Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks: Complete Week 3 Preview for Seattle

It wasn't so long ago, about seven months to be more accurate, that we saw the Seattle Seahawks absolutely annihilate the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. On Sunday the two teams are set to tee off on one another again.

The Denver Broncos enter the game with a 2-0 record, edging out both opponents by seven points. Their offense hasn't been as explosive as last year, but it possesses all the same weapons the San Diego Chargers had.

Seattle's typically dominant defense was nowhere to be found in San Diego last week, as the Chargers were seemingly able to do whatever they wished with the ball offensively. They dominated the time of possession 42:15 to 17:45 over the Seahawks.

According to Odds Shark, the Seahawks are 4.5-point favorites over their revenge-seeking Super Bowl opponents. The euphoria is gone for the Seattle Seahawks, who should be focused and ready for their Sept. 21 game, after their surprising loss last week.

Denver Broncos	Category	Seattle Seahawks
T-14th	Total Offense	T-14th
4th	Scoring Offense	3rd
11th	Passing Offense	25th
4th	Yards Per Attempt	14th
24th	Rushing Offense	4th
25th	Yards Per Attempt	1st
27th	Total Defense	11th
15th	Scoring Defense	20th
30th	Passing Defense	18th
T-7th	Yards Per Attempt	T-7th
10th	Rushing Defense	9th
T-12th	Yards Per Attempt	T-4th

 *Rankings via NFL.com.

Seattle Seahawks Week 2 Recap

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Though the score may not show it, the Seattle Seahawks were beaten about as soundly as can be expected by the San Diego Chargers 30-21. The nine-point loss marks the Seahawks' first two-score loss since Week 9 of the 2011 season.

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was 28-of-37 for 284 yards and three touchdowns. All three scoring throws were completed to surefire, Hall of Fame teammate Antonio Gates. The duo were able to connect on seven passes for 96 yards in the game, consistently defeating the Seattle linebackers and safeties.

Gates gave his opinion of San Diego's big win after the game, per The Associated Press (via ESPN):

"

Obviously I dealt with issues all offseason, but I'm not the only player on this team that's had issues. Just the fact that we continue to believe that we can achieve what we set aside to accomplish. This speaks volumes to what the locker room is about, and what we believe we can go out and do on Sundays.

"

The Seahawks offense continues to look like a force to be reckoned with but ultimately didn't have enough time on the field. Instead, the typically run-heavy team was resigned to a lot of no-huddle offense. Russell Wilson was disappointed with his team's effort.

"They did a real good job on third down when they had the ball," he said. "They just sustained drives and kept us off the field offensively."

Despite the offense's strong showing, the team's offensive line continues to struggle with protection. The Chargers finished the game two sacks, four quarterback hits and a whopping 15 hurries. It was a humbling experience for Seattle, who may have been caught looking ahead to this week's matchup with Denver. 

News and Notes

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Wes Welker is Cleared to Play

The Denver Broncos found out on Sept. 17 that wide receiver Wes Welker will be eligible to play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 action due to the implementation of the NFL's new drug policy cut his suspension short.  

"

Wes Welker, Orlando Scandrick & Stedman Bailey are eligible to return to their teams this week under new PED policy http://t.co/4kRji2sl16

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 17, 2014"

Turbin Scores First Career Touchdown

Even though the Seahawks suffered a stunning defeat, it was an important day for second-string running back Robert Turbin. The third-year back was a big part of the Seahawks' second score of the game, factoring into three plays on the five-play drive.

Turbin capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown reception that gave the Seahawks a chance to stay in the game against the San Diego Chargers.

Quote of the Week

NFL spokesperson Michael Signora released a statement on behalf of the league about Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin's controversial 51-yard touchdown run:

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All scoring plays are reviewed by the instant replay official, in conjunction with the NFL officiating staff in New York, and are not subject to a coach’s challenge.  Following the first quarter touchdown run by Percy Harvin, the game should have been stopped for a replay review, either by the replay official or by the officiating staff in New York.  The touchdown was incorrectly confirmed, and as a result, the game was not stopped.  Had the game been stopped for a replay review, the touchdown would have been reversed because Harvin stepped out of bounds at the San Diego 21-yard line.

"

Injury Report

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Player	Position	Injury Status
Cooper Helfet	TE	Doubtful
Christine Michael	RB	Questionable
Lemuel Jeanpierre	G	IR
Kevin Pierre-Louis	LB	Out
Tharold Simon	CB	Out
Marshawn Lynch	RB	Probable
Jeremy Lane	CB	Short-term IR
Zach Miller	TE	Questionable
Eric Pinkins	DB	PUP

* All injury information gathered from Rotoworld.com.

Earl Thomas, Byron Maxwell and Kam Chancellor all left Sunday's game in San Diego due to dehydration or cramping, but they were all also able to return to action. During a week that saw so many players succumb to injury, the Seahawks made it through the week unscathed.

The injuries to Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon will continue to test the depth of the team's secondary.

X-Factors and Matchups

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CB Marcus Burley vs. WR Wes Welker

The Denver Broncos possess similar offensive weaponry to the San Diego Chargers, but the return of Wes Welker to the lineup is a major boon to their offense. Marcus Burley didn't give up a huge amount of yardage when he was in coverage, but the passes were consistently completed.

Of six passes thrown in Burley's direction, Philip Rivers completed five of them for 39 yards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Burley will face a much greater test in the form of Wes Welker this week. Welker finished the 2013 season with 73 catches for 778 yards and 10 touchdowns.

C Max Unger vs. DT Terrance Knighton

Though the Seahawks offensive line doesn't appear as though its pass protection has improved from last season, the unit's run blocking has looked better than ever. The main culprit for the team's success in opening up running lanes has been Max Unger.

According to Pro Football Focus, Unger has scored a plus-5.4 rating in run blocking after two weeks of action. He'll be up against Terrance Knighton, who has a done a solid job of filling run lanes and anchoring his defense. Knighton finished last season a plus-14.7 in run defense in PFF's 2013 ratings.

With the Seahawks being the league's fourth-best rushing offense, it's vital for Marshawn Lynch and company to be able to move the chains consistently. Seattle will be looking to stay on the field longer than 18 minutes this week to keep their defense fresh.

LB Malcolm Smith vs. TE Julius Thomas 

As I went over earlier, Antonio Gates ate up the Seahawks defense in Week 2. No one in the Seattle secondary seemed capable of stopping him. Broncos tight end Julius Thomas has all the skills to pose the same issues in Week 3.

Through two weeks, Thomas has 11 catches for 143 yards and four touchdowns. No one player in the Seattle linebacker corps can be singled out for allowing Gates to do all his damage, but Malcolm Smith was definitely the worst.

Smith allowed four receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown while in coverage, per PFF. Not to be outdone, safety Kam Chancellor also allowed four catches for a total of 44 yards and a score. This type of letdown in coverage from the second and third levels of the defense cannot happen if Seattle hopes to knock Denver off.

CB Richard Sherman vs. Demaryius Thomas 

As we all know, Richard Sherman doesn't shadow opposing team's No. 1 receiver throughout a game, as defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has opted to have his corners stay on their own respective half of the field. The Broncos line Demaryius Thomas up all over the field, but so far where he's lined up has been fairly split.

Thomas hasn't exactly had a big game yet this season, totalling 110 yards and a score on nine receptions so far. Though the Green Bay Packers never challenged Sherman in Week 1, the Chargers were not afraid to. Sherman allowed four completions for 54 yards, per PFF.

While Sherman is far from being "exposed," there is definite room for improvement. Expect Sherman and the Seattle secondary to come out in better form at home.

Prediction

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The Denver Broncos may not have the same weaponry in the backfield that San Diego possesses, but being able to put Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas on the field should pose serious issues for a thinned-out Seattle secondary.

Russell Wilson played a great game last week in San Diego, he just needed more time on the field to forge a comeback. The Seattle offensive line will try to give Wilson a bit more time to make some throws this week after a deplorable effort in Week 2. 

The Seattle defense will need to put their failures against the Chargers behind them, and focus on improving their coverage on routes running less than 10 yards. San Diego's longest pass of the game last week was just 21 yards.

Expect tighter coverage with the Broncos also being major proponents of setting up their offensive weapons to make plays after the catch. 

Prediction: DEN 23, SEA 26