SEATTLE — Mike McCready, lead guitarist of Seattle-based Pearl Jam, shredded the national anthem to set the stage just minutes before the Seahawks began their Super Bowl title defense Wednesday night at Lumen Field against the New England Patriots.The Seahawks unveiled the second Super Bowl banner in team history before McCready’s strumming, which drew shades of another Seattle legend, Jimi Hendrix, and his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1969. Franchise legends like Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor helped hype up the capacity crowd.But just five plays into Seattle’s 2026 season, quarterback Sam Darnold was lost for the night because of a hip injury he sustained on a third-down sack by Dre’Mont Jones. Darnold entered the medical tent, then walked slowly to the locker room with a heavy limp on his right side.“He was going to do everything he can to stay out there,” backup Drew Lock said after the game. “But it was just one of those things where he had to go get it looked at.”Seahawks beat Patriots to kick off 2026 NFL seasonWith 57 more minutes to spar with the reigning AFC champion Patriots without Darnold, the Seahawks turned to Lock. He delivered, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown pass as the Seahawks rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit for a 13-10 win.Safety Julian Love, who had the second of three fourth-quarter interceptions of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, was unsurprised.“We’ve all been saying that Drew has been the best ‘2’ in the NFL for years,” Love said. “It was such a calm on our sideline defensively that folks didn’t even realize until the end of the game, or towards the second half, that he was in.”Cooper Kupp heaped praise upon Lock, too. The veteran wide receiver said Lock, who draws plays on a whiteboard at home to stay ready, received virtually no reps with the first-team offense during practice this week.“You can see the onus that he puts on himself to be ready, though, when the time comes,” Kupp said. “There’s extra time he spends on the field, extra time that he spends with the coaches to make sure. The last thing you want is for Sam to have to not be there, but Drew has done an unbelievable job preparing and did a great job for us today.”Lock held his own in first-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s inaugural game, save for a few mistakes. He could have easily been picked off on an errant third-down throw in the second quarter. In the third, an illegal shift penalty in the red zone — caused by a late audible with the play clock running down — nullified a would-be touchdown on third-and-4 from the 7.But Lock also tied the game, with plenty of help from reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba. On fourth-and-1 at the New England 45-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Lock faked a handoff, booted left and threaded a short pass through the arms of defensive tackle Milton Williams to Smith-Njigba, who took over from there.It was a play Lock had never run in practice; on Wednesday, he did so to perfection, getting to Smith-Njigba (the third read in the progression) quickly.“When 11’s just standing there, you gotta give him the pill,” Lock said with a laugh.Smith-Njigba immediately evaded safety Craig Woodson, then pulled away and outran pursuit while getting blocks 20-plus yards downfield from tight ends A.J. Barner and Eric Saubert.“My job was to find the zone, and Drew did a great job of finding me,” Smith-Njigba said. “After that, it was just do what I do, just try to get upfield, protect the ball.”The play embodied what the Seahawks need Lock to do for however long Darnold is sidelined: Be the point guard of the offense, rather than the playmaker. When Lock was last a full-time starter in 2020 with the Denver Broncos, he went 4-9 in 13 starts.Two seasons ago with the New York Giants, the No. 42 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft started five games, completing 59.1 percent of his passes with six touchdown passes. But in Denver and New York, Lock struggled with interceptions, including tossing a league-high 15 during the 2020 season and five in 2024.After the game, coach Mike Macdonald was optimistic about Darnold’s status, saying the team ruled out a fracture, but his prognosis is not yet clear, with more tests to come Monday. The Seahawks’ next game, Sept. 20 at the Arizona Cardinals, could offer Lock his first chance to start since 2024.Lock said he has grown since he last led an NFL offense as the starter. Much of his improvement, he said, has come from being around a winning franchise like the Seahawks. In turn, his mindset has changed, and Lock has adopted a more conservative approach.“Knowing the type of defense that we have, there’s no rush to push the ball downfield,” Lock said. “Let’s find ways to get the ball in our guys’ hands. Now when the ones downfield are there, I’ve never been one to be afraid to throw those.“But having the mindset of taking care of the football, getting it in our guys’ hands, knowing you’ve got the best defense in the world, in my opinion, let’s keep the ball moving forward and see what the scoreboard looks like at the end.”Though the Seahawks were shut out in the first half, they found a rhythm with Lock at the helm in the second. None of his teammates were surprised, either, nor do they have any doubts about his abilities should the eighth-year pro be called upon to start a few more games.“Drew came in and did what Drew does every single day at practice,” left guard Grey Zabel said. “I don’t think there was much of a drop-off.”“I’m super confident in Drew,” added center Jalen Sundell. “Nothing changes when he comes in. Playbook’s the exact same.”Of course, the plays that Fleury calls could change, just as they did Wednesday. Seattle’s offense, which was already a bit of an unknown entering Wednesday night with Fleury replacing Klint Kubiak, might be a bit more vanilla with Lock under center.Alternatively, it could get a bit more creative. Third-string quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was used sporadically last season and appeared in three games, could be used in specific packages to take advantage of his running ability.The Seahawks might also be just fine with Lock, especially with how their defense played Wednesday. Seattle held New England to 277 yards of total offense, and the Patriots’ lone touchdown — scored by tight end Eli Raridon — was made possible by a 34-yard pass-interference penalty on Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe on a second-quarter flea-flicker.Jobe got his revenge in the fourth quarter, though, with Seattle’s final interception of Maye in the end zone, sealing the victory with 21 seconds to play.The Athletic LIVE reaction to Drake Maye's third interception vs SeattleDaniel Popper“It was game on the line,” Jobe said. “Like we talk about, we live in the death zone, and we came alive, and we took the ball away.”While Seattle’s defense had no issues generating takeaways, its offense avoided them altogether. Sure, the Seahawks finished the evening with just 13 points, which would have tied last year’s team for the fewest in a game. They failed to find the end zone on both of their trips inside the 20.But with Lock in command and Darnold sidelined, Seattle demonstrated it can play clean football and beat quality opponents like the Patriots.In the process, Lock made sure Wednesday’s pregame theatrics weren’t all for naught, in as dramatic a prime-time game as any. It was his second comeback victory under the lights at Lumen Field, after he stunned the Philadelphia Eagles with a game-winning TD to Smith-Njigba in 2023.“I don’t know if my lifespan loves (dramatic prime-time games) as much as I love them in the moment,” Lock said. “But yeah, man, it’s a blast. So proud of everybody helping me tonight on the offensive side of the ball. Can’t say enough about the defense, forcing the turnovers. It was such an awesome night.”