The Denver Broncos are slated to face the Seattle Seahawks for their Week 1 matchup. Russell Wilson's first game of the season will be a primetime matchup against his former team. Needless to say, the game will be must-watch TV for sports fans. Will Wilson prove to the Seahawks that he is still an elite quarterback, or will he struggle under the pressure? Here are some Broncos Week 1 predictions.
4. Melvin Gordon will significantly cut into Javonte Williams' carries
In the NFL, there is currently a very short timeframe for running backs to be successful. Very rarely do you see running backs in their mid-30s still in their prime form. Unfortunately for Gordon, he is creeping up on his 30th birthday.
Broncos fans were a little confused by the re-signing of Gordon after Williams proved his abilities to be the Broncos' starting running back. Williams will still be the RB1 on the depth chart, but expect Gordon to cut into Williams' snaps. Per Benjamin Albright, Gordon was getting the situational snaps in practice (goal line, short yardage, etc.) If this ends up translating to what happens in games, Gordon might end up jacking some of those valuable scoring points from Williams in fantasy football.
As it seems right now, the Broncos' running game will be a “by committee” process.
3. Russell Wilson will light up the Seahawks' defense
The Seahawks are simply not in a good place right now. It's not surprising to anyone that they're in the process of a rebuild. Geno Smith and Drew Lock will not do much for the offense, and the Seahawks defense isn't really much to write home about either. The Seahawks will get some points on the board, but don't expect them to light up the Broncos. And don't expect them to fully shut down the Broncos' offense.
Wilson may have been playing this matchup off to the media for months, but it's hard to believe he didn't have this game circled when the schedule came out. He is facing the team he spent the first half of his career with. The team that he won a Super Bowl with. The team where his time there came to a bit of a bitter ending. Deep down, Wilson would probably LOVE to beat his former team.
Official prediction? Wilson will thrive under the pressure and throw at least four touchdowns for the Broncos.
2. The Broncos' secondary will have 3 interceptions
As mentioned early, Geno Smith isn't really going to do crazy things at quarterback for the Seahawks. Having DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as wide receivers will help to some degree. But it will probably be like what happened when Drew Lock was in Denver. Lock had all the weapons to throw to, but wasn't entirely successful at getting the ball to said weapons.
On Saturday, the Broncos reported that starting inside linebacker Josey Jewell missed practice with a calf injury. In fact, he is expected to miss the Broncos' first regular season game, if not more. The severity of the injury is not yet known, but it sure is unwelcome news considering the Broncos are dangerously thin at inside linebacker. The Broncos' secondary will need to step up and provide extra support.
A secondary that includes studs like Patrick Surtain II, Justin Simmons, and more should be up to the challenge in keeping the Seattle offense relatively under wraps. Expect the secondary to intercept Geno Smith at least three times.
1. Courtland Sutton will be the Broncos' most productive wideout
Sutton is itching for a breakout season. He has the talent and athletic ability to be a big-bodied target but simply hasn't had the right quarterback to throw him the ball yet. For the first time in his pro career, Sutton now has an elite quarterback throwing him the ball.
Sutton has a high ceiling. Something we could see him get close to or possibly even exceed in 2022. The Broncos have a ton of weapons on offense, so Wilson might find himself throwing to a variety of ball catchers. However, it should be noted that some media members have mentioned that Sutton has been one of Wilson's favorite targets during practice.
Because the Broncos have so many weapons on offense, it might be hard for the Seahawks' defense to cover everyone. Based on the fact that Wilson loves to throw to Sutton in pressure situations, expect Sutton to be the Broncos' most productive wideout against the Seahawks.
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