The Denver Broncos opened their 2022 season with a heart-breaking 17-16 loss in primetime against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday. Here’s a quick look at five studs and duds from the game.
Stud: Jerry Jeudy
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy finally had an offensive awakening, With four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown, it was about time that the third-year wideout showed his ability to make big plays. Could he be the guy to replace the injured Tim Patrick when Courtland Sutton draws the opponent’s No. 1 cover corner?
Dud: Red zone offense
Little more could highlight quarterback Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle more than the lack of points in the red zone. On back-to-back drives, the Broncos were inside the one-yard line. On both those drives, there were fumbles, one from Melvin Gordon and one from Javonte Williams. Those plays could easily have resulted in 14 points, a potential difference in the game.
In three trips to the red zone in the second half of Monday’s game, Denver came away with a total of three points. Now, it is early in the season, but this is a troubling trend to keep an eye on.
Stud: Denver's free agent additions
Several big Broncos free agents made their presence known throughout the Seahawks game. Nose tackle DJ Jones made several outstanding plays against the run and defensive end Randy Gregory had Denver’s only turnover.
The most interesting call of the game by head coach Nathaniel Hackett was to not put the ball in Denver’s largest offseason addition’s hands. On a fourth-and-five, Hackett opted to try for the second-longest field goal in NFL history instead of letting Russell Wilson try to make a play. Kicker Brandon McManus missed the attempt just right, sealing the game in Seattle’s favor.
Duds: Denver's pre-snap communication
On several drives, Wilson ran the play clock down to three seconds or less. More often than not, this led to hurried plays and penalties for various offenses. Denver is going to have to fix this pre-snap communication to smooth over some of their offensive woes. Wilson will not have this issue in Denver, but you better believe that every other opposing stadium in the NFL is not going to go easy on him.
Stud: Kicker Brandon McManus
In large part, without the efforts of kicker Brandon McManus, the Broncos are lucky to have even had a chance to win the game. McManus went a perfect 3-for-3 with an extra point before being called upon to try for a game-winning attempt from 64 yards. To his credit, McManus’ distance was not the issue. The kick pushed right, barely missing the upright.
McManus continues to put the “special” in the Denver special teams unit. Monday’s loss is on Hackett more than it’s on the team’s kicker.
