Patriots and Seahawks kick off Super Bowl festivities with a quieter, calmer, tamer Opening Night

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Maybe the game itself will live up to the hype, because Super Bowl Opening Night was calmer than usual.

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots (17-3) take on Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks (16-3) on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers.

The media frenzy that kicks off the week’s festivities on Monday night was smaller, quieter and far less outrageous than recent years.

The crowd inside the San Jose Convention Center was a fraction of its usual size — Opening Night has previously been held in larger arenas. More than 2,000 reporters from across the globe were credentialed to cover the typically zany event, and the league expects 6,500 media members to cover the game and various events surrounding it.

There was no sign of the naked man in a barrel. Nobody wore a wedding dress and proposed to Maye. Reporters weren't asking players to dance or perform odd tricks. One guy did dress up as Charizard, a Pokemon character.

Still, it wasn't all football and X's and O's.

Maye was asked about his wife, Ann Michael Maye, and her popular baking videos on social media.

“Keep being you,” he said. “You’re the better half of me and I love you. It’s such a special moment for me to follow your journey. I know you do it for something bigger than yourself and that’s what makes it special.”

Darnold was asked to name his favorite coffee spot, burger joint, hobby and food.

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel refused to compare Maye to Tom Brady and was asked several questions about playing for Bill Belichick. He had fun with a reporter from Nickelodeon who presented him with a purple-and-green chain that read, “Slime.” Vrabel wore it but feared he'd get that green, gooey stuff splashed all over his head.

“Why do you keep looking up? Am I about to get slimed?” he said.

Assured he wasn't, Vrabel was asked if there's one player he would want to slime.

“Stefon Diggs,” he said without hesitation.

Diggs, the standout receiver, was full of praise for his coach.

“I’ve had great coaches but this guy played the game, he knows we’re gonna grind and he takes care of us,” Diggs said.

The Patriots spent one hour fielding questions before giving way to the Seahawks, who took the stage an hour after New England concluded.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, a finalist along with Vrabel for AP NFL Coach of the Year, was asked if he considered signing Marshawn Lynch to a one-day contract to give him an opportunity to score a 1-yard touchdown.

This is a Super Bowl matchup that produced one of the most memorable endings among the first 59. The Patriots beat the Seahawks 28-24 when Malcolm Butler picked off Russell Wilson’s pass from the 1 in the final minute on Feb. 1, 2015. Seahawks fans still lament the fact Lynch didn't get the ball in that spot.

“I love Beast Mode,” Macdonald said. “Just the fact that he knows me and he texts me. ... That's how you want Seahawk football to look like Marhsawn.”

An event that began as a daytime introduction of the teams has evolved into a live, ticketed, prime-time showcase on national television.

The Patriots are aiming for an NFL-record seventh Lombardi trophy and first without Brady and Belichick.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker with New England, inherited a 4-13 team and has the Patriots on the verge of their first championship parade in seven years.

Maye had a sensational sophomore season, becoming a finalist for the AP NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards while leading the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl.

A stifling defense has led the way for the Patriots in the playoffs, holding three opponents to just 8.7 points per game.

The Seahawks had the NFL’s stingiest defense, led by tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Seattle allowed just 17.1 points per game.

But Darnold’s resurgence will be the top storyline of the week. A No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018, Darnold is thriving on his fifth team.

Despite winning 14 games with Minnesota in 2024, the Vikings let Darnold walk away in free agency. He became the first quarterback to lead two teams to consecutive 14-win seasons and has proved his doubters wrong. Now, he’s trying to help Seattle win its second Super Bowl in the franchise’s fourth appearance in the game.

At least Darnold has experienced this week’s shenanigans. He was a backup to Brock Purdy when the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl two years ago.

“The reason why this is so special is because of the process and what it took to get here,” Darnold said.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold speaks during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp speaks during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye speaks during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The New England Patriots mascot entertains during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez speaks during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye laughs during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold arrives, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye arrives, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

March 27 - April 2, 2026

People around Latin America and the Caribbean marked Holy Week with colorful processions and other traditional displays.

The 69 members of the security forces who died in a military plane crash in Colombia were honored in a solemn ceremony in Bogota.

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz docked in the Gulf of Panama.

Bolivia experienced heartbreak as the World Cup qualifying matches ended.

This gallery was curated by photo editor Anita Baca, based in Mexico City.

AP photography: https://apnews.com/photography

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews

FILE - A raccoon is silhouetted against a rising pink moon in the night sky of Panama City, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

FILE - A quinceanera rides in a vintage car marking her 15th birthday celebration in Havana, Cuba, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

FILE - Yuneisy Riviaux helps her daughter Edianet with her homework at their home in Havana, Cuba, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

FILE - A supporter of Popular Renewal presidential candidate Rafael López Aliaga, who has embraced the name nickname “Porky”, leans a against a wall alongside his “Porky” costume, in Lima, Peru, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia, File)

FILE - A dead tree stands out amid a lush green section of the Caxiuana National Forest that is used as a control plot for an experiment on drought run by the Esecaflor project in Para state, Brazil, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)

FILE - A "gaucho," or cowboy, rides a horse during the Criolla Week rodeo festival, an annual festival held during Holy Week, in Montevideo, Uruguay, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico, File)

FILE - Inmates sleep outdoors due to lack of indoor space at the Tacumbu prison in Asuncion, Paraguay, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)

FILE - A Bolivian fans wipes away tears after his country's team loss to Iraq in a World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match, in La Paz, Bolivia, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita, File)

FILE - Photos of soldiers who died on a military cargo plane that crashed in Puerto Leguizamo, are arranged on the steps of an altar before the start of a memorial Mass at a military base church in Bogota, Colombia, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)

FILE - A worker points to the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz docking in the Gulf of Panama, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)

FILE - People walk with decorated bird cages during an annual pilgrimage of bird vendors to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

FILE - Catholic children representing angels pose for photos prior to joining the Palm Sunday commemoration in Santa Cruz Chinautla, Guatemala, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File)