The New England Patriots' disappointing first game against Seattle is behind them. It's on to Pittsburgh and beyond. No NFL team can afford to dwell on the last game when another important tilt follows right after.
Poor showings like the Patriots' in Week 1 have to be put on the back burner, and the sights set on the next game. Boston.com's Hayden Bird has cited Patriots legend Ty Law's comments about patience after this major disappointment. But Patriot Nation wants a win.
Without a top performance from cornerback Christian Gonzalez, most of the Patriots, including Drake Maye, have plenty of room for improvement. They'll have their first chance against the Steelers in the home opener.
Since that game is their only home game in the Patriots' first four, all against 2025 playoff teams, a win will be important to get back on track.
The New England Patriots need a big win against Pittsburgh and beyond
There's nothing like a big first win after a tough road loss to get the wheels back turning in the right direction. Much of the burden on any NFL team rests with its quarterback. Maye's three fourth-quarter interceptions ruined any chance of a win against Seattle.
It would have been a statement win; instead, it was a lost opportunity to show the NFL that 2025's Super Bowl loss was in the rearview mirror.
Regardless, Law is preaching patience, but whether Patriot Nation, after seeing their Cinderella 2025 season collapse in the Super Bowl and then a winnable loss in Seattle in Week 1, will be receptive to that sentiment is another matter altogether.
Boston.com's Bird noted Law's calling for patience.
"Ty Law’s take on the Patriots: Like every other Patriots fan, Ty Law was understandably disappointed by the team’s 13-10 Week 1 loss to the Seahawks. Unlike almost every other Patriots fan, however, Law has direct experience with slow starts in New England (and then still winning the Super Bowl by season’s end).
Law isn’t ready to predict the Patriots will bounce back in the way that his teams did in New England in 2001 and 2003, but he’s certainly not giving up on Drake Maye and the current iteration of the team."
“It’s early, it’s the first game, you learn from it, and you move on.”
The onus to rebound will fall squarely on Drake Maye against the Steelers and beyond. In both Seattle games, three turnovers trashed any chance of a Patriots win. Seattle had none in either.
When you lose the turnover battle three-to-nil in any game, your chances of winning in the NFL are seriously compromised. Expectations for a now-healthy Maye were sky-high in the offseason. It's time for him to play like the MVP he can be.
Against Pittsburgh and in every other game, Maye has to protect the ball. Giveaways against good teams invite disaster. Win that battle, and you have a solid chance of taking home a win. If you lose it 3-0, you probably don't.
Maye had a bum shoulder in the Super Bowl. He didn't in Week 1's loss. Now, as a third-year player, it's time for him to step up and perform like Patriot Nation knows he can. If not, it's inescapably going to be a long, cold fall and winter in Foxborough.
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