The NFL is back! On a Wednesday? Whatever, it's football, and we are happy to have it back.
We kick off the season with a Super Bowl rematch between the returning champions, the Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots.
New England Patriots
First, for the Patriots, who had plenty of media coverage this offseason stemming from their head coach's off-the-field love life — did you know they added an All-Pro at wide receiver this season? Former Eagle A.J. Brown joined the Patriots this summer and will be last year's MVP runner-up Drake Maye's number-one target right off the jump this season. The Patriots were also able to sign superstar cornerback Christian Gonzalez to a record-breaking contract, locking him in with New England for the future.
Seattle Seahawks
Meanwhile, the Seahawks — who may have had the quietest offseason of a Super Bowl champion ever — bring back 20 out of 22 starters from their winning lineup for the 2026–2027 season. Seattle was able to sign star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and corner Devon Witherspoon to contract extensions, both setting record numbers at the time. Along with this, the Seahawks drafted Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price in the first round to fill the hole that Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III left with his departure to Kansas City.
Game Prediction: Who's Got This Rematch in the Bag?
It's Seattle. The saying goes, "Defense wins championships," and during the Super Bowl, that was 100% true. The Seahawks' defense made Drake Maye's life a living hell, picking him off and forcing fumbles all game long.
A Mike Macdonald defense will make any offense scared.
Unfortunately for Maye, this defense is still almost the exact same. While the addition of A.J. Brown will be nice for the Patriots, it will not matter in this one. Paired with a still very capable Sam Darnold running Seattle's offense, this one will go Seattle's way on Wednesday night.
The Pick
Final Score Prediction: Seattle 24, New England 17.
What Actually Happened
Final Score: Seattle 13, New England 10. The defense showed up exactly like it did in the Super Bowl — just a lower-scoring version of it. Marked as a win in the archive.