The Denver Broncos started the 2022 season 0-1 following an error-filled loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, but there were some bright spots.
It was difficult to see the Broncos lose the season opener and the debut of Russell Wilson, particularly when they made so many mistakes that ended up costing them a chance to win. But as in many rough situations, there are always some silver linings.
For Broncos fans, it had to be quite refreshing to see two players in particular step up in this game.
Jerry Jeudy is a player many fans wanted to see make a leap in 2022 with the addition of Wilson. He’s off to a good start.
Jeudy caught four passes for 102 yards on the night, just the third 100-yard game of his career. He caught a 67-yard touchdown pass early in the game that brought the Broncos’ offense to life.
Jeudy didn’t have a perfect game — he did have a drop on a pass many of those watching from home could have caught — but it was nice to see him perform at the kind of level that was expected of him as a first-round draft pick.
His touchdown catch was one of the highlights of the game for the Broncos. But it wasn’t just the catch. Jeudy fended off the defender but what was most impressive was the breakaway speed he showed to turn the catch into a touchdown, going from a good play to a great play.
On the defensive side of the ball, Bradley Chubb may have been the biggest bright spot of the game for the Broncos, and that is a good thing because he needs to be that more often than not.
Chubb had two sacks on the night and both were impactful plays. The Broncos were able to put pressure on Seattle quarterback Geno Smith but he found ways to evade it more often than not. Chubb was the only guy to register a sack on him.
On the first, Chubb hit Smith’s throwing arm and knocked the ball free. Unfortunately for the Broncos, it landed right in the arms of one of the Seahawks’ offensive linemen.
His second sack could not have come at a more opportune time.
Facing a critical 3rd-and-6 with less than five minutes to play, Smith dropped back and was hit by Chubb for a loss of 10 yards. Had the Seahawks converted, they may have been able to milk out most of the rest of the clock.
Chubb gave his team a chance to win by getting the ball back as that was Seattle’s lone three-and-out possession of the game. Though it did not result in the Broncos winning the game, the silver lining is that their superstar pass-rusher gave them the chance to do so.
That is big for a guy who was facing plenty of questions coming into this season.
Both Chubb and Jeudy are players that have drawn my ire on numerous occasions. It was nice to see them play big in this game, even if it did result in defeat.