Seahawks vs Patriots: Studs & Duds from 13-10 Week 1 win

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 13-10, containing Drake Maye‘s big arm and rushing ability for the second straight game after doing so in Super Bowl LX. They lost Sam Darnold on the opening drive, Nick Emmanwori couldn’t play, and they were shut out for 41 minutes- but once they put their first points on the board, there was a different fire that made up for the penalties and missed opportunities of the first half. This game was highlighted by several studs who typically don’t receive enough media attention, but stole the show on national television tonight. Here are your Studs & Duds for Week 1.

Uchenna Nwosu was the best player on the field for Seattle- and maybe overall. He was the most consistent force in the backfield on the Seahawks’ front seven, with five tackles (four solo), a tackle for loss, a pass breakup, a quarterback pressure, and a hurry. Most of all, though, he brought an imposing will by being the first to truly dominate a play, which set the tone for the entire team. He scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl and is one of the most veteran players on the roster, but we still didn’t talk about Nwosu enough this offseason. He’s not the tallest or heaviest, but he has such freakishly long and strong arms that he aggressively uses to bludgeon offensive lineman. Unfortunately, he had to leave the game after a possible concussion near the end, with blood dripping down his face; but his physicality was the literal embodiment of giving blood, sweat, and tears. He earns an easy first stud of the season.

Tonight makes two games in a row with an interception for Julian Love, both coming off Drake Maye throws to the right hash. Love comes from the left on both of them and reads them far before they develop to make plays on the ball. He did much more than “just” one interception, though- he was one of just three players to play all 71 defensive snaps, along with Drake Thomas and Ernest Jones IV. However, his best attribute may have been his physicality tonight. He had an early TFL that helped the defense start getting more violent early on, then suplex-slammed Hunter Henry to begin the second half for the most satisfying hit all night. Love has all the instincts to fly around the field ahead of the game flow and be one of the best safeties in the league if he can just stay healthy. If he continues to set this type of tone both on the ground and through the air, an All-Pro year will be in the works.

After a full offseason of national NFL media questioning the Seahawks’ cornerback room, Josh Jobe and Nehemiah Pritchett made sure they didn’t miss a beat. Riq Woolen‘s departure left a huge hole, as Devon Witherspoon can play outside but was desperately needed at nickel corner after a few plays tonight. Jobe showed why the team was confident choosing him over Woolen this offseason and as last year progressed, with six tackles and the game winning interception. Pritchett stepped in after Witherspoon moved inside, and led all three corners with an 85.4 overall defensive PFF grade, looking incredibly well rounded with five tackles, a pass defended, and an interception himself. This might be the starting duo going forward, and that might be for the best.

Although his sack with 0:38 seconds left made his stat-line look solid, Derick Hall had a rough first half. Patriots tackle Will Campbell appeared to have taken the Super Bowl personally after Hall got the better of him, and fought back today to neutralize Hall for the majority of the game. The sack at the end is a testament to Hall’s perseverance- the game was speeding up and organization was breaking down, so he slanted inside and ran right through the “A” gap to get Maye on the ground. There’s no question the overwhelming resume of tape against him in the first half deserves attention on the Duds list, but Campbell also deserves credit for improving since their last meeting.

Anthony Bradford got a lot of guff for his poor performance last year, but he’ll always be a starter for a Seahawks team that won the Super Bowl. Now in a contract year, his PFF grades again show an athletic player with extremely poor technique. They gave him an 18.8 pass blocking grade, worse than any other player in the game by nearly double. He’s lucky to allow just 2 quarterback pressures, both of which resulted in hurries. His struggles to stay in position weren’t as obvious tonight as other times, but Abe Lucas seemed to have his hands full trying to help Bradford stave off Milton Williams while manning the edge, too. That meant tight ends had to stay home and block more, keeping them off the stat sheet this week. Bradford also let up two penalties on the night. The experience gives him a fairly long leash on a starting job, though. Rookie Beau Stephens might contribute at guard down the line, but for now, you ride with who’s been a locked-in starter for every game of the Seahawks 9-month winning streak.

There’s been talk of Elijah Arroyo taking up a bigger role in 2026, and his athletic talent is top-tier for the tight end position. It didn’t show up at all in Week 1, though, as he got in for just eleven plays and didn’t register a single target. That’s what would be expected of a “gameplan player” whose role varies greatly depending on the matchup, like Isaiah Likely of the Baltimore Ravens. Likely is a good player, but Arroyo was a top-50 pick. He needs to be utilized more than that to make good on his draft capital. It’s also exactly where he was last season; we know he can score a great-looking touchdown like he did against the Commanders in Week 9 of 2025, but we can’t wait for his role to be matchup-proof. It’s easy to see him becoming a star when that’s the case, and the ceiling for that role can even look like the late Aaron Hernandez.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks vs Patriots: Studs & Duds from 13-10 Week 1 win