The NFL schedule makers can’t keep getting away with it, to cap off the opening week slate we are getting Russell Wilson returning to Seattle. Wilsons tenure in Seattle was wildly successful for the most part, delivering two Super Bowl appearances with a win in one of them. Wilsons tenure with Seattle abruptly ended in March 2022 when he was traded to the Broncos for a bevy of draft compensation and some good young players. Will Mr. Unlimited be pushed to his limits on Monday Night Football?
Odds provided by DraftKings:
Moneyline: Broncos -330 | Seahawks +275
Spread: Broncos -7 (-110) | Seahawks +7 (-110)
Total: Over 43.5 (-110) | Under 43.5(-110)
Team Breakdowns:
Denver Broncos
It’s a new day in Denver, CO with new ownership, new coaching, and new quarterbacking. Walmart heir Rob Walton paid a record 4.65 billions dollars for the team in the offseason and hopes to start his new era off with a bang. Since Peyton Manning retired in 2016 the Broncos have been searching for their next answer at quarterback, they decided it would be Russell Wilson who will start anew in Denver after a decade in Seattle. Joining him in this new era will be rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett, the former Packers OC inherits an offense that has all the pieces to succeed this season.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are going full on rebuild this season after trading Russell Wilson and having his replacement be Geno Smith. They project to be a bottom 5 team in the league this season after having gone 7-10 last season. While they traded their centerpiece in Russ, the rest of the team is relatively in tact right now, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are still in Seahawks uniforms and the add first round pick Charles Cross on the o-line. Head coach Pete Caroll is also back for another year so they’ll be running the same schemes as last year. Armed with multiple first round picks in next year’s draft, they look well set up for this rebuild going forward.
Picks and Predictions:
Pick: Seahawks +7
We don’t really know what either team is going to look like going into this game as neither team showed much in the preseason. While long term the Broncos offense will be very good, it’s reasonable to expect it will take time for the unit to really find its identity. I expect both teams to establish the run early. The Seahawks will probably try lean into the run and control the ball on long sustained drives that chew up the clock. Plus Pete Caroll has a knack for running the ball a lot. I wouldn’t touch this if it were 6.5 but at 7 I think there’s value on Seattle as a home dog. I also think the hype train for Denver has gotten a little out of hand. One more interesting wrinkle to this game is this is Russ’ first game at the 12th man as an opposing QB. I personally think that matters and will be something he is going to need to recon with.