This Monday night, your Seattle Seahawks host the Denver Broncos in their first game of the 2022 season. If you were living under a rock recently, there are some things you might not be aware of. Joe Buck (never played competitive sports that we know of, not even a card game) and former NFL QB Troy Aikman have taken over the play-by-play and commentary on ESPN. If they aren’t your particular cup of tea, you can catch the “ManningCast” with brothers and former NFL QBs Peyton and Eli Manning over on ESPN 2.
And if you didn’t know ESPN changed their team, it’s possible you didn’t hear that Seattle made some major changes to their lineup. Before the draft in April, they released middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and traded QB Russell Wilson to Denver in exchange for the #9 overall pick (which they used on LT Charles Cross), DT Shelby Harris, and TE Noah Fant. Seattle drafted edge rusher Boye Mafe in the second round along with RB Kenneth Walker. Shortly after the draft, RB Chris Carson retired due to a lingering neck injury.
While there will be familiar faces on Seattle’s roster when they take the field on Monday, you’ll probably be saying “who?” a lot when they announce some of the newer players. QB Drew Lock came to Seattle in the trade with Denver and did not make enough of an impression to earn the starting job over journeyman Geno Smith. For those assuming Smith is the right choice, he has not entered a season as the starting QB since 2014, and he went 3-10 that season. While filling in for Wilson last year, Smith went 1-2 but had a favorable 5-1 TD to INT ratio, so he’s definitely making better decisions than he did in 2014 when he threw 13 TDs to 13 INTs. If he can get off to a quick start against Denver, he could cement his status as the starting QB. If he struggles and can’t get going, he might open the door for Lock to get a second chance.
Seattle’s defense will look different, as they are breaking in a pair of rookie corners in Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant to team with veterans Mike Jackson and Sidney Jones. They will have a lot of support from veteran safety tandem Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. Jordyn Brooks will be taking over for Wagner as the middle linebacker, with help from Cody Barton on the weak side.
Seattle’s young corners have a big test coming from Denver’s much-hyped passing attack, but if the pass rush can get after their old friend Wilson, they might not need to cover for long. If they let a receiver loose into space and Wilson has time to find them downfield, it could be a lot of trouble for a secondary with a lot of speed but also a lack of experience playing together.
We know from limited time watching Seattle last year without Wilson that they can keep games competitive without stellar QB play, and the coaching staff will lean on running the ball and playing solid defense to get the offense as many short fields and opportunities as possible. One thing we learned about Wilson when he was here is that he tends to scramble too long when plays break down while hoping to find someone open deep down the field. Wilson runs many high-risk, high-reward plays that cater to his skill as an accurate mobile passer, but it also gets him in trouble as defenses prepare for sandlot football. Wilson will have to deal with the booming shouts of the fans at Lumen field for the first time, and while he might get a warm welcome at introductions, it’s not likely the 12s will have many nice things to say to him after that. When the noise rattles the stadium, you can bet it can intimidate even the most veteran of QBs.
Denver may jump out to an early lead, and while Seattle has a lot of their own firepower on offense, they won’t let themselves get caught in a shootout and will stick to basics to get a hard-earned win out of their first game. No one knows Wilson quite like Pete Carroll; you can expect him to work closely with new defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt to make sure they have a great plan for their old friend wearing number three, who will be visiting their stadium for the first time as a member of the opposing team. Hurtt has been with Seattle for a few years, but this will be his first time calling plays for the defense.
Vegas has Denver favored by 6.5 and the over/under set at 44.5, so they expect a pretty close game. I think this game will be even closer, with Seattle winning 24-21.
If you are looking for advice on your fantasy league(s), here is who I would start and who to leave on your bench –
Seattle
Start
RB Rashaad Penny
WR DK Metcalf
Flex Tyler Lockett
K Jason Myers
Sit
QB Geno Smith
TE Noah Fant
RB Kenneth Walker
WR D’Wayne Eskridge
Seattle Defense
Denver
Start
QB Russell Wilson
RB Javonte Williams
WR Cortland Sutton
Flex Jerry Jeudy
K Brandon McManus
Sit
RB Melvin Gordon
WR KJ Hamler
Denver Defense
