Inside: Rams-49ers prep, plus your 2026 predictions, the potential of Jahmyr Gibbs and what we learned from the Seahawks’ victory. Let’s start in Seattle.This article is from The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. It’s free to subscribe. Seahawks-Patriots: Long season ahead?It wasn’t pretty. Sam Darnold limped off, never to return. A.J. Brown did too, with what’s reportedly a high ankle sprain. Both could be out several weeks.And both were missed last night.Seattle backup Drew Lock was serviceable, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers. But Seattle’s offense failed to sustain drives, converting just two of 11 third downs, and didn’t score until the end of the third quarter. Drake Maye’s unit was worse, averaging just 4.1 yards per play. (For context, last year, the Browns averaged a league-low 4.3.)Underwhelming as it was, Seattle’s 13-10 win at home taught us plenty about the upcoming season:
You still don’t want to face Seattle’s defense. Any worried questions about the shuffled secondary were answered with a resounding, “No.” Despite several offseason departures, the absence of nickelback Nick Emmanwori and a practice-squad safety in the lineup, the Seahawks intercepted Maye more times last night (three) than in the Super Bowl (two)?! Impressive.
