Seahawks Instant Reaction: Seattle Sports on win over Wilson’s Broncos

For the first time ever, Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson found themselves on opposing sidelines Monday night. This time, it was the old ball coach’s Seahawks that took the win.

Broncos take ball out of Wilson’s hands, Seahawks win | Geno Smith spoils Wilson’s return

Seattle held off Wilson’s Denver Broncos 17-16 in an epic Monday night battle, with the Broncos’ decision to attempt a potential game-winning 64-yard field goal with 20 seconds left instead of letting their new QB cook proving to be the final nail in this one.

As we do after each Seahawks game on SeattleSports.com, we have collected the instant reactions of the voices of Seattle Sports 710 AM. See what they have to say below, which is just a taste of what is to come this week on the station beginning Tuesday morning with Brock and Salk at 6 a.m. and The Pete Carroll Show at 9:30.

Here’s what everybody has to say:

Stacy Rost, Bump & Stacy (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

We all called that Geno Smith would be the better quarterback Monday night, right? No one?

If you did, congratulations, but there was little to go off of in the preseason that would tell you Smith would finish the game 23 of 28 for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Smith was every bit as efficient as Pete Carroll could hope, going 17 of 18 for 164 yards in the first half. He stood tall in the pocket, spread the ball around (eight different players had at least two targets) and even made a few gutsy throws (including one over the middle to DK Metcalf to keep a drive alive; however, Metcalf was stripped on the next play).

Can this Seahawks team make the playoffs? I don’t know yet. The rest of the NFC West looked less than stellar in Week 1 with all three divisional foes taking losses. Last year’s cream of the crop in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers, didn’t look the same without Davante Adams in an ugly loss to the Vikings. And the NFC East favorite Cowboys will be without QB Dak Prescott for six weeks.

But if the Seahawks didn’t prove in Week 1 they could be a playoff team, they at least proved one thing: they’re certainly capable of surprising us. And that’s about the best you could hope for from a team that took the biggest gamble of the offseason.

What we have left to figure out is how well this defense can hold up against the run. The Broncos fumbled twice in the red zone on carries, but Javonte Williams was their best weapon of the night and there were times the Seahawks just couldn’t stop him. But those wrinkles can always be ironed out, so the more important question on defense is this: Is Jamal Adams going to be out for long?

Bob Stelton, Wyman & Bob (2-7 p.m.)

Huge win for the Seahawks! Denver came in as a 6 1/2-point favorite, and the Hawks came up big in the crucial moments of this game. While the Broncos did plenty to beat themselves (12 penalties for 108 yards and two turnovers), the Hawks played a pretty solid game on both sides of the ball, most importantly forcing Denver to go 0 for 4 in the red zone.

Geno Smith was very efficient. More importantly, he protected the ball and took what the Broncos’ defense was giving him. Another standout was the O-line. With a rookie tackle on both sides and a backup at guard, they did a fantastic job in pass protection and providing Geno with a clean pocket for most of the night.

The defense is still very much a work in progress. They made some clutch plays in the red zone and there were also some rookie moments, as expected. They were a bend but don’t break defense tonight, giving up 433 total yards with 340 passing yards to Russell Wilson but only one touchdown. With exception of another Jamal Adams injury, there was plenty to be optimistic about with some of the question marks on this defense.

Overall, a great win in a game that was anything but your ordinary season opener.

Dave Wyman, Wyman & Bob

What did Dave Wyman think about the #Seahawks big Monday Night win over the Denver Broncos? Watch here to see what he thought about this game the moment he took his headset off from calling the game.

What players stood out the most to Wyman? #DENvsSEA pic.twitter.com/kkZvwGkkZk

— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) September 13, 2022

Brock Huard, Brock & Salk (6-10 a.m.)

There is no substitute for experience, and a first time head coach for the Denver Broncos (Nathaniel Hackett) melted down in the final minutes more than anyone else in the building. The Seahawks protected the football, won the turnover battle, and the red zone was the Action Green Zone for the Seahawks once again.

Mike Salk, Brock & Salk

I can’t believe that was Seattle. Can’t believe it. I never thought I would see this city bring the boos like they did for Russell Wilson’s return. I never thought I would see the team jumbotron focus all night on the jeering fans, their angry signs, and their altered No. 3 jerseys.  It was unlike anything I have seen here in my 13-plus years.

And I loved it!

The crowd was incredible, and the team did exactly what it needed to do. Geno Smith played mistake-free football in the first half, taking advantage of his opportunities. The defense came up with numerous huge plays in the biggest moments. And with the game on the line, the Broncos’ new, cool, offensive-minded head coach didn’t just go conservative – he flat-out crawled into his shell like a turtle. His team mortgaged their entire future for a top-shelf quarterback only to trust a kicker with a 64-yard field goal on the road rather than let Russ convert a fourth and five? Is this real life?

I don’t know where either of these teams go from here. The Seahawks have a new sense of confidence while the Broncos now have a lot pressure squarely on their shoulders. But for one night, the crowd, the team, the coaches and the management felt vindicated for the biggest gamble they have made.

“We look forward to welcoming our new players and to everyone being fully engaged while working our hardest to win every single day,” wrote Seahawks chair Jody Allen when Russ was traded.  Her team was fully engaged tonight for sure.

Mike Lefko, Wyman & Bob

It is indisputable and undeniable after that win: the Seahawks won the trade.

They already had in the long term with the haul of draft picks to build for the future, but to beat Russell Wilson, too? Well that is just the perfect cherry on top.

This game also made it clear that it was the former quarterback who has holding this Seahawks team back with his unwillingness and inability to do what was asked of him by the coaching staff. Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s gameplan was efficient and clinical in leading to two touchdown drives, just one punt, and a 13-for-13 start for Geno Smith. That was what the Seahawks have stressed all along, balanced football that dictated play in the first half. And that halftime lead could have looked even better if not for two dropped interceptions.

There are concerns regarding the defense, especially after Jamal Adams left early in the second quarter and had to be carted out of the stadium with a knee injury. Growing pains were to be expected in the secondary with two rookie defensive backs getting significant time, and both Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen had their “welcome to the NFL” moments in this game. That will be the big question moving forward: How quickly can these young cornerbacks get acclimated to the speed and size of NFL defenders?

However, there were overwhelmingly positive aspects to the defense tonight. Uchenna Nwosu looks like one of the best free agent signings the Seahawks made this offseason, and the defense held the Broncos to zero touchdowns in four red zone opportunities, allowing only six total points on those drives.

This team is young, and there are still a lot of unknowns, but all is right in the world for the Seahawks after tonight.

Justin Barnes, Brock & Salk

Color me impressed. Heck, color me Action Green!

Count me as one of the fans who didn’t expect to hear the sentence “Geno Smith has outplayed Russell Wilson” fall out of broadcaster Joe Buck’s mouth late in the game. Nor did I even expect to see the Seahawks score early against a much-hyped Denver Broncos team and hold up until the final seconds of the game. How foolish of me to doubt a QB in Geno Smith who hasn’t gone into a season as a starter since “Happy” by Pharrell was the No. 1 song in America! NEVER AGAIN!

Russell may have gotten the control he wanted from Denver in a variety of avenues, but he can’t control his running backs fumbling at the goal line (twice), and he can’t control his defense from giving the Seahawks plenty of first downs with sloppy, undisciplined play. He also can’t control a very determined Pete Carroll football team with absolutely nothing to lose, and that may be the biggest takeaway from this game. And lastly, he can’t kick 64-yard field goals to win the game.

The Seahawks shocked the world (again) on Monday Night Football. Geno Smith wins, Pete Carroll wins, defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt wins, and the 12s win.

Russell Wilson may have control, but the Seahawks have the W.