The Seahawks and Denver Broncos square off at Lumen Field in Seattle this Sunday to kick off the regular season. For two teams who currently play in separate conferences, these franchises have tons of history together.

Let’s dive into some facts and figures that flesh out what this matchup is and what it has been in the past. There are some key stats that could be part of Seattle’s strategy to come out with a season-opening win.

55

The number of matchups between these two franchises, dating back to 1977. In fact, the Seahawks have played against the Broncos more than any other NFL franchise. Of course, this is due to them sharing a division in the old AFC West until 2002. The Broncos own the series, 35-22. Of course, one of those wins for Seattle came in Super Bowl XLVIII.

17

The amount of points the Seahawks scored against the Broncos with Geno Smith under center. The Seahawks won that game, 17-16, in Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle. That was Geno Smith’s first start in the new era in Seattle. With the Broncos coming into town with offensive guru Sean Payton at head coach, it’s likely Seattle will need to score more than 17 to beat them this time. Ryan Grubb’s offense seems revving to go.

0

The amount of times the Seahawks have played against a rookie quarterback in Week 1, until now. Bo Nix gets the start for Denver, fresh off of being the 12th overall pick in April’s draft. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald will surely try to take advantage of Nix’s lack of NFL experience with his defensive strategy. The Seahawks should use exotic blitzes and disguised coverages. However, Nix is also not your average rookie quarterback. He set an FBS record with 61 career starts at Oregon and Auburn.

74%

That was Denver’s run-block win rate last season, which was third-best in the NFL. The Broncos weren’t able to run the ball much last season, given they trailed in games often. Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz was one of the best run-blocking offensive linemen in football last season. Meanwhile, the Seahawks were putrid against the run, allowing the second-most rushing yards in the entire NFL. Seattle’s turnaround on defense needs to start with an improved run defense.

5.0

The Broncos allowed 5.0 yards per rush last season, which was dead last in the NFL. The Seahawks should be able to run the ball against this team. The matchup might be decided by who can show the most improvement in defending the run.

4

The amount of years in a row the Seahawks have had a different starting center to open the season. With the arrival of Connor Williams, they hope those days of turmoil are over. Even though he is signed for just one season, Williams is the most talented center they have had since Max Unger. Perhaps more stability at the spearhead position of the offensive line will lead to a more steady run game.

2

Sean Payton has won his last two games coaching against Seattle at Lumen Field. The Saints came into Seattle in 2019 and left victorious with Teddy Bridgewater guiding the offense. Then, in 2021, the Saints spoiled a home Monday Night Football game in Seattle. Jameis Winston threw for a touchdown and ran for 40 yards. Seattle mustered just 219 total yards.

Sean Payton is 6-3 overall coaching against the Seahawks.

52

That’s 52 allowed sacks for the Broncos’ offensive line last season. That ranked 27th in the NFL. The Seahawks need to pressure the rookie Bo Nix into making rookie-type mistakes. The crowd will be ferocious. The defense needs to feed off of that to get pressure on Nix and fluster the offense.

KENT, Wash. – A new photo posted to Reddit on Friday shows the infamous “Belltown Hellcat” on the back of a tow truck in Kent.

The owner of the Hellcat, 21-year-old Miles Hudson, was previously ordered by a Seattle judge to stop driving his modified Dodge Charger on public streets. Hudson’s vehicle is known for its loud exhaust, which has woken up many Seattle residents as he sped through the Belltown neighborhood late at night.

The picture of the towed Belltown Hellcat was posted to the r/Seattle subreddit just after 3:30 p.m., with user shynips titling the post, “F— you Miles!”

The user claimed they spotted the Hellcat being towed on Talbot Road in Kent.

Hudson also had an Instagram profile where he posted videos of him driving recklessly throughout the city, gaining a large following. In response, a judge restricted his social media use, requiring him to cease posting to his Instagram or streaming on Twitch while under litigation.

It’s currently unknown if the vehicle was being impounded, as it was spotted on the Ballard Bridge last week, in violation of his court order.

Hudson was previously arrested in August on a $25,000 bench warrant issued by Renton Municipal Court, in connection to charges of stalking, disclosing intimate images without consent (revenge porn) and reckless driving.

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Second-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon is the undisputed future of the Seattle Seahawks’ defense. As such, it’s important to find a coach that works well with him.

Luckily, new head coach Mike Macdonald fits the bill. The young, defensive-minded coach has built a strong relationship with his players in the months since his hiring, and ahead of the season opener on Sunday, it appears his bond with Witherspoon is among the strongest of any player.

“I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Witherspoon told reporters Thursday. “Me and Coach [Mike Macdonald] get along very well. I ask all the questions I need to. He gives me all the details, whatever I need. The relationship, as far as you can ask those questions, the way he asked and he can explain it to me in a way that I can understand it. I think that’s what makes our bond special.” 

A cornerstone of that relationship is Macdonald involving Witherspoon in game planning, a process they hope pays off come game day.

“We always think about it different ways so we can get to something,” Witherspoon said. “Say, if we’ve seen something on film and they might pick up on it, what we would say, ‘If they do this we could switch it,’ and ‘Run it this way,’ and stuff like that. We always come up with different schemes just in case a team get a tendency on us so we could just switch it up.”

Witherspoon, the No. 5 overall pick in last year’s draft, had a great rookie season with 79 total tackles, 16 passes defensed and an interception he returned 97 yards for a touchdown. The Illinois product finished fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, though many believe he should’ve won the award.

Now with Macdonald’s fresh perspective, WItherspoon expects a big year not only for himself, but for the team as a whole.

“I think that’s very important because a lot of players learn in specific ways, everybody doesn’t learn the same,” Witherspoon said. “You’ve got to be able to talk to your players one-by-one, each differently.

“One way may be a visual learner or a walkthrough learner. Everybody has got their own flavor that they like to do. For him to be able to break it down in a meeting and then be able to go out and walk through just to show us both sides of it is very dope. Then that’s easy for us because we can learn better.”