Seattle’s defense made several key stops throughout the game, helping build them an 11-9 lead at halftime. Seattle recorded seven three-and-outs and three takeaways — interceptions by Julian Love and Riq Woolen as well as a forced fumble by Kam Chancelor — before finishing up with seven three-and-outs and three takeaways of their own.

Zach Allen made an impactful frontline statement for Denver this season without recording a sack or quarterback hit but nevertheless performed admirably overall.

Running Backs

Denver Broncos offensive line did a poor job creating running lanes and providing space for rookie running back Bo Nix to use his scrambling abilities, leading to an unsuccessful day despite only gaining 99 yards on the ground.

The Seahawks offense got off to an impressive start in the opening quarter, scoring on three of their four possessions and setting up Kenneth Walker III to average 5.8 yards per carry and score two touchdowns against Denver’s defense. Cliff Avril and Zach Allen’s pass rush also kept Peyton Manning under control with their impressive sacks.

Denver’s special teams unit began the game well, as safety JL Skinner recovered a muffed Seahawks punt at the one-yard line and returned it for an easy score from Brandon Lutz at field goal range to give Denver an early 6-3 advantage. Seattle quickly responded on its next drive as Smith ran 34 yards for a touchdown, giving Seattle an 11-6 lead.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson used an array of runs and short passes from wide receiver Wes Welker, big-bodied tight ends Greg Dulcich and Adam Trautman and other sources, to maintain possession and keep possession. At this point in time, quarterback Wilson was able to dissect Denver’s secondary and find open receivers.

After an ineffective first half that featured numerous turnovers, Seattle recommitted itself to running in the second half. Walker led this charge, amassing 53 yards on five carries to give Seattle an 11-9 halftime edge.

On their third drive of the second half, Denver Broncos offense suffered a setback when Courtland Sutton lost nine yards due to a poorly executed screen pass and forced them to punt. On a subsequent 3rd and 1 run by Denver Broncos offensive players, an interception by defensive back Julian Love at Denver 1-yard line proved decisive in forcing their opponent back out.

Under pressure from this physical defense, the Broncos must rely on their run game for winning games – something their talented roster is more than capable of accomplishing.

Wide Receivers

Bo Nix did not allow his Broncos wide receivers to operate freely in his debut, as evidenced by Devaughn Vele catching only eight passes for 39 yards (!) while Josh Reynolds and Courtland Sutton saw limited production from them as well. When given opportunities by Seattle’s revamped secondary, any gains were quickly negated, leading to zero or minimal yardage gains for these players.

Seattle’s solid defense in the first half quickly dissipated after halftime, giving Denver’s offense an opportunity to make up ground with three straight scoring drives led by Kenneth Walker III’s 23-yard run to knot up the score at 20-20.

Seattle’s secondary was led by safeties Julian Love and K’Von Wallace, both of whom achieved an outstanding coverage grade of 74.0 and contributed takeaways and forced fumbles.

Marcus Sherels and Richard Sherman made up another effective cornerback pairing. Sherels provided excellent run support and coverage while Sherman excelled in his one-on-one assignments against Denver’s top receivers.

Though it remains to be seen if these defensive units can keep up their high level of play from Week 1, both were promising in this initial test of play.

There were some question marks for the Seahawks on offense in this game, particularly regarding first-round rookie quarterback Bo Nix. His effectiveness was limited by Denver’s staunch defense and only completed 26 out of 42 passes for 138 yards. Furthermore, pass protection wasn’t great which shouldn’t come as a shock given their subpar showing last season.

The second major issue was a lack of big plays on either the offensive or running sides of the ball. If they want to be successful, offensive units need to find ways to create greater separation on opposing defenses; running games could play an instrumental role here as well, though their current output must increase significantly.

Tight Ends

Although struggling to find their groove on offense, Denver Broncos tight ends made some big plays as time wound down. Tight end Derek Wolfe scored his inaugural touchdown of the year on a 3-yard run, while Tyler Lockett and Emmanuel Sanders caught multiple catches on deep wheel routes that showed their speed. Zach Charbonnet discussed the team’s late game resurgence (0:11), Kenneth Walker III’s electric performance (0:52) electrifying fans, tight ends practicing deep wheel routes (1:43), Tyler Lockett’s game-sealing catch (2:18), and highlighted an increase emphasis on pass catching for running backs (3:03).

On Denver’s opening drive of the second half, Bo Nix was immediately under pressure. Right tackle George Fant was beat on the initial snap and D.J. Jones charged into the pocket to strip Smith for a sack. Later, nose tackle Johnathan Hankins stuffed Javonte Williams for one-yard loss on 2nd and 1, and Nix threw an incompletion down the sideline on third down.

Neal Addai made two critical plays during the second half, including an interception and fumble recovery by Devaughn Vele. These plays provided some breathing room in the fourth quarter before an undrafted rookie Dee Williams botched her punt and an expensive penalty on third down put Denver’s offense back on its heels.

In the final minute of play, Denver marched into Seahawks territory again, but due to poor wide receiver coverage and an incredible tackle by Tyrel Dodson they failed to advance past field goal range with under two minutes remaining in regulation time.

Linebackers

After an uneven offensive start against Seattle, the Broncos turned to their defense for help in maintaining a lead. Early pressure from their defensive front led to quarterback Geno Smith being intercepted on Alex Singleton’s first drive of the second quarter resulting in his pick-six by singleton himself.

Denver defense has experienced a dramatic turnaround under new defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, which allowed over 24 points per game last season and was among the worst in NFL. Free agents Justin Simmons and Brandon Jones joined returning starter Pat Surtain II on his front four to help turn around play quickly.

However, the Seattle Hawks’ offensive line ranks amongst the league’s weaker units. Left tackle Charles Cross was an outstanding rookie and should continue to progress; right guard George Fant was inconsistent, allowing 42 pressures and six sacks on 554 pass-blocking snaps alone! Recently they added Johnathan Hankins as insurance against Denver’s strong front four; yet Johnathan could easily be overshadowed.

John Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen should provide a strong presence along Denver’s interior defensive line, targeting quarterbacks to create pressure at the edge.

The Denver Broncos had an effective backfield, led by running backs Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams who both proved productive. Rookie Audric Estime will also play an integral part.

Seattle’s offensive struggles can be traced to their subpar run defense, with Kenneth Walker III breaking free for 5.2 yards per carry while there was no pass rush whatsoever. It is evident that their defense must improve in order for this team to compete successfully this season.