Broncos vs. Seahawks: 5 things to know for Week 1
Ahead of the Denver Broncos' game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, we asked Kole Musgrove of Seahawks Wire five questions about the 'Hawks and Sunday's showdown at Lumen Field. View our questions and Musgrove's answers below.
1. Of the eight players the Seahawks ultimately landed in the Russell Wilson trade, which one do you think will have the biggest long-term impact in Seattle?
I am going to double dip on this one and give it a tie to the first rounders: left tackle Charles Cross and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. When it comes to draft positioning, the Seahawks have, in a sense, been somewhat victims of their own success. Under John Schneider, Seattle is not a team that picks in the Top 10 of drafts, let alone the Top 5… literally. Before taking Witherspoon at No. 5 overall in the 2023 NFL draft (thank you, Denver) Schneider had never had a pick higher than No. 6, which he had once, in his first year, taking over following the disastrous lone season of Jim Mora Jr. Since then, his highest spot was No. 15 in 2012 until he took Charles Cross No. 9 overall in 2022. Adding elite, immediate-impact type of players like Cross and Witherspoon gave the Seahawks a much-needed infusion of talent at key positions. Defensively, Seattle has been lacking in truly game-changing players (not named Bobby Wagner) for a few years now. As for the offensive line, Cross gives youthful stability at the most important position. Of course, the irony is not lost on anyone in Seattle that it took trading away Russell Wilson to get a left tackle that Russell Wilson never really had.
2. After moving on from Wilson, the Seahawks turned to Geno Smith. Is he more than a short-term solution at QB?
We are entering into year three of the Geno Smith era. Believe it or not, Smith is already statistically a Top 10 Seahawks quarterback all time. Coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, Smith has rightfully earned the starting role. While he is clearly more than a short-term solution, it is hard to say he is the future of the position in Seattle. Smith will turn 34 in October, and has a team-friendly contract with one year left after 2024 that allows the Seahawks flexibility (he has no guaranteed money due in 2025). Still, if Smith lights it up under Ryan Grubb’s new offense, there is no reason to believe Seattle will not want him back. John Schneider has put it succinctly by saying Geno’s the starter “until he’s not.”
3. Does Seattle have any big weaknesses on offense or defense that Denver might be able to exploit?
As much as I waxed poetic about Charles Cross giving the Seahawks offensive line the boost in talent, the offensive line as a whole is still… putting it politely, a question mark in Seattle. For years, the Seahawks’ offensive line, specifically the interior, has been the Achilles Heel of this offense. Last season, injuries decimated the unit and despite holding up well to start the year, eventually the unit collapsed as the campaign went on. Seattle did work to improve the interior by signing center Connor Williams, but he is coming off an ACL injury so it is hard to gauge how well he will be without seeing him in action. That goes for the rest of the line as well. Perhaps the issues have been resolved, but until we see proof they can hold up, relentless pressure from Denver could be the key to disrupting an offense that has potential to be one of the better units in the league.
4. Who is an under-the-radar Seahawks player we should be aware of this week?
He’s certainly not under the radar to the 12th Man, but wide receiver Jake Bobo is a criminally underrated asset the Seahawks have. His raw numbers may not pop off the page, but those who watch Seahawks games know he has a knack for finding himself in the right place at the right time. Right now, Tyler Lockett has been sidelined with a leg injury during the preseason. He says he plans on playing, and I have no reason to doubt the 10-year veteran, but I am curious about what his usage is going to look like. Is he going to be as involved as always? Or is he going to be more of a decoy? In either scenario, the Denver secondary is obviously going to be focused on him, DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith- Njigba… which leaves plenty of opportunity for Jake Bobo to make hay while the Sunday afternoon is shining. In the least interesting fact ever, the Seahawks are wearing their royal blue throwback uniforms. Who was the first modern player to score a touchdown in these beloved threads? Jake Bobo.
5. What’s your prediction for Sunday – who wins and why?
Seahawks defeat the Broncos 28-17 in a game that will be much closer than the final score might suggest. For a few years now, the Seahawks have fielded one of the worst defenses in the NFL. While I am not expecting the Legion of Boom 2.0 overnight, I do think we’ll see immediate improvement with head coach Mike Macdonald at the helm. What he did with the Ravens’ defense the last two years was remarkable, and I have faith in his system to confuse a rookie quarterback in his debut… albeit a rookie quarterback with a lot more NFL-ready experience than his counterparts. As for the Seahawks offense, they too have a new system under the aforementioned Ryan Grubb. Under Grubb, the Washington Huskies had the best offense in the nation (which bested Bo Nix’s Ducks three times in the last two years). Now it comes to the NFL, and I think it’s going to turn some heads to start the 2024 campaign. In limited action during the preseason, Seattle’s offense looked sharper than ever with the starters playing. I expect a hard fought game with a late Seahawks touchdown to put it out of reach.
Sunday's game will be regionally televised on CBS. The Broncos are considered 5.5-point underdogs going on the road.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos vs. Seahawks: 5 things to know for Week 1
