Denver Broncos: Linebackers were as good as advertised in season opener

The Denver Broncos have a very talented group of linebackers from top to bottom, and they balled out against the Seahawks.

The Denver Broncos defense played better than what the scoreboard showed on Sunday, and if it weren’t for Case Keenum’s unfortunate interceptions the Seahawks likely wouldn’t have put up more than 20 points.

No group had a better day than the Broncos’ linebackers did. They were solid in all phases of the position, and it played a big role in the victory.

The Broncos were able to get pressure on Russell Wilson all day, finishing the game with an impressive six total sacks.

Von Miller led the way with an MVP-caliber afternoon including three sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. There isn’t an offensive tackle in the NFL that can handle Miller when he is playing at his highest level, and he proved that once again on Sunday.

Bradley Chubb and Shane Ray didn’t have much to show for their days statistically, but they both had good all-around games against the run and pass. Surprisingly, Shaquil Barrett only played four snaps on defense, but he took advantage of his time on the field.

He accounted for a sack and two tackles in his limited action.

Having four legitimate outside pass rushers is certainly a luxury that the Broncos are already enjoying. Seattle’s offensive line was constantly on their heels, and it really wore them down as the game went on.

Todd Davis and Brandon Marshall controlled the middle of the field and were just a couple of missed tackles away from putting together an all-around elite performance. That being said, they still played pretty darn good.

They were able to do a solid job in coverage while dominating against the run. Todd Davis led the Broncos in tackles with eight, and Brandon Marshall was third with six.

But most importantly, they were able to keep Russell Wilson from getting big yardage with his feet. One of the hardest things an inside linebacker has to do is play against a quarterback like Wilson who can not only hurt you in the air but also on the ground.

Focus too much on one without paying attention to the other, and you’re going to get burned.

While it helped to have a constant pass rush and an overall good day from the defensive backs, Davis and Marshall never let Wilson do anything significant with his feet after leaving the pocket.

Making Wilson as one dimensional as he was turned out to be a major key to the Broncos defensive success.

The Broncos linebackers played winning football against the Seahawks, and fans should be excited about what they are capable of going forward this season.