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With a Seattle Seahawks Week 1 game scheduled against the Broncos, all eyes will be on Russell Wilson's return to Lumen Field. Will he be welcomed by the fans who loved him for so long? Can he lead the Broncos to a “revenge win” over his former team? Will the Seahawks step up and pull off an upset? Ahead of this Seahawks-Broncos game, we’ll be making our Seattle Seahawks Week 1 predictions.
Russell Wilson's Denver Broncos will travel to Seattle to face Pete Carroll and the Seahawks in the opening Monday Night Football game of the 2022 NFL regular season.
The veteran quarterback will face his former team in his first game since being traded to Denver. It should be an interesting homecoming for Wilson, while also a great opportunity for the Seahawks to kick off their rebuild with a bang.
The Seahawks' strategy will most likely be to play a low-scoring, tight game. Sure, head coach Pete Carroll would want to win every game by a landslide, but that isn't realistic. In truth, Seattle has created a habit of winning close games by playing strong defense and by having a quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over. Is that something the Seahawks fans should expect in this matchup?
If the Seahawks can open the season with a win over the Broncos, that would add even more drama to this already very intriguing Monday Night Football matchup. It would also be a golden feather on Geno Smith's cap. Let's now dive into our Seahawks Week 1 predictions.
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4. Jason Myers makes good on ALL field goals
Seattle's special teams will have to be outstanding in 2022 if the club is to win the bulk of its games. Jason Myers was flawless on field goals in 2020 but not so much in 2021. Myers' last season in the NFL was likely his worst, but he has the ability to improve in 2022.
Myers should convert every single one of his field goal attempts against the Broncos in Week 1 to keep the Seahawks in the game. He surely has the legs to complete even 50-yarders, and he might have to do so in this matchup. His performance will be crucial as the Seahawks try to keep within striking distance of the Broncos.
3. Metcalf and Lockett combine for 140+ yards and 2 TDs
Toe tapping @TDLockett12. Action Green Monday night coming soon. 🤩
📺 Opener: #DENvsSEA on @espn pic.twitter.com/fGS7nuPWqT
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 8, 2022
D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett make up and very talented wide receiver duo for the Seattle Seahawks. With over 100 targets apiece, they accounted for more than half of the passing assault last year. On the other end, the Broncos' pass defense was dreadful, with opponents averaging 214 yards per game and 22 touchdowns. Needless to say, if the Seahawks want to keep in step with the Broncos and pull off an upset, both Metcalf and Lockett have to be unleashed.
In 2021, Metcalf averaged 12.9 yards per reception while Lockett averaged 16.1. Both combined for a total of 20 TDs last season. Those numbers won't make anyone jump out of his seat, but they're still solid. And against a mediocre pass defense like the Broncos have, the Seahawks might have a golden meal ticket in their hands.
2. Geno Smith enters a sack party
Geno Smith has struggled in this area on a consistent basis. Perhaps he's become accustomed to taking sacks because he doesn't want to throw as many interceptions as he did early in his NFL career. Either way, he will be in for a long game against the Broncos.
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Smith may not be a statue, but he has taken a lot of sacks. He has an 8.6 career sack percentage. Last season, however, he was even worse in spot starts for the Seahawks, where he recorded a 12.0 sack percentage. For comparison, Justin Fields was rated 33rd among QBs who started at least half of their team's games last season, with a sack percentage of 11.8.
It's reasonable to say that every time Geno Smith drops back, he actually helps pass rushers get home. Predicting that Smith will get sacked multiple times should not be overly crazy given the quality of the Broncos' defensive front.
Randy Gregory, Bradley Chubb, Baron Browning, Dre'Mont Jones, and Jonas Griffith are all guys who can possibly get sacks on Smith in this game. Look for the Smith to get sacked at least thrice.
1. Seahawks lose by one score
While Seattle is undoubtedly the underdog in this game, Lumen Field is still a difficult venue to play on the road. Also, maybe Geno Smith is a tad underrated as a quarterback. Although Russell Wilson has a clear advantage, the Seahawks do have a thing or two working in their favor.
Of course, Wilson will feel the love from Seattle fans during pregame, but once the contest begins, the 12th man will make it clear that he is the enemy. Still, Wilson helps the Broncos, while the Seahawks are reminded of how good they were with him as the quarterback.
While fans all over will surely enjoy seeing the mayhem erupt if the Seahawks were able to play spoiler and ruin Wilson's homecoming, it just won't happen. In all likelihood, Wilson will put on a show, though that also doesn't mean this will be a blowout. Wilson's Broncos debut will likely resemble his final game as a Seahawk at Lumen Field, when he passed for four touchdowns, 236 yards, and completed 68.9 percent of his passes in Week 17.
When you combine a rejuvenated Wilson with a Broncos defense supposed to be among the best in the league this season, that spells danger for Geno Smith and the Seahawks.
On the other end, Metcalf and Lockett should provide some highlights and maybe a couple of TDs. Meanwhile, Myers hits a few field goals to keep this from being an unmitigated disaster.
Seattle will end up losing their home opener, but it won't be as lopsided as most think.
