Seahawks present steep challenge for Broncos rookie QB

SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie Bo Nix did his part through the offseason and in training camp to win the starting quarterback job for the Denver Broncos. The reward? His first game will be played in one of the most challenging environments in the NFL against the Seattle Seahawks and a defensive scheme no one has seen before.

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Good luck, kid.

“Seattle’s a good team. They have a good defense returning (and) a lot of good players with a new scheme. It’ll be interesting to see what they come out and play,” Nix said. “I think they’re going to be very well coached and they’re going to be talented. It’s going to be a hostile environment, but it will be fun. It’ll be a good first game.”

Nix’s debut is one of many interesting storylines for Sunday when the Broncos travel to face the Seahawks.

The last time Denver visited Seattle two years ago, it was another highly anticipated debut for a Broncos quarterback. But the first game of the Russell Wilson era in Denver ended up defining most of his time with the Broncos – a disappointing performance and a frustrating outcome.

Seattle won that night and continued to overall win the trade that sent Wilson to Denver and landed the Seahawks a bevy of draft picks. But both teams have undergone massive makeovers since that Monday night game that opened the 2022 season.

Denver is in the second season of its overhaul under Sean Payton and has handed the QB position to Nix in the hopes of washing away the problems of the two seasons with Wilson. Nix made such an impression on his teammates, he was voted an offensive captain. It marked the first time since Floyd Little in 1967 that a Broncos rookie enters the season opener with a “C” on his jersey.

“You get a young player like Bo Nix, there are certain skill sets he has (and) strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully we build on the strengths and then really minimize the things maybe that a young player might face to open up the start of the season,” Payton said.

Seattle has also faced massive change, with Pete Carroll being let go and Mike Macdonald hired to take over as the youngest coach in the NFL. Many of Seattle’s pieces are the same, but the system is dramatically different.

“You really just have to focus on executing your stuff the best you possibly can and make them beat you throwing your fastball,” Macdonald said. “That’s been the message to the guys. We’re going to be running our stuff from now until whenever.”

The changes in Seattle have created mixed expectations for what the season could be. Externally, the Seahawks are viewed as a .500 team with BetMGM Sportsbook setting the team’s over/under win total at 7½.

Internally, there is a quiet sense of confidence. The Seahawks like the fact they’re being undervalued with very little buzz about them. There’s no questioning the skill position talent on the roster. The unknowns rest around the offensive line and how quickly Seattle’s defense can improve from last season.

Get some Grubb

One of the big unknowns with Seattle is exactly what its offense will look like under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. The schemes used during the preseason were very basic and Seattle’s offensive starters played only one series in the final week.

Grubb’s offenses in college at Washington were highlighted by a downfield, explosive passing game that helped turn Michael Penix Jr. and Rome Odunze into first-round picks. But Seattle wide receiver DK Metcalf thinks it’ll be a different aspect of the offense that will prove to be the most important.

“The first offensive meeting that we had, Ryan Grubb said, ‘All right guys, I know we had explosive players, but we’re going to run the ball,’” Metcalf said.

Payday & picks

Patrick Surtain II became the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history with his four-year, $96 million extension he signed this week.

Surtain has Pro Bowls and All-Pro honors on his resume, but Payton wants him to get more interceptions. He has picked off seven passes in his first three NFL seasons and the Broncos jettisoned ball-hawking safety Justin Simmons in the offseason.

Stellar secondary

One of the strengths of the Seahawks is expected to be their secondary, especially if Riq Woolen can rebound from a disappointing second season and look more like the burgeoning star of his rookie campaign.

Devon Witherspoon seems poised to be a breakout star in Macdonald’s defense and the back end is solid with safeties Julian Love, Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace.

Still paying the price

Wilson may be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Broncos are still feeling the ramifications of the trade that turned out to be such a lopsided deal in favor of the Seahawks.

Wilson signed with Pittsburgh for the veteran’s minimum of $1.21 million. That means the Broncos are on the hook for the remaining $37.89 million of his 2024 contract. Plus, their split saddled the Broncos with a record $85 million in dead cap charges this season and next.

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