Last night, the Houston Texans--along with the rest of the NFL world--watched as the Seattle Seahawks overcame key injuries and a 10-point deficit to topple the New England Patriots 13-10 in the 2026 season opener.
Along the way, we collectively observed multiple instances of "teaching tape" on the part of both Seattle and New England throughout their defensive contest. For the Texans, there were at least three key areas in which they themselves should've been specifically paying attention.
If Houston is able to glean a lot from the many game-shifting moments that occured last night, the beginning of their season will be all the better for it.
3 curcial reminders for the Houston Texans after season opener featuring the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots
Giveaways will cost you the game: Patriots lose the turnover battle 3-0 after three INT's
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had one of his worst games as a professional in last night's contest. As a whole, he went 23/33 for 178 yards and only one touchdown pass, which is already problematic. However, the worst part came in the form of the third-year signal caller being responsible for three interceptions throughout the contest, with the worst being his game-sealing pick to Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobie on a 3rd & 5 play from the Seattle 16 yard line with only 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
All Maye and the Patriots had to do was kneel on the football so that kicker Andy Borregales would have a chance to tie the game 13-13 and send it to overtime. Unfortunately, he never got that chance, and the Patriots are now 0-1 because of it. You have to protect the football in order to win.
The best ability is availability: Both teams suffered key injuries that affected the contest
Key players like Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori and Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson were recovering from injuries leading up to the contest, so both were no-shows lasts night. Then, Seattle lost starting quarterback Sam Darnold in the first quarter to a hip injury. New England's newly added pass catcher in A.J. Brown was next to leave the ballgame, as Seattle cornerback Nehemiah Prichett fell on his ankle after a broken up pass attempt in the third quarter.
The missing playmaking from both teams definitely affected the quality of the matchup, as both teams were mainly opting to stay conservative while trying to allow their respective defenses to make the right amount of big plays to perhaps steal a win. In the end, the Seahawks had just enough talent remaining to overcome a 10-0 deficit and walk away victorious on opening night.
Big time players make big time plays: Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the difference maker for Seattle
Winning last year's NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award, Seahawks All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the player of the game for both sides. He finished the night with eight receptions for 122 yards (15.3 average) and one touchdown catch, which was the spark that Seattle needed to not only tie the game in the fourth quarter, but to eventually take a three-point lead and secure the contest later on the aforementioned interception of Maye in the opposite end zone.
When all else fails, teams need to be able to depend on their big name players to be the main difference between a sweet victory and a bitter loss. Last night, Njigba was the answer to Seattle's scoring woes, and one of the main reasons why they woke up today undefeated.
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