There are still a lot of games left in Russell Wilson’s Denver Broncos career, according to Seattle.
The quarterback the Broncos traded five draught picks and three players for, the one they signed to a $245 million extension earlier this month, was the second choice with the season opener on the line in his first start with his new team and his first return engagement to the city where he played his first 10 NFL seasons.
In the 17-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night at Lumen Field, Wilson’s stat line looked the part. He completed 29 of his 42 passes for 340 yards and a touchdown to cap an emotional evening.
However, Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett decided to have Brandon McManus attempt a 64-yard field goal for the victory with 20 seconds remaining and the team behind by one rather than allowing Wilson to try to lead a play on fourth-and-5 at the Seahawks’ 46-yard line.
We were exactly in McManus’ line of fire,” Hackett claimed. “Obviously, I wish we would have gone a lot closer; it put us in that awkward situation since we were in that field goal range… Brandon gave it his best effort… We simply decided to take our shot there.
Wilson gave his opinion.
“Wilson claimed, “We may have the best field goal kicker in the game. “I believe in coach Hackett, I believe in what we’re doing, I believe in everything. Unfortunately, it didn’t go in.
Wilson continued, “I don’t believe that was a poor choice.
Although Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had called a timeout immediately prior to the snap, McManus’ initial attempt flew wide left. After the negated miss, Hackett claimed he didn’t think about putting the offense back on the field because “We had plenty of time and believed we could make it, so I was glad he got that one out of the way.
Carroll expressed astonishment that the Broncos chose to kick.
We weren’t considering a field goal at that point, he stated “When we realized they were still moving, we believed it to be fourth down. We had a chance to win the game on that play as a result. There, it was fortunate. It’s a good thing they missed the kick. He gave the ball one heck of a kick.”
🟢Geno = Chant worthy five-star chef
🔵Thou shall not pass thy goal line
🟢One late mistake makes all the differenceInstant takeaways from #Seahawks 17-16 Week 1 victory over Russell Wilson and Broncos:https://t.co/Bs7aY1hJ2g
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) September 13, 2022
Lock, one of the three players the Broncos had sent to the Seahawks in the March blockbuster, was one of McManus’ two attempts that also went wide left, and Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who had defeated Lock in a training camp competition to become Wilson’s replacement, took a knee on three snaps to cap a stirring night all around.
“Simply because I got to play against and see some of my closest friends made this game special,” Wilson stated.
“Without this location, I wouldn’t be where I am today, but I didn’t play [tonight] for just this one game; I had broader goals in mind.
The Wilson-Seahawks reunion was marked on many people’s calendars almost as soon as the whole NFL schedule was made public. Wilson, his new teammates with the Broncos, and the Seahawks had all openly played the just-another-game card.
But from the minute Wilson entered the field for pregame exercises, the Seahawks faithful booed vociferously, answering the question of whether Wilson would face jeers after 10 seasons in Seattle that brought nine Pro Bowl choices, two visits to the Super Bowl, and one Lombardi trophy.
The crowd even chanted, as if trying to demonstrate that many of those present had left “Every time Smith made a noteworthy play, Pete Carroll, the Seahawks coach, would yell, “Ge-no, Ge-no, Ge-no,” indicating that the crowd should cheer more. As the quarterback took those last kneel-downs to secure the victory, the fans chanted Smith’s name.
It was a hostile climate; it always has been, Wilson said, adding that it didn’t worry him. I wasn’t preparing for occasional cheers of approval. Anyone who claims otherwise is utterly mistaken; I contributed everything I had here every single day.
Wilson and the Broncos’ offense got off to a slower start because Wilson didn’t try a wide receiver pass until 5 minutes, 34 seconds into the first half when he connected with Jerry Jeudy for a 67-yard catch-and-run score. However, despite turning up the volume, the Broncos ultimately weren’t able to convert their 433 yards of offense into enough points.
On plays that began at the Seahawks’ 1-yard line, Denver running backs Melvin Gordon III and Javonte Williams each lost a fumble, ending two potential scoring drives. The Broncos also failed to score touchdowns on their other two trips within the Seattle 20-yard line.
Even with just 253 total yards and no second-half points, the Seahawks triumphed after accounting for the 12 penalties (for 106 yards) committed by the Broncos.
Hackett said of Wilson, “I believe he played pretty well, he took care of the football, he made really excellent decisions, he had some explosive plays, and he was able to spread the ball all over the field.
LIVE: Hear from Pete Carroll and the team after the Monday Night win vs. the Broncos https://t.co/HXbFe4oMLy
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 13, 2022
Smith, however, performed nearly flawlessly in the opening period. Smith led the Seahawks to a 17-13 halftime lead by completing his first 13 throws of the contest and finishing the game 17 of 18 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. In the second half, the Broncos defense produced a shutout.
“Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb admitted that throughout the first half, “we kind of work off the nerves.
“We tuned it in, and… We redirected our efforts.
Wilson clarified: “The truth is we didn’t get the ball in the end zone on those red zone plays, despite the fact that we had a number of excellent plays and moved the ball about the field.
A few hours before kickoff, Wilson arrived at the stadium dressed for fashion week. As he strolled through the stadium and throughout his warm-ups, there seemed to be a reunion of sorts practically every time.
Wilson went about his business of trying to at least stay to the script he and the rest of the Broncos had tried to keep to all through the days and weeks building up to Monday’s game, shaking hands here and waving there.
Thirty minutes prior to kickoff, huge cheers greeted the appearance of former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman on the stadium video boards. Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was another ex-Seahawks player seen wandering the sidelines during warm-ups.
McManus’ miss marked the conclusion, and the Seattle Mariners celebrated “Wilson had hoped that would be happy to see him again.
FAQs
Has Russell Wilson visited Seattle once more?
SEATTLE — The time has come. The Seattle Seahawks and former franchise quarterback Russell Wilson will face off on Monday Night Football to begin the 2022 season after more than six months of suspense. It is impossible to write a better script. Broncos by 6.5, according to FanDuel SportsBook’s opening line.
Who triumphed tonight’s Broncos-Seahawks contest?
Win by Seahawks, 17–16.
What time is tonight’s Broncos vs. Seahawks game?
The Broncos versus. The Seahawks game will take off at 8:15 p.m. as usual. Monday evening at ET.
