Broncos vs. Seahawks: Defensive Blueprint to Winning Season Opener

Here's how the Denver Broncos smother Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks offense.

Sep 12, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) reacts following a play against the Denver Broncos during the second quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

As the Denver Broncos prepare to travel to Seattle to take on the Seattle Seahawks, they're scouring the tape to find their advantages. There's a lot of doubt about how good this Broncos defense can be, with multiple analysts believing it will be a bottom-10 unit, but it can send a loud message in its season opener. 

Taking on the Seahawks in their home stadium isn’t easy, but there are ways the Broncos can get the advantage and help quiet the second-loudest stadium in the NFL. The easiest way to do that is to pressure Geno Smith and try to force mistakes, take away the running game, as the Seahawks quarterback has struggled when the ground game has been inconsistent at best. 

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However, the more significant aspect is to apply the pressure directly to Smith, but playing tight coverage, taking away the quick throws, and ensuring the pass rushers win their matchups. For the 2023 season, Smith had the 14th-highest average time to throw at 2.85 seconds.

When splitting up the reps on passes under 2.5 seconds and over that time frame, Smith remains in the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the NFL, but his EPA/per dropback goes from 0.05 when under 2.5 seconds to -0.05 when over 2.5 seconds, so you want to force him to hold the ball. 

The pressure rate is also dramatically different: quarterbacks are pressured on about 21% of dropbacks compared to 53.7%. Now, quarterbacks will take more pressure when they hold the ball longer, and it's easy to understand why, but the difference for Smith is one of the most significant in the NFL.

The importance of getting Smith to hold the ball longer is there, but it's even more apparent when you look at how different his numbers are when facing pressure vs. no pressure. He has an EPA/dropback of 0.25 when not under pressure, which was the eighth-highest for 2023 , compared to a -0.37 EPA/dropback when under pressure.

Smith threw five touchdowns to two interceptions under pressure, with a passer rating of 72.9, while having a passer rating of 103.2 with 15 touchdowns to seven interceptions when not under pressure. 

Denver will have to be cautious regarding play-action as Smith is one of the best quarterbacks when working off play-action and plays poorly without it. Play-action can help take some pressure off the quarterback and make reads easier, which is not what the Broncos want. 

Smith is an enigma quarterback, though, which can make it harder to compete against him. One week, he can excel in certain areas, and the following week, it can completely flip with what he does well vs. what he struggles with.

The one constant is applying pressure, rattling him, and forcing the Seahawks to pass frequently. The more he has passed, the more variance to his play, creating more chances for takeaways and points for the Broncos. 

Bottom Line

Denver's offense wants to run the ball and take pressure off of quarterback Bo Nix, while its defense forces the opposite of Smith and the Seahawks' offense. Being on the road in Seattle is a tough place to play because of the crowd noise, and forcing mistakes is the easiest way to quiet the fans.

Apply pressure on Smith, and you will increase those opportunities. Can the Broncos do that successfully? Denver did a lot to improve its pass rush, one of the worst units last year, but now it's time to see if the team can match expectations. 

RELATED: Broncos vs. Seahawks: Offensive Blueprint to Winning Season Opener

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