Seattle Seahawks edge New England Patriots, 28-24 in week 1

Seattle, WA - The Seattle Seahawks didn't need to own the box score to open their season with a win. Seattle converted each of its three red-zone trips into touchdowns, Zach Charbonnet scored three times on the ground, and Cooper Kupp delivered a 152-yard receiving performance as the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 28-24 in Week 1.

New England finished with more offensive yards, more rushing yards and more first downs, but Seattle made considerably more of its opportunities near the goal line. The Seahawks went 3-for-3 in the red zone, with all three possessions ending in touchdowns, while the Patriots scored touchdowns on two of their three red-zone trips.

Charbonnet was at the center of Seattle's scoring despite a difficult afternoon between the 20s. He finished with 40 yards on 20 carries and never broke a run longer than seven yards, but his three rushing touchdowns gave Seattle a dependable finishing option whenever the offense moved into scoring position.

"We weren't getting a lot of space in the run game, so you have to stay patient," Charbonnet said. "When we got opportunities near the end zone, we finished them. That matters a lot more to me than what the rushing total looks like."

Sam Darnold supplied the bulk of Seattle's offensive yardage through the air, completing 19 of 34 passes for 263 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His longest completion went for 70 yards, and much of his production flowed through Kupp, who caught eight passes for 152 yards and a touchdown.

Kupp's 152 yards were the largest receiving total on either side and accounted for more than half of Seattle's passing production. Jaxon Smith-Njigba added three receptions for 48 yards, while A.J. Barner caught three passes for 31.

"You don't really care how the yards are divided up when you come away with the win," Kupp said. "I had chances to make plays, Sam kept giving me opportunities, and we were able to turn enough of those possessions into points."

The Patriots moved the ball more consistently overall, finishing with 393 offensive yards compared with Seattle's 315. New England also recorded 17 first downs to Seattle's 12 and rushed for 136 yards, an 84-yard advantage over the Seahawks' 52.

Drake Maye completed 26 of 41 passes for 257 yards, one touchdown and one interception while adding another dimension with his legs. Maye rushed 10 times for 62 yards, including a 22-yard gain, and finished with a 79.0 passer rating.

TreVeyon Henderson added 73 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, giving New England two productive runners even as the Patriots finished four points short. Henderson's longest run covered 24 yards, while Maye and Henderson combined for 135 of New England's 136 rushing yards.

The Patriots also spread the passing production across several targets. A.J. Brown led New England with 71 receiving yards on four catches, Hunter Henry caught five passes for 49 yards and a touchdown, and Romeo Doubs added four receptions for 47 yards.

"There were a lot of things offensively that we can build on, but the result is what stays with you," Maye said. "We moved the ball, but we also left some opportunities out there. In a four-point game, you feel every one of those."

Neither offense separated itself much on third down. New England converted six of 14 attempts, while Seattle finished 5-for-12. The Patriots also converted their lone fourth-down attempt.

The defenses produced one interception apiece. Julian Love recorded Seattle's interception and returned it 17 yards while also forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass. Carlton Davis III intercepted Darnold for New England and returned the ball 10 yards.

Seattle also generated the only sacks of the game, finishing with two while New England recorded none.

Those defensive plays helped add another layer to a matchup in which the Patriots held several of the larger volume statistics. New England finished with 78 more offensive yards and more than doubled Seattle's rushing total, but the Seahawks paired their passing production with perfect red-zone touchdown efficiency and four offensive touchdowns.

Darnold and Kupp supplied the explosive passing production, while Charbonnet repeatedly finished Seattle possessions near the goal line. The result was enough to overcome a Patriots offense that moved the ball for 393 yards and kept the final margin at four points.

For Seattle, Week 1 ultimately came down to making more of the opportunities that reached scoring range. Three red-zone trips produced three touchdowns, Kupp delivered the game's biggest receiving performance, and Charbonnet crossed the goal line three times as the Seahawks opened the season with a 28-24 victory.