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Seahawks Take Down Russell Wilson, Broncos In Season Opener

Russell Wilson's return to Seattle came down to the wire, but the Seahawks got the best of their former star

Matt Galatzan

In this story:

In what might have been the most anticipated season opener of the NFL schedule, the Seattle Seahawks hosted former superstar quarterback Russell Wilson and his new team, the Denver Broncos, at Lumen Field.

And the game did not disappoint, with the Seahawks edging the Broncos 17-16 after a missed 64-yard field goal from Denver kicker Brandon McManus with 20 seconds left in regulation. 

The win gives the Seahawks a win in their season opener for the fourth straight season. 

In his first start in a season opener in eight years, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith performed admirably in place of Wilson, completing 23 of 28 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, with a quarterback rating of 119.5.

"They wrote me off,'' Smith quipped, "but I ain't write back, though!''

Rashaad Penny was also effective in the opener, rushing 12 times for 60 yards, while DK Metcalf led the team in receiving with seven catches for 36 yards. 

On the other end of the field, the Seahawks defense turned in an inspired performance, particularly in the red zone, where Denver was 0-4. 

They also forced the Broncos into two turnovers, both of which came inside from the Seahawks one yard line. 

And while the Seahawks were able to hold Wilson in check for the most part, eventually the dam broke, with Wilson ending the game completing 29 of 42 passes for 340 yards and one touchdown. 

However, they did not make it easy on their former teammate, with Wilson being forced to target his running backs and tight ends in 26 of his 42 pass attempts, including 12 to running back Javonte Williams.

Ultimately, the Seattle crowd, and the emotion of the night won out, giving the Seahawks the bragging rights over their former star. 

Following the reunion with Wilson, the Seahawks will now turn the page to Week 2, where they will head south to take on their division rival San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers will be coming off a rain-soaked loss to the Chicago Bears on the road at Soldier Field, in which they managed to score just 10 points, despite out-gaining the Bears by over 125 yards of total offense. 

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of AllSeahawks.com Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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