213 days.
That’s the number of days passed since New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was sacked six times in a 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
People don’t forget.
The Seahawks are a 3.5-point favourite for tonight’s rematch versus New England in the NFL Kick-Off Game.
Over the past 10 seasons, the defending champions have gone 9-1 straight up in their openers.
Seattle is 21-2 straight up as a favourite since 2024.
Tonight’s rematch is only the 12th regular season game between teams that met in the previous Super Bowl, with the defending champions owning an 8-3 record.
213 days after their Super Bowl loss, the narrative is focused on whether New England has done enough to earn a measure of redemption and kick off a clean slate with a 1-0 record.
The Patriots have a lot to prove entering Week 1.
While pressure comes with the territory, my focus is on the coach calling the plays for the New England offence.
Let’s kick off the 2026 NFL season with a quick breakdown and a FanDuel Best Bet in this Morning Coffee column for Wednesday, September 9th, 2026.
Pressure Is On Patriots Sideline For NFL Kick-Off Game
Seattle 29, New England 13.
Mr. Brightside will tell you the Patriots only lost by two scores in the Super Bowl.
Anybody who bet New England to win outright will tell you there was never a point over the final three quarters when they were confident the bet had a chance.
I’ve always trusted numbers more than narratives.
In his second NFL season, Maye completed 72 per cent of his pass attempts, averaged 258.5 passing yards per game, and threw 31 TD passes versus eight interceptions.
He was sacked an average of 2.8 times per game.
In the postseason, the 23-year-old completed 58 per cent of his pass attempts, averaged 207.0 passing yards per game, and threw six TD passes versus four interceptions.
He was sacked an average of 5.3 times per game.
In Super Bowl LX, Maye went 17-of-43 for 295 yards with two touchdown passes, two interceptions, six sacks, and one fumble lost.
The second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl in NFL history took one hit after another as he attempted to will his team to a competitive fourth quarter, but the Patriots had no answer for Seattle’s Dark Side Defense.
Maye is one of five quarterbacks to start and lose a Super Bowl in their second season.
None of the previous four ever made it back.
If Maye is going to be the first, he’s going to need a lot more help.
The good news is that the entire Patriots organization seems to understand that.
New England signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million contract this offseason, then traded a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for A.J. Brown.
The Patriots signed guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, fullback Reggie Gilliam, and tight end Julian Hill in free agency.
New England used the 28th overall pick on offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and the 95th overall pick on tight end Eli Raridon.
The 2026 rookie class might not be ready for the spotlight yet, but reinforcements are coming.
Now it’s up to the man responsible for putting all those pieces together to ensure Maye thrives in Year 3.
That’s why nobody is under more pressure entering tonight’s NFL Kick-Off Game than Josh McDaniels.
The Patriots offensive coordinator admitted he, “didn’t do a good enough job” in the Super Bowl loss.
“Point it at me. They ‘out-everythinged’ us in the game. Start with the coaching and that comes back to me.”
New England didn’t have a response in February.
213 days later, the Patriots have plenty of new weapons, and McDaniels believes he has the answers to the test.
“I think it will be a new game. It’s a new year. We have some different players. They have some different players. We’ll see how different it is as the complexion of the game unfolds.”
Tonight, we’ll find out whether McDaniels is right.
What can we expect from the new-look offence?
FanDuel set the prop lines for Brown at 4.5 receptions and 62.5 receiving yards, with anytime TD at +155.
They’ve got Doubs at over/under 3.5 receptions and 35.5 receiving yards, with anytime TD at +290.
While New England’s new receivers are expected to have an impact, Mike MacDonald’s defence presents some unique challenges that McDaniels will need to counter.
The Seahawks secret recipe for the Super Bowl consisted of Cover 6 and the ability to generate pressure with four.
MacDonald noticed a trend that developed late last year, which can be tracked back to New England’s loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15.
The Bills played Cover 2 at one of the highest rates in the entire NFL last season.
In Week 15, McDermott played Cover 6 on 50 per cent of Maye’s drop backs, and it had a tremendous impact.
Maye went 14-of-23 for 155 yards with zero touchdown passes, one interception, and three sacks in a 35-31 loss.
The Patriots averaged 9.8 yards per carry on the ground with four total rushing touchdowns and lost to Buffalo.
Whatever McDermott saw, the rest of the NFL noticed.
The Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos all increased their rate of Cover 6 defence versus New England in the playoffs.
In the Super Bowl, MacDonald played Cover 6 on 51 per cent of Maye’s drop backs, which was more than double the 25 per cent rate he used Cover 6 the rest of the year.
Maye was less decisive with the football, held on to it much longer, and took a ton of hits in the postseason.
Tonight, we’ll find out what Maye and McDaniels have cooked up as a response to those Cover 6 looks.
I’ll bet on that response including heavy protection and plenty of targets to the running back and tight end.
Cover 6 is a split-field zone coverage that employs Cover 4 or a “quarters” look on one side of the field and Cover 2 on the other side.
With three defenders handling the deep part of the field, it’s that much more difficult to air it out downfield, especially if the defence can generate pressure up front.
The Seahawks gave up the second-fewest receiving yards and eighth-fewest receptions to opposing wide receivers’ last season.
However, Seattle’s defence ranked 32nd in the NFL in running back receptions and running back targets.
The Seahawks also ranked 28th in tight end receptions and 27th in tight end receiving yards allowed.
Nobody will be surprised if the Patriots lose to Seattle.
It would be a surprise if Maye attempts 43 passes, gets sacked six times, and turns the ball over three times.
The spotlight is on the New England coaching staff.
I’ll bank on McDaniels to make the right adjustments.
I’ll lock in Rhamondre Stevenson over 23.5 receiving yards as my FanDuel Best Bet.
Stevenson registered five receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
TreVeyon Henderson had three catches for 26 yards.
Henderson has been ruled out for tonight’s opener.
That means the Patriots will need to lean on Stevenson as a three-down running back tonight against Seattle.
Despite struggling on the ground in the Super Bowl, Stevenson’s rushing yards prop has rocketed from 41.5 to 55.5 at FanDuel.
New England won’t abandon the run game.
However, the Patriots are a 3.5-point underdog in a hostile road environment, and at some point, I expect them to be in a situation where they must pass.
McDaniels has had 213 days to prepare for this rematch.
The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint.
The one thing McDaniels can’t afford is a Maye injury.
Targeting Stevenson early and often will attack a weak spot for Seattle’s defence and keep the pressure at bay.
Give me Stevenson over 23.5 receiving yards as my FanDuel Best Bet for the NFL Kickoff Game.
Hopefully, we can kick off the season with a winner!
