4DK NFL • FIRST TWO GAMES

WEEK 1
OPENING SHOTS.

Seattle raised a banner, lost its starting quarterback and still found a way. One night later, San Francisco walked into the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia and punched a Super Bowl favorite in the mouth.

By Kcdatruth • 4 Da Kulture • September 13, 2026

NEW ENGLAND @ SEATTLE

Ring Night • Final

10–13

SAN FRANCISCO @ L.A. RAMS

Melbourne • Final

27–7

Two games into the 2026 season, Week 1 has already delivered two completely different kinds of statements. Seattle’s was about survival: the defending champions absorbed a quarterback injury, a 10-point deficit and a rough first three quarters before their defense took the game over. San Francisco’s was about force: the 49ers controlled the line of scrimmage, protected Brock Purdy, ran the football and made a loaded Rams roster look ordinary.

Seattle Survives Ring Night

Seahawks 13, Patriots 10

New England @ Seattle

SEA 13 • NE 10

Seattle’s championship banner went up, and for most of the night the celebration looked headed toward a flat ending. Sam Darnold went down with a hip injury after only five offensive plays, the Seahawks trailed 10–0 in the third quarter, and New England had the defending champs exactly where it wanted them. Then Seattle’s identity showed up.

THE TURN

Seattle’s defense stole the night

The Seahawks intercepted Drake Maye on each of New England’s final three possessions. Nehemiah Pritchett started the avalanche, Julian Love followed, and Josh Jobe ended the game with a toe-tap pick in the end zone. Seattle didn’t need a perfect offense; it needed its defense to create short fields and finish.

BACKUP QB

Drew Lock answered the call

Thrown into the game cold, Lock settled down and finished 16-of-22 for 187 yards and a touchdown. His biggest play was the 45-yard fourth-down score to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that tied the game. That performance matters even more with Darnold expected to miss at least Week 2.

DARNOLD WATCH

The injury could have been worse

The early fear was a serious hip injury. Seattle later ruled out a fracture, and the issue has been described as more muscular than structural. The current expectation is that Darnold will miss Week 2, but the Seahawks avoided the long-term disaster that first seemed possible.

NEW ENGLAND

Maye’s second half unraveled

Drake Maye looked composed early, but his fourth quarter was a different story. He forced throws into closing windows, threw three interceptions on three straight possessions, and the final mistake was the killer: an off-balance deep ball into the end zone with New England already in position to at least threaten overtime.

Drew Lock: 16/22, 187 YDS, TDSeattle QB

JSN: 8 REC, 122 YDS, TDSeattle WR

Drake Maye: 178 YDS, TD, 3 INTNew England QB

3 fourth-quarter INTsSeattle defense

Seattle outlook: The Seahawks didn’t look sharp for three quarters, but championship teams win games when the script breaks. The defense still looks like the foundation, JSN looks ready to carry a huge load, and Lock proved Seattle can survive a short Darnold absence. The concern is obvious: if Darnold misses more than a game or two, the offense cannot keep asking the defense to erase 10-point deficits. But coming back on ring night after losing your starter five plays in? That says something about the backbone of this team.

San Francisco Sends a Message

49ers 27, Rams 7

San Francisco @ L.A. Rams

SF 27 • LAR 7

The Rams entered Australia carrying as much preseason hype as anybody in football. They had the reigning MVP in Matthew Stafford, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett and Super Bowl expectations. San Francisco answered all of it with the most complete performance of the young season.

RAMS DEFENSE

Donald stayed home. Garrett disappeared.

Aaron Donald did not travel to Melbourne as the Rams continued to work him back carefully after his return. That put more pressure on Garrett to headline the front, but his Rams debut was a dud. San Francisco did not allow a sack, Garrett failed to register a tackle and later acknowledged that his knee kept him from looking like himself.

49ERS DEFENSE

Dominant without needing sack numbers

The 49ers didn’t record a sack, but the box score undersells how uncomfortable Stafford was. San Francisco generated eight quarterback hits, forced two turnovers, stuffed a fourth-and-goal at the 1 and held the Rams to 2-of-9 on third down. The secondary benefited from a front that kept speeding Stafford up.

OFFENSIVE BALANCE

Purdy ran the machine

Brock Purdy threw an early interception and then took complete control: 25-of-34, 205 yards and three touchdowns. More important than the raw numbers was the rhythm. He spread the ball around, stayed clean all night and directed the 99-yard fourth-quarter drive that broke the Rams.

NEW WEAPONS

Deebo and Mike Evans fit immediately

Deebo Samuel’s return looked natural: six catches, 48 yards, a touchdown and a 46-yard kickoff return that jump-started the second half. Mike Evans gave Purdy a different kind of answer, catching six for 49 yards and a touchdown in his 49ers debut. San Francisco suddenly has multiple ways to win outside.

Purdy: 25/34, 205 YDS, 3 TD49ers QB

CMC: 68 rush YDS on 10 carries49ers RB

174 rushing yards49ers offense

Stafford: 155 YDS, 0 TD, INTRams QB

San Francisco outlook: One game does not hand anybody the NFC, but this is exactly the kind of opener that changes how you look at a contender. The 49ers were more physical than the Rams, cleaner on third down and deeper offensively than they looked a year ago. Christian McCaffrey averaged 6.8 yards per carry, Purdy was not sacked, Deebo and Evans both scored, and the defense looked fast and violent with Fred Warner and Nick Bosa back. If this group stays healthy — always the biggest “if” with San Francisco — the Super Bowl talk is completely legitimate again.

4DK EARLY VERDICT

Two wins. Two very different statements.

Seattle reminded everybody why it is the defending champion: the Seahawks can survive chaos because their defense gives them a chance to win almost any type of game. San Francisco reminded everybody why healthy 49ers teams are dangerous: when Purdy is protected, McCaffrey is moving the chains and the defense is dictating terms, they can make even elite opponents look small. New England leaves Week 1 with real questions about Maye’s late-game decision-making and now has to deal with A.J. Brown’s high-ankle sprain. The Rams leave with even bigger questions — Stafford’s opener was poor, Garrett is already managing a knee issue, and Donald’s eventual return suddenly feels even more important than it did a week ago.

4DK reporting note: Game results and statistics were checked against official NFL/team game data and postgame reporting. Injury outlooks reflect the latest publicly reported information available through Sept. 13, 2026.

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WEEK 1OPENING SHOTS.