vrabel told reporters Monday. “But then on the other hand, I would say, what do we do if we don’t? Do we just take out stuff and go home? Or do we compete? Do we fight? Do we fight through adversity?
“Throughout the season, there are going to be some things that we really do not want to have happen that happen. There’s going to be a turnover. There’s going to be an X play; there’s going to be something…
“So yes, we want to start fast. We always do. But also, there is going to have to be some sort of response to our actions and how do we keep our composure and how do we come back and compete to find ways to win.”
Patriots Meeting Seahawks in Super Bowl Rematch
If history is an indication of anything, the Patriots won’t just be battling the Seahawks excellent roster Wednesday night. Beating a defending Super Bowl champion the night they raise the championship banner is very difficult.
Since the 2014 NFL season opener, road teams facing the prior year’s Super Bowl winner in the opening primetime matchup are 3-8. Notably, two of those victories have come in the past five years. But even still, away squads remain 2-3 in these games since 2021.
Over the last 12 seasons, the opening game has been a Super Bowl rematch once. That was in 2016 when the Denver Broncos hosted the Carolina Panthers. The Broncos, the defending champions that year, won by a point.
A lot of these primetime season openers have been close but with the defending champions still winning. The home crowd could have been a factor in several of the contests.
As a former player, Vrabel might understand the dynamics of the season opener championship banner game more than most. He played in two primetime banner-raising games with the Patriots in 2004 and 2005.
Of course, Vrabel was on the defending champion side — not the road team trying to spoil the party, as the Patriots will be aiming to do Wednesday.
Patriots Face Difficult Slate to Begin 2026 Season
Vrabel stressing the importance of bouncing back from adversity might seem like a cliché, but it really isn’t when considering the team’s opening schedule.
In the first four weeks, the Patriots will face four playoff teams that all won at least 10 games last season. Three of those four games will be on the road.
After facing the Seahawks, the Patriots will have 11 days until their home opener where they will square off versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then, the Patriots will visit the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills the following two Sundays.
There’s little doubt the Patriots will face adversity throughout those first four weeks.
The schedule will mostly remain tough for New England throughout the 2026 season, but it eases up a little immediately after the first four weeks.
Regardless of what happens in those first four games, the Patriots will have chances to respond. But they can set a tone for the year with a strong start versus one of the toughest schedules to begin a season in recent memory.
Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Speaks out on X-Factor in 2026 Season Opener vs. Seahawks