Usually, when a team loses a big star at a position, they will try to acquire a figure of at least some stature to replace him. In the case of the Seattle Seahawks and their trade of Russell Wilson, that didn’t really turn out to be the case. And the general consensus is that they will pay for that throughout the season.
The Seahawks did receive a quarterback in return for Wilson in their exchange with the Denver Broncos, but it may have been foolhardy to think that they would have someone who could keep them very competitive in the NFC West, where three teams made the playoffs last season.
Instead, they got Drew Lock, who was, in fact, a Denver reject, as the second-round selection out of Missouri was the latest in a line of “quarterbacks of the future” in the Mile High City who fell rather short.
The Broncos, who have just been sold to members of the Walton family (of Walmart fame), decided to pay a price to get a proven veteran. The Seahawks watched as Lock had to sit out a considerable part of training camp with COVID-19 and lost the starting job to Geno Smith, who is certifiably a “backup.”
So it is Wilson dueling with his former understudy as these teams meet up for Monday Night Football at 8:15 PM ET from Lumen Field in Seattle. In the U.S., ESPN carries the game, along with ABC. Looking to bet on Monday Night Football? Check out the list of Football Betting Sites.
In the NFL Monday Night betting odds, the Broncos are laying points on the road:
Denver Broncos -6.5 (-112)
Seattle Seahawks +6.5 (-108)
Over 44 Points (-115)
Under 44 Points (-105)
Smith was once a “quarterback of the future” with the New York Jets. But he came up a little short in the leadership department. He’s matured since then and is capable of baby-sitting at the position – as he did last year in winning one of three starts in place of the injured Wilson – but he isn’t the guy who will take anybody to the playoffs. And that leads people to believe that the Seattle management may just be going into the tank in the hope of drafting a new QB from what might be a pretty impressive pool.
Denver has the nucleus of a pretty good defence, and that was something Vic Fangio, the since-fired coach, fashioned. They also have a formidable rushing attack with Melvin Gordon and an absolute tank in Javonte Williams. Wilson is, of course, one of the craftier NFL quarterbacks and looked upon by some as a missing ingredient for the Broncos’ quest to win the AFC West.
But we wouldn’t necessarily be going overboard on Denver in this one for a couple of reasons.
One is that you can expect a rather spirited effort on the part of the Seattle defensive staff, led by coordinator Clint Hurtt and, of course, head coach Pete Carroll himself. They know Wilson better than any staff he’ll face, and they’ve had quite a while to get ready for this.
The defence lost a couple of playmakers, but here’s what’s interesting – Seattle was 28th in Total Defense last year but ninth in points allowed. They were best in the NFL in “Yards Per Point Scored.” So within carroll’s scheme, they tend to bend and not break and make opponents work for their points.
Kenneth Walker III, the Seahawks’ second-round pick, will likely sit this out with an injury. That will leave more of the rushing burden on Rashaad Penny, who averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 2021. Carroll WILL try to establish something on the ground. Smith has good wideouts (Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf) but also rookie offensive tackles in front of him.
On balance, we feel more comfortable moving with the total here, and more specifically, the UNDER.
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