The Seattle Seahawks will welcome their former quarterback Russell Wilson when they host the Denver Broncos tonight on Monday Night Football. Emotions will be high, and fans will get their first looks at two teams undergoing radical transformations for the 2022 season. The Broncos arrive as significant 6.5-point favorites.
Wilson visits Seattle for the first time since their acrimonious separation earlier this offseason. He leads an offense featuring wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton as well as a rushing attack that rumbled to 2025 yards in 2021 thanks to the efforts of running back Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon. The Broncos turned to Wilson after years of middling play at quarterback following Peyton Manning's retirement, and they hope his experience and clutch play can propel the team to their first winning record since 2016. With last year's third-ranked scoring defense, the Broncos can go far if Wilson bounces back after a disappointing 2021.
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The Seahawks might have just made a huge bet that he can't. The team traded Wilson following a season in which he missed time and posted a losing record for the first time in his career. They're looking to the future now with a rebuilding season. Their long-term answer at the quarterback position does not appear to be on this roster; they're starting journeyman quarterback Geno Smith, who flamed out with the New York Jets before settling into a backup role over the past six years. He'll have weapons to help him, including stud wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and a rushing attack that ranked third in yards per attempt last year, but Seattle fans shouldn't be too optimistic: SI Sportsbook has their over/under win total at a mere 5.5 games this year.
Wilson's star first rose in this league by serving as a compliment to a stingy defense and a punishing run game, and he has an opportunity to do it again on what could be a loaded Broncos team. He'll have every chance to leave his former fans in Seattle feeling nostalgic for the early glory years under head coach Pete Carroll. It was certainly a bold gamble on the part of the Seahawks to part with the nine-time Pro Bowler, and they never intended for it to pay off right away. They won't know if they made the right call until they begin reaping the benefits of their massive trade haul. Or until Wilson proves he's in decline.
The Seattle Seahawks host the Denver Broncos in the final game of Week 1 on Monday Night Football
Photo Credit: © Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
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