Denver, CO
Enemy Confidential: Unknowns Aplenty as Seattle Seahawks Gear Up For Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
RENTON, Wash. – The start of the regular season in the NFL always presents uncertainty. The vast majority of teams haven’t played their starters much in exhibition play and dialed up vanilla schemes when they did see the field, making Week 1 a battle of adjustments moreso than any other game on the schedule.
Set to make his regular season debut as a first-time head coach for the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, Mike Macdonald understands there’s little to go off of preparing for the Denver Broncos, especially with a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix making his NFL debut at Lumen Field on Sunday afternoon. Both teams will have to rely on their bread and butter concepts on offense and defense, switching things up as the game unfolds with little intel to game plan off of.
“Beginning of the season is tough because everyone has an idea about who they are, what they want to be, and the type of plays that they want to hang their hat on, schematically, how they want to use their personnel,” Macdonald explained on Wednesday prior to practice. “So, you don’t have that sample size this time of year. You really just have to focus on executing your stuff the best you possibly can and make them beat you throwing your fastball. That’s been the message to the guys. We’re going to be running our stuff from now until whenever. It’s hard to kind of pick and choose and tailor it to how they’ve operated because the sample is just not there.”
If there’s something Macdonald and his staff can reference devising a strategy for Sunday, the former Ravens defensive coordinator and long-time assistant has faced Broncos coach Sean Payton several times in the past, including when he served as Saints head coach for more than a decade. With plenty of familiarity of his success over the years, there’s a mutual respect between the two coaches.
With a new quarterback under center in Nix who brings his own unique skill set to the table, Macdonald doesn’t expect Denver’s offense to be a carbon copy to what he did in New Orleans with future Hall of Famer Drew Brees under center. At the same time, while Seattle must account for the rookie’s dual threat capabilities and quick release, Payton won’t completely reinvent the wheel either and the team will be taking a close look at how his scheme has functioned over the years and the concepts he has leaned heavily on.
“I think it’s a sliding scale so to speak on how much you factor in all the things. This system is Sean’s system. It seems like they’ve been really successful with it for such a long time. Bo [Nix] seems like he’s a great fit for what they’re asking him to do, which is a little bit different than some stuff. Some of those things might carry over, how he operates, things like that. His strength will definitely transfer from college to the pros, but I wouldn’t put too much stock into it. We got a lot of respect for him as a player but we’re also defending the plays that Sean’s been running for years.”
Aiming to get off to a quick start to open the Macdonald era, here’s a closer look at the Seahawks well-coached Week 1 opponent, including series history, additions/departures, a deep dive into scheme, and Macdonald’s evaluation of the new-look Broncos.
56th regular season meeting. The Broncos hold a commanding 35-20 all-time regular season record over the Seahawks dating back to several decades as AFC West rivals. However, Seattle has gotten the last laugh in the postseason, including a dominant 43-8 win over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII. Most recently, the Seahawks edged the Broncos 17-16 in the 2022 season opener in Wilson’s homecoming game and the Broncos won a 27-24 decision at Mile High Stadium in 2018.
Departures: Absorbing a massive $53 million dead cap hit in 2024, the Broncos moved on from former Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson in March, releasing him after two disappointing seasons under center to start anew at the most important position in pro sports. Dealing with major salary cap issues as a result, the team also cut perennial All-Pro safety Justin Simmons in a financials-driven transaction, creating a major void in the secondary. Unhappy with his production as a former first-round pick, the team traded receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Browns for a pair of 2024 draft picks in March. Former starting linebacker Josey Jewell and center Lloyd Cushenberry bolted in free agency as well, signing with the Panthers and Titans respectively.
Additions: Quickly finding a successor for Wilson, Denver invested its 12th overall pick in Nix, who earned a spot as a Heisman finalist after a spectacular final season at Oregon. Additionally, the team invested a fourth-round pick in Oregon receiver Troy Franklin, teaming him back up with Nix, to go with pass rusher Jonah Ellis in the third round. Replacing Simmons in the secondary, the Broncos signed former Dolphins starter Brandon Jones in free agency, plugging him alongside P.J. Locke at the safety spots. The team also replaced Jewell with ex-Seahawks starter Cody Barton, who spent last season with the Commanders and will now start next to Alex Singleton, along with adding veteran defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, who previously played for Payton in New Orleans.
The Broncos didn’t have a single player listed on their injury report on Wednesday with the team fully healthy going into the regular season.
Sticking to status quo from his time in New Orleans, Payton continued to run a variety of personnel groupings in his first season at the helm in Denver. Last season, the Broncos deployed 11 personnel with three receivers, one running back, and one tight end at a 55 percent clip, which ranked 25th in the NFL according to Sumer Sports charting. However, they ranked in the top 10 in 21 personnel usage, utilizing multi-back formations nearly 10 percent of the time. They also used 12 personnel with multiple tight ends nearly 20 percent of their offensive snaps, ranking in the middle of the league.
In the run game department, per Pro Football Focus, the Broncos utilized zone concepts 56 percent of the time (192 plays), matching up with Payton’s history of preferring a zone-centric rushing attack. Interestingly, after years of being one of the best play action passers in the NFL, Wilson only ran play fakes on 22.6 percent of his drop backs last season, which ranked 16th out of 28 qualified quarterbacks, but did throw 11 touchdowns and only one pick on those plays.
One of the NFL’s most aggressive defensive coordinators, per Pro Football Reference, Vance Joseph dialed up blitzes with at least five rushers coming for the quarterback on 35 percent of Denver’s snaps last season, which ranked fifth in the league. The penchant for blitzing didn’t help generate heat on quarterbacks consistently, however, as the Broncos finished 29th in pressure rate (18.2 percent) and 30th in hurry rate (4.4 percent).
In coverage, while relying much of the time on 4-2-5 personnel, Joseph continued a long track record of preferring single-high, middle of field closed concepts, as the Broncos ranked sixth in Cover 3 usage (40.6 percent) and also used Cover 1 with man underneath 21 percent of their defensive snaps. Few teams did a better job of mixing up looks pre and post-snap with Denver finishing fifth among NFL teams with a 30.7 percent disguise rate.
-On if he expects Denver to run the ball more with a rookie quarterback under center: “I don’t have all the run percentages and pass percentages. It’s more like types of plays you have to defend. They’re smart coaches, they got a great scheme, he’s a really good player. We expect them to do the things that Bo does well. Keep the ball moving, try to create some explosive plays, be successful in the red zone. I think these guys do a really good job of that.”
-On the hallmarks of a Sean Payton-led offense: “He’s going to play everybody. They do a great job of playing all their guys, there’s a lot of different personnel groups. Run and pass are complementary. The drop back game I think is consistent for the quarterback but they can create explosives that way too. They get the ball to their playmakers. It’s a tried and true system. They’ve done it really well for a long time.”
-On what makes Bo Nix a great fit for Payton’s system: “He plays on time, he seems like he makes a lot of fast decisions. Kind of like Drew [Brees] was, he’s an underrated athlete. Just being able to move in the pocket, extend plays, it seems like he’s really accurate. I think he has probably an underrated arm, he can deliver the ball just about anywhere. I think the decision making, how fast he plays is probably one of the things they like about him.”
Paperboy
Denver is a city that loves to brunch and now, one of Austin’s top daytime spots has opened a location in the West Highland neighborhood. Paperboy’s third outpost is its first outside of its home state of Texas. The concept, which founder Rynan Harms started in a food trailer, has taken over the former home of Rooted Craft American Kitchen (and FNG before that).
“We love this neighborhood because it’s still close to downtown but has its own unique and relaxed vibe,” says Robert Brown, Harms’ longtime business partner, who has lived in Denver for nearly a decade. “People know their neighbors, they show up to community events, they’re invested in this place in a way that feels increasingly rare. That sense of connection is something Paperboy has always tried to foster, and we’re honored to be a part of it here in Denver.”
The menu includes staples such as the chicken and biscuit drizzled with spicy honey; Texas Hash with roasted pork, sweet potato, onion, kale, poached egg and pecan mole; and the Paperboy Pancake, described as “a cake-forward cornmeal pancake that still manages to be impossibly fluffy.”
Also now open is FiNO, the restaurant inside the revamped All Inn Hotel on East Colfax. We enjoyed our first meal there; if you’re planning to visit, don’t miss the signature martini, the Medi Nachos and the caper-studded charred cabbage.
On East Sixth Avenue, the powerhouse duo behind the city’s best new barbecue restaurant, Riot BBQ, has debuted Chicken Riot in the former Truffle Cheese Shop space. Meanwhile, the former Whiskey Biscuit in Englewood is now the Barn, a neighborhood eatery from a pair of longtime hospitality pros, including former Brider chef Chase Devitt.
Taqueria Los Gallitos has expanded once again, adding an eighth location in the former Taco John’s near the shuttered Denver Merchandise Mart.
And just in time for the Rockies home opener on Friday, April 3, McGregor Square has opened its revamped food hall. The former Milepost Zero moniker is out. Now, the space is dubbed McGregor Square Food & Drink and includes six food stalls from local eateries: Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta, C Burger, G-Que BBQ, High Point Creamery, TaCo! and Tora Ramen.
There’s just one closure to report this week: Ballyhoo Table & Stage, which actually shuttered last month after an eviction notice was posted.
In other openings and closings news:
Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week*:
Openings
The Barn South Broadway, 3299 South Broadway, Englewood
Chicken Riot, 2906 East Sixth Avenue
FiNO, 3015 East Colfax Avenue
McGregor Square Food & Drink, 1601 19th Street
Paperboy, 3940 West 32nd Avenue
Taqueria Los Gallitos, 5810 Logan Street
Closures
Ballyhoo Table & Stage, 3300 Tejon Street
*Or earlier and not previously reported.
Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.
Denver, Colo. (03/27/2026) – In front of another expected record-breaking crowd, the Washington Spirit is set to take on Denver Summit FC in the side’s inaugural home match at Empower Field at Mile High. With over 60,000 tickets already distributed, the match is poised to break the NWSL attendance record of 40,091 set last summer when the Spirit visited Bay FC at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. Kicking off at 2 p.m. EDT, the match will broadcast nationally on CBS.
The Spirit
Washington comes into this weekend’s fixture off a difficult 1-1 home draw with Utah Royals FC earlier this week. After scoring in the 18th minute, the Spirit nearly earned its first victory of 2026 but conceded an equalizer late and had to settle for a single point on the table. Washington’s goal was scored by midfielder Rebeca Bernal, the Mexican star’s first since transferring to the NWSL last year.
Saturday afternoon’s match will mark the first-ever meeting between the Spirit, one of the NWSL’s original clubs, and 2026 expansion side Denver Summit FC. Denver will be the 17th different opponent for Washington across its regular season history: the Spirit has played against 13 active clubs (all except expansion sides Denver and Boston) as well as defunct clubs the Boston Breakers, FC Kansas City and the Western New York Flash.
The Spirit has had success against expansion sides as of late, tallying 11 wins in 15 matches against NWSL clubs in their first season of competition since the start of the 2021 campaign. In 2024, the Spirit went a perfect 5-0-0 against Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, outscoring the teams 10-3 with a playoff win to boot. In 2022, Washington earned a 1-3-0 record against Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC and, in 2021, the eventual NWSL champions went an impressive 5-1-0 against Kansas City and Racing Louisville FC.
This weekend’s matchup at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is set to shatter the NWSL’s single match attendance record with over 60,000 tickets already distributed. The Spirit has also been the visiting team for two of the league’s previous three record-setting attendances: 34,130 fans at Seattle’s Lumen Field when the Spirit took on the Reign and 40,091 in the stands at San Francisco’s historic Oracle Park to watch Washington play Bay FC.
Washington is in good standing in several attacking categories through three matches despite two draws and a loss. The Spirit remains first in the league in rate of possession at nearly 62% and top three in both shots and shots on target with 49 and 17, respectively. With just three goals through three matches, look for the Spirit attack to continue getting attempts on frame this weekend.
Following Saturday’s match, the Spirit will hit the road again next weekend for an away match against Bay FC in San Jose on Sunday, April 5. Washington’s next home match will be on Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. EDT when the side hosts the defending Shield winner Kansas City Current at Audi Field. Information on tickets can be found HERE.
The Opponent
Denver Summit FC opened its inaugural season with three straight away matches, collecting a win, a loss and a draw to carry four points into its home opener this weekend. Summit FC dropped its first match to Bay FC 1-2 before drawing Orlando 1-1 and beating Gotham 2-0.
Summit FC is led in scoring by star German forward Melissa Kössler who has three goals in three matches, scoring once in each contest. With a goal tomorrow, the forward would join Alex Morgan as just the second player in league history to score in each of her first four matches with a club. Look for the Spirit defending third to place an emphasis on limiting chances to Kössler on Saturday afternoon.
Denver has only allowed one goal across its last 240 minutes of action after giving up two in the first 30 minutes of the side’s opener. The strong recent form of Summit FC’s defending third against the Spirit attacking third’s ability to generate chance after chance will be a point to watch this weekend.
Three former Spirit players are currently on the Summit FC roster as midfielders Meg Boade and Jordan Baggett and defender Camryn Biegalski signed with the side ahead of this season. Baggett spent four years with the Spirit after being drafted by the side in 2019 while Biegalski signed with Washington in 2021 and played three seasons, both winning the 2021 NWSL Championship with the team. Boade spent the first half of the 2025 season in DC as a short-term injury replacement, even scoring a goal for the Spirit.
Following tomorrow’s match, Denver will travel to Seattle to face Reign FC on Saturday, April 4.
All-Time Series History
This weekend’s match will be the first-ever meeting between the Spirit and Denver Summit FC.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are tipping off their second-to-last meeting of the 2025-26 season on Friday in the Mile High, where for the Jazz in particular, they’ll be dealing with several injuries headed into the matchup that’ll make them shorthanded once again.
Here’s what to expect on the injury front for both the Jazz and Nuggets on Friday night:
Utah Jazz Injury Report
OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)
OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)
OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)
OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)
OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)
OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)
PROBABLE – Kyle Filipowski (illness)
OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)
It’s a lot of the same for the Jazz when looking back at some of their recent injury reports, but there’s also some good news to note as well.
Second-year big man Kyle Filipowski, specifically, is trending up to play in Denver after dealing with an illness against the Washington Wizards; an issue that kept him sidelined for one game and left the Jazz’s frontcourt notably shorthanded for what would be a double-digit loss.
During his post-All-Star stretch, Filipowski has been averaging 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, along with 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks through 11 games.
He’s slotted in primarily as the Jazz’s starting center since both Walker Kessler and Jusuf Nurkic have been out with season-ending injuries, and has shown some nice flashes throughout.
However, outside of getting Filipowski back in the mix, the Jazz will still be without second-year guard Isaiah Collier, who continues to deal with hamstring soreness, and will also continue to be down Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen with their extended absences.
It remains to be seen if any of the latter two will be able to return at some point this season, but now with less than 10 games to go on the calendar before the offseason officially hits, the chances of either Markkanen or George coming back keep getting slimmer and slimmer.
For the extent either remains out, expect to see a good chunk of Ace Bailey being the primary scoring option as he has through his recent slate of games, along with an expanded role for their two-way and 10-day players down the bench who have gotten more minutes in recent weeks.
Denver Nuggets Injury Report
OUT – David Roddy (two-way)
OUT – KJ Simpson (two-way)
As for the Nuggets, their injury slate remains clean. The only names out will be a pair of their two way signings in David Roddy and KJ Simpsons, while the rest of their roster is slated to be active.
It’s a major change from what the Nuggets have been used to all season when factoring in their several injuries to key players lasting multiple weeks.
Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Peyton Watson have all missed significant time at one point or another this season, but against Utah, they’ll have all systems go as they roll into the game on a three-game win streak.
Tip-off between the Jazz and Nuggets lands at 7 p.m. MT in Ball Arena.
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