Game Predictions: Seattle Seahawks Season Opener vs. Denver Broncos

The Seattle Seahawks begin their regular season at home versus the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Can they get out of Lumen Field with a victory?

Sep 12, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Riq Woolen (27) breaks up a pass intended for Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks kick off their regular season with a home contest against the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field in Seattle on Sunday, Sept. 8. It will be the second time in three seasons the Seahawks will host their former AFC West rivals to begin the campaign.

Seattle has won three of the past five games against Denver and won the season opener between the two teams in 2022 by a score of 17-16 — also Russell Wilson’s first game against the Seahawks after being traded there following the 2021 season. This time, however, it’s Seattle that has had the biggest internal shake-up, as Mike Macdonald will make his head coaching debut.

That change brings a new offense led by Ryan Grubb and a defensive scheme drawn up by Macdonald. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde will do his best to ensure the unit plays at a high level alongside his head coach.

The Seahawks lost their season opener at home against the Los Angeles Rams last season. Can they get back in the win column to begin the 2024 season? What are some storylines to watch out for against the Broncos? Our writing staff has a few predictions and players to watch for in Seattle’s season opener, which kicks off at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.

Predictions for Week 1

There's no such thing as a trap game in Week 1, as season openers tend to be quite unpredictable with teams not having near as much intel on their opponent coming out of the preseason. On paper, the Seahawks should have several advantages, starting with a savvy veteran quarterback in Geno Smith and a trio of outstanding receivers going against a Broncos secondary with a first-time starter at cornerback in Riley Moss, a first-time starter at safety in P.J. Locke, and veteran safety Brandon Jones entering Week 1 trying to replace perennial All-Pro Justin Simmons.

But for Smith to be able to take advantage of the newness in Denver's secondary away from star Pat Surtain II and consistently get the ball to DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle will have to keep him clean in the pocket, which may be easier said than done. The Broncos will be coming to town with a versatile defensive line headlined by Zach Allen, Baron Browning, Jonathan Cooper, and Nik Bonitto among others, presenting the ability to send rushers in waves at tackles Charles Cross and George Fant and create potential problems for Ryan Grubb's offense out of the gate. Running the ball effectively and mixing in a few screens will be imperative to success on Sunday.

Defensively, the Seahawks will be looking to keep rookie Bo Nix on his toes by mixing up looks and mucking up his coverage reads, and the presence of Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love on the back end should help that mission with their positional flexibility and high football IQ. The key will be making the Broncos one-dimensional, however, as the visitors have a quality offensive line for Javonte Williams and company to run behind and if they get their run game rolling, the chances of spoiling Macdonald's debut will go up substantially.

With one team breaking in a new quarterback and the other a new coach, this contest has all the ingredients for a typical Week 1 barnburner and Seattle cannot overlook an underrated opponent. In a back-and-forth affair, the difference ultimately will be under center, as Nix has a bright future but isn't drawing an ideal first opponent to begin his career against. The Seahawks should be able to drum up some pressure on him for a couple sacks and coax an interception, while Smith will throw a pair of touchdowns to Metcalf and Smith-Njigba to help his team squeak by for a tight win and open the Macdonald era 1-0. -Corbin Smith

Corbin’s Pick to Click: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

All eyes will be on Metcalf against Surtain, but while those two juggernauts spar on the outside, Smith-Njigba will be the primary beneficiary of Denver's otherwise green secondary. Whether lined up outside or in the slot, his quickness and change of direction skills should create some issues for Moss, who is more fast than quick, while he has a significant size advantage over slot cornerback JaQuan McMillian. Considering Smith has been targeting Smith-Njigba at a high rate since the start of OTAs and the two have built a strong rapport, look for the second-year wideout to keep the hype train rolling with 10 catches for 102 yards and a score against the Broncos.

Corbin’s Score Prediction: Seahawks 24, Broncos 20

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Denver is one of the healthiest teams in the NFL right now as the season gets going. The Broncos had zero players listed on their Friday injury report, which means they will be full go on Sunday. Seattle, on the other hand, will be without star edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu (knee) and Pharaoh Brown (foot) to begin the campaign. Neither of those are surprises for Seattle, however.

Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf versus Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II is the most star-studded matchup in this game. Even if Metcalf can’t shake free of Surtain, Seattle has a plethora of weapons who can exploit Denver’s secondary. Cornerback Riley Moss and safeties P.J. Locke and Brandon Jones have a combined 38 starts in their careers, with the latter accounting for 30 of those over four seasons. This isn’t a very experienced backend for the Broncos outside of Surtain, who has 49 career starts. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tyler Lockett and Noah Fant rejoice.

But Seattle needs to protect Geno Smith if they hope to see their offense excel. Pass rushers Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper combined for 21.5 sacks last season, and they will be a stout first test for the Seahawks offensive line. Seattle will put up enough points to win, but its defense will be the real catalyst — shutting down rookie quarterback Bo Nix in his first NFL start. Nix looked good in preseason, but playing a defense like Macdonald’s in your inaugural contest isn’t the best way to get started. Nix throws two interceptions and is sacked three times by Seattle’s pass rush. The Seahawks hold the Denver offense to under 300 yards of total offense. - Connor Benintendi

Connor’s Pick to Click: CB Riq Woolen

The Riq Woolen revenge campaign starts now. Woolen was much-maligned last season while working through injuries and struggling in run defense. He makes a statement in this game, shutting down Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton and holding him to just two catches. Macdonald has stated Woolen will be traveling in the new defensive scheme, so expect him to be matched with Sutton regularly on Sunday.

Connor’s Score Prediction: Seahawks 27, Broncos 14