CNN
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He may’ve introduced the Seattle Seahawks their first Tremendous Bowl title, however upon his return to the Pacific Northwest together with his new staff on Monday, Russell Wilson actually didn’t get a hero’s welcome.
Wilson – now the quarterback of the Denver Broncos after having been traded from the Seahawks following a profitable 10-year stint – was booed by the bulk inside Lumen Area when he took to the gridiron for the primary time in his new colours.
And the night didn’t get any higher for Wilson, as he and the Broncos have been edged out 17-16 by the Seahawks.
Nonetheless, Wilson stated he anticipated the hostile reception upon his return to town he had known as house for a decade.
“It didn’t trouble me, you understand, it’s a hostile surroundings, it all the time has been. I didn’t count on them to provide a spherical of applause each every now and then,” Wilson stated with a smile after the sport.
The 33-year-old added: “For me, Seattle’s been superb for me. Like I stated, anyone who thinks every other phrases, they don’t know my coronary heart, they usually don’t know the way a lot this metropolis has meant to me. Tonight was particular, it was on the opposite aspect than I’m used to, nevertheless it was nonetheless a particular surroundings and a spot I’ve all the time beloved.”
It was all the time going to be a memorable return to Seattle for Wilson.
The Seahawks drafted the quarterback with a third-round choose in 2012. Throughout his time within the Pacific Northwest, he guided the franchise into eight postseasons, together with two Tremendous Bowl appearances and one championship win in 2014.
Nonetheless, after relationships staled between Wilson and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll lately, he was traded to the Broncos within the offseason for an enormous haul in an trade that despatched shockwaves by way of the game.
Upon arriving in Denver, he signed a five-year extension with the staff reportedly price $245 million and his debut simply so occurred to return at his former stomping floor in Seattle.
Nonetheless, it was his substitute on the Seattle sideline who actually stole the present.
Geno Smith, who had been the back-up behind Wilson, appeared regular in his first begin for the reason that finish of the Wilson period, ending with 195 yards on 23/28 passing with two touchdowns.
Wilson threw for 340 yards on 29/42 passing and a landing however the sport ended with the ball out of his palms regardless of the assets invested in his signing.
After a sloppy second half from each groups, together with two fumbles from the one-yard line on back-to-back possessions to begin the second half for Denver, Wilson drove his staff up the sector within the last two minutes.
With 20 seconds left, on fourth and 5 on the Seattle 46-yard line, first 12 months Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett had a choice to make: let his new, huge cash quarterback attempt to get them the required yardage or try a really lengthy area aim?
In the long run, Hackett selected the safer possibility of a 64-yard area aim try within the last few seconds to assert a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Nonetheless, Brandon McManus’ try flew vast left, which means Wilson’s return to Seattle led to disappointment.
However after the sport, Wilson confused he supported Hackett’s determination to go for the sector aim somewhat than let him attempt to preserve the offense shifting.
“I consider in coach Hackett,” Wilson stated. “I consider in what we’re doing. Consider in every thing, and any time you’ll be able to attempt to discover a technique to make a play on fourth-and-5, that’s nice, too. Additionally, I don’t assume it was the flawed determination. I believe [McManus] could make it.”
The defeat implies that in a particularly aggressive AFC West, the Broncos are already behind the eight-ball, whereas the Geno Smith period in Seattle begins with aplomb.