It wasn’t the season opener New England Patriots fans were hoping for on Wednesday night. All offseason, the only thing on Patriots fans’ minds was Super Bowl 60 and how the offense couldn’t get anything going. The picture was no different in the season opener.

277 yards of total offense, three turnovers, and just 10 points. Not exactly how New England wanted to start the 2026 campaign.

Even with all the noise surrounding Patriots quarterback Drake Maye throwing three interceptions and making a crucial mistake late, there are positives. It’s not what New England fans want to hear right now, but it is true. (The Patriots led 10-0 at one point and controlled the game, after all.)

Here are three reasons why Patriots fans should hold their heads high going into the rest of the season.

Christian Gonzalez is Worth the Money

New England signed its cornerback Christian Gonzalez to a four-year, $135 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, just days before the season kicked off. The last time Gonzalez took the field, he almost single-handedly changed the outcome of the Super Bowl. He was close to having a multi-interception game and locked up Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

On Wednesday, he looked like the best player on the field again. In five targets, Gonzales gave up one reception for four yards and had two pass breakups. He picked up right where he left off in the Super Bowl, where he had five targets for one reception allowed and three pass breakups.

Gonzales led all cornerbacks last year with a 43.4 percent catch rate, showing just how lockdown he is on the outside. His late pass breakup against Smith-Njigba was special and showcased just how good he is in single coverage. New England has a special talent for years to come.

Rushing Defense is Stout

People are talking about how bad New England’s rushing attack was, but Seattle’s was worse. In 2025, the Patriots had the 13th-best rushing defense, with -0.07 EPA/Rush allowed. It’s a unit that stayed relatively the same as last year, anchored by defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.

New England had more of a sample size, having 31 total rushing plays to Seattle’s 48, but in those 48 plays the Patriots allowed just 97 rushing yards. Seattle’s rushing success rate was 31.8 percent, which was worse than Las Vegas’ rushing attack last season, which we all know wasn’t the best.

Williams didn’t have a great night rushing the passer, but he was efficient in the run game, having three run-stop tackles in 12 rushing defense snaps. The same goes for rookie edge defender Gabe Jacas, who, in 18 total snaps, had three run-stop tackles and a quarterback pressure.

The Patriots defense had one big mistake on the night, letting Smith-Njigba run for a 45-yard touchdown. The rest of the night, the unit was solid. It should remain one of the league’s best rushing defenses and be a reason this Patriots team gets into the playoffs again.

Will Campbell Looks Better in Year 2

New England tackle Will Campbell had a Super Bowl he’d like to forget. He gave up 14 total pressures and couldn’t block a soul in the big game. It was a talking point all offseason, and he was heavily criticized for his shorter arms.

Campbell looked like a completely different player against this same Seattle front that gave him trouble just months ago. He allowed just two pressures and did a much better job of attacking defenders off the line rather than letting them attack him. Having a smaller frame can be a disadvantage in the NFL, but not if everything else is perfect. If Campbell plays his reps right, gets his hands insane, keeps a wide reactive base, and keeps those arms locked in, he can find success in this league.

Against Seattle, he did all of those things and looks relatively stronger than he did a season ago. Many people forget he tore his MCL late last season but played through the injury. He’s healthy now and looks like the top-five pick that New England took out of LSU. It wasn’t a perfect first game, but it was a step in the right direction for Campbell.