Broncos at Seahawks: 10 Bold Predictions
It would be great for the Denver Broncos to start the season with a win over the Seattle Seahawks, especially being on the road. Walking out with a win would send a message to those around the NFL, as many are projecting the Broncos as one of the worst teams this season.
Today, I'm dropping my first Broncos bold predictions of the 2024 season. Achieving some of these predictions would make that message even louder.
1. Nix Goes Off
Bo Nix passes for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns, and rushes for 75 yards and another score. Despite Mike Macdonald's reputation as a creative defensive genius, Sean Payton finds a way for his rookie quarterback to shine. It ends up being an excellent debut for Nix.
One coach's experience versus the other's inexperience plays a large part in this one.
2. Broncos Surrender Zero Sacks
The Broncos' offensive line plays exceptionally well in pass protection to help Nix achieve his great game. While the Broncos allow a few pressures and hits, they finish the game without giving up a sack.
Nix helps them with smart movement and even getting out of the pocket. Payton adds extra help with plays that will move the pocket.
3. Dulcich Comes up Big
After missing so much time due to injury, tight end Greg Dulcich is questioned by many fans, but when he's on the field, his receiving ability is beneficial. Dulcich shows this by catching two of Nix’s three touchdowns. This comes as Dulcich can stay on the field and impact the whole game.
4. Javonte Sets New Single-Game High
Running back Javonte Williams has rushed for over 100 yards twice in his career, with 111 being his highest total. As the Broncos look to run the ball and capitalize off that with their passing game, they rely on Williams for most of it, and he sets a new single-game high with over 120 rushing yards.
5. Browning Gets Two Sacks, Smith Brutalized Six Times
The Broncos get plenty of pressure on Geno Smith, mainly due to their quick and athletic pass rushers. Browning leads the way with two sacks, while Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper net one each, and Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, and Alex Singleton also get involved with a pair of split sacks.
6. Browning Strips Smith
After predicting that Browning will get two sacks, let’s add another step. One of those sacks ends up being a strip sack that the Broncos recover.
7. PS2 Shuts Them Down
After rewarding Patrick Surtain II with a large contract, he shows it was well worth it. While he doesn’t pick off a pass, he shuts down his assignment, getting targeted five times, but doesn’t allow a single completion.
8. Moss Steps up as Seahawks Target Him
As Smith avoids Surtain, the corner opposite him steps up. Moss picks off a pass, which excites the Broncos, who have been looking for a corner who can capitalize on quarterbacks avoiding Surtain.
9. A Kickoff Gets Returned to the House
While the Broncos would be preferred, I won’t predict which team gets it. One of these two teams will take a kickoff for a touchdown as special teams coordinators show their creativity with the new kickoff rules.
10. Broncos Get Penalized a Lot
This game is challenging on the road, leading to mistakes. The Broncos get hit with multiple pre-snap penalties on offense, three false starts, and an illegal formation as they struggle with the crowd noise.
The Broncos also add a few more on the defensive side of the ball. This is the second-loudest stadium in the NFL, which leads to most of these penalties being pre-snap.
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