There’s limited recent history of the Super Bowl matchup appearing in a season opener. The last time the title game participants met in Week 1 was a decade ago when the Denver Broncos faced the Carolina Panthers after defeating them in Super Bowl 50. Denver won that opener 21-20, but the starting quarterback was not a household name. Trevor Siemian, who had been a seventh-round rookie and had backed up Peyton Manning, emerged as the starter after a preseason battle and edged Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the rematch.
If you trace the only other instance of the Super Bowl teams meeting in Week 1 of the following season, you’d go back to 1970. Len Dawson powered the Kansas City Chiefs to a 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings after the 1969 season, in what was a landmark AFL win. Joe Kapp, the Vikings’ quarterback that day, threw two interceptions and absorbed three sacks in defeat. Kapp would later switch teams, becoming unavailable for the rematch after signing with the Patriots. The Vikings then started Gary Cuozzo, who helped secure a 27-10 victory to begin the next season.
In this Week 1 matchup, the Patriots’ Drake Maye has the chance to become a rare bridge between seasons. If he can outplay Seattle’s Sam Darnold, he could deliver a notable moment of revenge right at the start of the season, setting the tone for a blockbuster kickoff to the year.
This opening game promises plenty of drama, with high stakes and stories that fans won’t want to miss as the NFL season gets underway.
