Denver Broncos Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle, 25 or Under?
25 or Under for the Denver Broncos defense?
Last year, the Denver Broncos defense allowed just below 19 points per game under then-Head Coach, Vic Fangio.
Seattle’s offense with Russell Wilson in and out of the lineup last year averaged 23.2 points per game. Both teams fall under the 25-point threshold, good for Denver, bad for Seattle. Again though, those numbers mean a mere nothing when considering the transition both units have gone through since last season.
Denver has lost defensive guru, Vic Fangio at the helm and Seattle lost a future Hall of Famer at quarterback, Russell Wilson. Predicting what will happen this Monday night, I think the Denver Broncos defense will in fact hold the Seattle Seahawks offense to under 25 points.
Since being drafted by the New York Jets and playing out his rookie contract, he has never been looked at as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Since 2014, he has been a spot start guy, a great backup type, something the Denver Broncos have grown accustomed to as of late.
I’d be hard-pressed to believe that the Seattle Seahawks offense improves under Geno Smith in comparison to Russell Wilson.
What perks my ears in this matchup, is the debut of Randy Gregory, Bradley Chubb, and Baron Browning all rushing the passer as a unit. Adding in Dre’Mont Jones and newly-acquired D.J. Jones, this unit up front brings a lot of premature excitement.
Seattle has tried to revamp their offensive line, spending a first-round pick on left tackle, Charles Cross. D.K. Metcalf remains to be a physical freak and Tyler Lockett is still as reliable as ever and continued to be a playmaker last season.
Patrick Surtain II and Ronald Darby will have a couple of good wide receivers across from them on Monday Night Football, but I like their odds, especially considering who will be throwing them the ball.
A former first-round pick by the Denver Broncos, Noah Fant, will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Watching Fant in Denver, he always was an emotional guy. If I had to guess, he will be looking to prove something to Broncos Country.
At times, he was handed the dreaded “bust” label due to his lack of production or wiggle that he put on tape. Sometimes players just need a fresh start, Noah Fant will look to put his greatest foot forward on Monday Night Football.
Chris Carson retired from football so it looks like Rashad Penny, Kenneth Walker and maybe DeeJayy Dallas or Travis Homer will see the bulk of the workload.
My biggest concern is the Seattle Seahawks’ rushing attack against the Denver Broncos’ run defense. It is no secret Pete Carroll wants to run the football. This defense dares offenses to run the football, but the defense has to be sure tackles for this to work.
If the linebackers are out of position, not getting to the point of attack, or if the defensive line is getting washed or not holding the offensive line up keeping the linebackers free, it could turn out to be a long night for the Denver Broncos defense.
My game plan would be to sell out in stopping the run, keep an extra safety closer to the box and let Patrick Surtain II and Ronald Darby hold their own while Justin Simmons backs them up on the back end.
Bradley Chubb will be one of the more important defenders in this game due to his ability to stop the run and rush the passer, so I think the defensive success starts up front with him. I think Bradley Chubb and the Denver Broncos defense get it done.
Seattle will score one touchdown, and move the ball decently throughout the twenties, but stall due to limitations at the quarterback position. Denver Broncos start the season off 1-0 beating the Seattle Seahawks, 30-16.