The Denver Broncos take the field for their 2018 opener against the Seattle Seahawks today at Bronco Stadium at Mile High. Head coach Vance Joseph and company are hoping that this season will erase the awful memories of last season. The Broncos enter the 2018 season with a slightly different team on both sides of the ball. No quarterback controversy as Case Keenum is the new starter, while Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch are one. Aqib Talib is no longer patrolling the secondary, as a new cast of defenders join Von Miller and Brandon Marshall.
The Seahawks are also a new looking team as they offloaded many of their key defenders of the Legion of Boom. Gone are Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, and Kam Chancellor. Linebackers Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright still remain, but the Bronco offense should have a fairly efficient day against Seattle.
Seattle’s offense still has All-Pro Russell Wilson at the helm. He is one of the NFL’s most prolific passers, and he seems to get better as he gets older. Gone are the days when he would just run and run and run, and he know has a good eye scanning the field to make plays. The Denver defense will need to pressure Wilson from the get-go. Rookie Bradley Chubb, who had an impressive preseason in the orange and blue, will get a chance to the show the skills that made him the Broncos first round draft choice. DeMarcus Walker will also get his opportunity this season to show off his skills as well as they apply the pressure. In the secondary, the Broncos will be trotting out new players such as Adam”Pacman” Jones and rookie Isaac Yiadom. Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby are still around, and they will look lock down Seattle’s passing game. The Seahawks still have a good receiving corps in Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett, and veteran Brandon Marshall (the other Brandon Marshall). It will be tough, but I see the Broncos defense holing down the Seattle offense.
On the offensive side, Keenum will look to solidify his position as Denver’s quarterback since the days of Peyton Manning. Case had a decent preseason, completing 21 of 35 passes for 231 yards but no touchdowns. Backup Chad Kelly really electrified the Mile High crowd during the preseason, and was a big reason GM John Elway finally released the under-performing Lynch. Denver will look to their new-look running game against a new Seattle defense. Rookie Royce Freeman really impressed during the preseason, and Devontae Booker and Phillip Lindsay also provide a fresh running corps with a lot of promise.
The final intangible in this match-up is coaching. The Seahawks Pete Carroll is heavily experienced, coaching in two Super Bowls and winning one. Vance Joseph is in his second season after going a miserable 5-11 in his rookie season. While the coaching favors the Seahawks, the players on the field will determine the game, and I see Denver prevailing in this game 28-24.
The post Denver Broncos: Week 1 against the Seahawks appeared first on isportsweb.
