Broncos at Seahawks
Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday 8/8 at 10 pm (ET)
Location: CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington
Betting Odds: SEA -2 via Oddsshark
Network: King in Seattle, KTVD in Denver
Denver Broncos
Joe Flacco Makes His Broncos Debut
Joe Flacco begins his 12th season in the NFL with a new team. The Denver Broncos acquired Flacco this off-season via trade after an up and down performance from journeyman Case Keenum. The move was unsurprising in that Broncos GM John Elway loves his prototype QBs and he was willing to pick up the remaining $63 million remaining on his deal.
All reports are glowing out of Broncos camp with veteran players singing Flacco’s praises and coaches expecting their quarterback woes to be over. If there is any hope of this Flacco will need some young talent to step up. Demaryius Thomas is gone, and Emmanuel Sanders is working his way back from a difficult Achilles tear. Look for youngsters Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton to get plenty of run on Thursday. Tim Patrick flashed in 2018 and will also need to show up to secure his roster spot. Perhaps Flacco’s favorite position to target, the tight end, is young too. Jeff Heuerman is listed as the starter but the team did spend a first-round pick on Noah Fant in this year’s draft. Fant has a long ways to go to earn a starting role but I do expect to see him taking snaps alongside Flacco.
A Revamped Offensive Line Needs Cohesion
The Broncos open a new season with another new offensive line coach, Mike Munchak, the fifth in five years. The line itself has also seen several changes but they are working their way towards stability. The Broncos made a splash when they signed Ja’Wuan James away from the Miami Dolphins for $51 million. Conner McGovern found his place at center to close 2018 and opens at the position in 2019. Veteran Ron Leary, also coming off an Achilles injury, is back but this time at right guard, his preferred position. Garett Boles returns at left tackle and rounding out the line is a rookie draft pick, Dalton Risner. If Munchak can show an improvement to a struggling position group, the Broncos could take a step forward this season.
Vic Fangio Adjusting to Head Coach Role
One of the more difficult skills to learn for the first time head coach is game management. Vic Fangio, the new Broncos head coach, has stated that he will be making the defensive play calls from the sideline, after spending his career watching the games unfold from the booth. Many times it is overwhelming for the head coach to manage all of the details that need to be managed and still be able to send in the correct call. Fangio has said that he will use the pre-season to work out a process on what this will look like come Week 1 but you should pay attention to the details. Challenges, fourth-down decisions, time out management. In a league full of parity, this is often an area where new head coaches fail.
Seattle Seahawks
Battle of the Backups at QB is On
The Seahawks brought in former Denver Broncos first-round pick Paxton Lynch his off offseason to compete for the backup QB role to Russell Wilson. Lunch was unceremoniously cut last fall in camp by the Broncos after two seasons and just five starts. He is competing with veteran play-caller Geno Smith, now on his fourth team, but with 40 career starts. Smith will start Thursday’s game and looks to be the front-runner for the job but with HC Pete Carroll we can always expect a surprise. At the very least Lynch will get his shot to perform against his former team.
Wide Receivers Loaded with Talent and Competition
One thing that always seems to be happening around Seahawks camp is healthy competition. Doug Baldwin, the longtime team leader, and target hog has retired. Tyler Lockett will start on one side, and spend a third of his time in the slot, but no one quite knows who will start opposite him. The Seahawks haven’t posted an initial training camp depth chart, likely a tactic that further spurs competition.
David Moore played in nearly 60% of the teams snaps last season, almost all of them on the boundary, and is a contender. Jaron Brown returns but he saw much of his time in the slot. Moore is a receiver that fits a similar profile; over 6”1’, plus 200 lbs, with explosive speed and burst metrics but lacking in agility. Get downfield and let Russ find you. Then the team went out and drafted two additional players that fit the same mold; D.K Metcalf in the 2nd and Gary Jennings in the 4th. Metcalf has battled a calf injury, and even though its reported he will play Thursday, he’s lost valuable time to his competitors. Gary Jennings is an athletic freak that very well could be another gem uncovered by the Seahawks front office. Moore, Metcalf or the dark horse Jennings will start and the preseason will give us a chance to enjoy the show.
Tight End is Full of Questions
Will Dissly played in just four games last year but he made quite a slash. Two touchdowns and a one hundred yard game he was well on his way to a promising rookie year before he suffered a gruesome patella tendon injury. While he is back at camp and a roster lock, it’s unlikely the Seahawks are expecting much from him to open the season. That means there has to be a tight end that has to step up for the Hawks. Nick Vannett was barely utilized last season yet he was efficient when targeted. However, the team sought to upgrade the position when they traded a 2020 seventh-round pick for New England backup Jacob Hollister. Camp reports are praising Hollister but we haven’t seen him do much more than playing special teams in his young career. The trio expects to receive heavy work Thursday, in an attempt to see if the position can be relevant this year. Ed Dickson is also on the roster but he will miss all of training camp with a minor knee procedure. He could be a camp casualty while the youngers battle it out.
-Marc Salazar