Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye made history in an unexpected way after finishing 1-2 in last season’s MVP race
The Seahawks and 49ers defenses dominated the first two games of the season
The first two games of the 272 NFL regular-season matchups are officially in the books, with a pair of NFC West powerhouses asserting early dominance. The Seattle Seahawks dispatched the New England Patriots 13-10 without starting quarterback Sam Darnold for all but one drive, while the San Francisco 49ers rolled past the Super Bowl favorites Los Angeles Rams 27-7 during the league's historic debut in Australia.
While both defensive units showcased suffocating prowess, low-scoring affairs defined the opening window across the board as NFL offenses battled early-season rust, exacerbated by the lack of playing time for starters during the preseason
Historic MVP Struggles From Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye
According to historical records, this week's struggles delivered an unprecedented statistical anomaly: this is the first time in NFL history that the top two finishers in the previous season’s MVP voting each saw their respective teams score 10 or fewer points in the season opener.
Matthew Stafford finished the night with just 155 passing yards , his lowest output since Week 11 of last year , along with zero touchdowns and one interception.
On the opposing sideline, Drake Maye managed 178 passing yards , one touchdown, and, mirroring his struggles from the previous Super Bowl , tossed three interceptions against a fierce Seattle secondary.
Such opening-week turbulence starkly contrasts with how recent MVP award winners fared to begin their title-defense campaigns.
Looking back at recent history, Josh Allen opened his post-MVP slate in 2025 by delivering a legendary 424 total yards of offense (394 passing, 30 rushing) and four touchdowns in an epic comeback win against Baltimore.
Prior to that, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes historically experienced varied opening results following their MVP crowns, with Mahomes launching his 2023 campaign throwing for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns against Detroit.
As Stafford and Maye look to bounce back, history proves that early offensive slumps rarely define a true superstar's trajectory over a grueling 17-game season.
