Denver vs. Seattle: Complete Week 3 Preview for Broncos
For the first time since 1997, the NFL will showcase a rematch of the previous year's Super Bowl.
The Broncos have started 2-0 on the season, but a case could be made that they may have been overlooking their opponents due to their lackluster effort.
It would be hard to blame the Broncos for looking ahead to Week 3, as this was a game they likely circled on their calendars the day the schedule was released.
After suffering a 35-point drubbing in the Super Bowl, the Broncos have revenge on their mind. But a win won't come easy.
"How rare is a Super Bowl rematch the following season? Sunday's @Broncos @Seahawks game will only be 6th such occurrence.
— trey wingo (@wingoz) September 17, 2014"
Seattle is 16-1 in their last 17 home games, and the Broncos will have to deal with much more noise at CenturyLink Field than they did in New Jersey in February.
And though it may be a rematch, the Broncos have multiple new starters in the lineup, some of whom were brought in largely due to the way Seattle won back in February.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.
Here, we will take a closer look at this game complete with the latest injury report and a look at some key matchups to watch for.
Broncos' Week 1 Recap
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Despite allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to dominate the stat sheet, the Denver Broncos earned a 24-17 win in Week 2. More importantly, it gave the Broncos a two-game lead over the Chiefs in the AFC West division.
Kansas City had 55 yards more of total offense and they held the ball nearly 13 minutes longer than Denver. Perhaps the most mind-blowing stat was the fact that Denver allowed the Chiefs to convert 11 of their 16 third-down attempts.
The Broncos also needed a goal-line stand in the final moments of the game to preserve the victory. And at the end of the day, it was a victory.
Peyton Manning was stellar as usual, completing 21 of 26 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. He finished the game with a 143.9 quarterback rating.
However, the Broncos will need to play much better if they have any chance to go on the road and defeat the Seattle Seahawks.
Against Kansas City, the Broncos committed 11 penalties. They also ran just 46 offensive plays compared to the 75 Kansas City ran.
That will be a recipe for disaster against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
News and Notes
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Marvin Austin Will Play in Wake of Father's Death
Marvin Austin will take the field on Sunday against Seattle, though he'll likely do so with a heavy heart.
ESPN's Jeff Legwold reports that Austin, who was excused from two practices this week, will play in the game following the death of his father, who passed away following a car accident in North Carolina.
"Marvin Austin said he will wear "Austin Jr." on his jersey starting after the bye to honor his dad, Austin Sr., who passed away this week.
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) September 19, 2014"
The Broncos will need Austin when they make the trip to Seattle. On the year, the former second-round pick has yet to record any official stats.
Perhaps Sunday will be the time for him to step up.
Demaryius Thomas Talks About Super Bowl Hit
Early on in Denver's blowout loss to Seattle in Super Bowl XLVIII, Demaryius Thomas caught a short pass from Peyton Manning before promptly being blasted by Seattle safety Kam Chancellor.
It is one of the more memorable plays from that game, as it gave an insight into how the entire game would go for Denver.
Addressing the hard tackle this week with Legwold, Thomas said, "You play football, you’re gonna get hit. It didn’t bother me; I got up and kept playing."
Did the tackle intimidate the Broncos? That's hard to say for sure, but it truly didn't seem to bother Thomas. As the lone bright spot for Denver that night, Thomas made 13 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Thomas will likely cross paths with Chancellor again on Sunday. Peyton Manning probably doesn't want to lead his star wide receiver into another shot like the one he took back in February.
Jack Del Rio Expects More from His Defense
The Denver Broncos might be 2-0, but it hasn't come as easily as many might have thought it would.
The Broncos had to survive late in both of their back-to-back wins by seven points, but it was the defense that made the plays it had to make in order to preserve the victory.
Still, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio wants more consistency, reports Andrew Mason of the team's official website. "I'm not looking for any 'bend.' We're not looking for 'bend,'" Del Rio exclaimed.
That sounds good, but it's time for the team to show it on the field. Under Del Rio, the defense hasn't exactly been great since the 2012 season. That is partially because of injuries, but Del Rio must accept some of the blame.
With several new players on defense, the team is still working out how to get everyone to play at a top level together.
Sunday would be an opportune time for it to start coming together. After all, John Elway went and signed players like DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward specifically to win games against teams like Seattle.
Injury Report
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| Lerentee McCray | LB | Out |
| Danny Trevathan | LB | Questionable |
| Quincy Carter | S | Probable |
| Chris Harris | CB | Probable |
| Ryan Clady | T | Probable |
| Brandon McManus | K | Probable |
| Von Miller | LB | Probable |
| Ben Garland | G | Probable |
David Bruton | S | Probable |
All injuries courtesy of NFL.com
Perhaps most encouraging for the Broncos is the progression of Danny Trevathan. After suffering an injury to his leg in training camp, the Broncos were looking at as many as eight weeks without their leading tackler from last season.
In Week 3, Trevathan is already listed as questionable. According to Andrew Mason of denverbroncos.com, Trevathan is ready to play if needed.
That is great news for the team, but shouldn't rush him back too soon. It would be a tremendous boost if Trevathan can play, but it is only Week 3 and while the Broncos and their fans have revenge on their minds, they must still be intelligent with decisions like this.
The news is not all good. As Mike Klis of The Denver Post tweeted, Lerentee McCray is expected to miss at least two weeks with a knee injury. This is disheartening news for McCray, who sat out all of last season with an injury.
"Lerentee McCray expected to miss two weeks with sprained knee http://t.co/HvnTKpHrvU
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) September 17, 2014"
The Broncos will need Von Miller, Brandon Marshall and Nate Irving all to have good games on Sunday, but they need a guy like Steven Johnson to chip in at the linebacker spot as well.
The Broncos will also see the return of Wes Welker, who was reinstated earlier in the week as part of the league's new policy on banned substances.
This certainly won't hurt, as the Broncos will need all the weapons they can get against the Seattle defense.
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X-Factor Players and Matchups to Watch
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Denver Offensive Line versus Seattle Defensive Line
The Denver Broncos went 13-3 last season and set records as an offense. Still, they made several changes in the offseason solely because of the Seattle Seahawks.
One of those changes was moving Orlando Franklin from right tackle over to guard.
There is little doubt that the biggest key to this game is the offensive line of Denver holding its own against the front seven of Seattle.
Peyton Manning was under duress on nearly every drop-back the last times these teams met, and the clean pocket he is used to throwing out of was nonexistent.
Though it had to abandon the run at one point in the Super Bowl, the team also averaged just 1.9 yards per carry on its 14 rushing attempts. To say it was ugly would be a major understatement.
In this game, Denver must win the battle of the trenches. Manning has to have time to find receivers downfield. The running game has to churn out more than the 27 yards the Broncos ran for in February.
If those things don't happen, Denver won't win.
Denver Secondary and Special Teams versus Percy Harvin
Though he was injured for just about all of the 2013 season, Percy Harvin had a field day in the Super Bowl.
The Broncos had no answer for Harvin, who had 137 all-purpose yards in the game. The Seahawks used an end-around play to get the ball into Harvin's hands on two separate occasions, and it went for big yardage both times.
If that wasn't enough. Harvin took a poor kickoff from Matt Prater to start the second half before racing 87 yards for a touchdown. That put Seattle up 29-0 and buried any chance Denver had of making a comeback.
Harvin looks even more dangerous now.
The Seahawks are finding even more ways to get the ball in his hands, and he presents a big mismatch to most defenders.
In the season opener against Green Bay, Harvin totaled 100 yards of offense and made seven receptions. His ability as a runner is what Denver should be most concerned about.
"Aqib Talib, on Percy Harvin: "You've got to know where he's at at all times."
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 17, 2014"
On the season, Harvin is averaging 14.3 yards per rushing attempt.
The Broncos must be aware of Harvin's whereabouts at all times and if nothing else, they need to make another player such as Doug Baldwin or Jermaine Kearse beat them.
When kicking off or punting, it might be a good idea to kick the ball away from Harvin.
X-Factor Player: Julius Thomas
In the first two games this season, Julius Thomas has made four touchdown receptions. In order to move the ball against the vaunted Seattle defense, Thomas may be Denver's best weapon.
Thomas had four receptions for 27 yards in the Super Bowl, but he is one of the toughest players to cover in the NFL.
If Manning sees Thomas matched up against a linebacker like K.J. Wright or Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, it is something Denver can take advantage of.
Last Sunday, the Seahawks allowed San Diego tight end Antonio Gates to catch three touchdown passes.
If Manning can evade pressure and step up in the pocket, he may be able to have the same type of success that the Chargers did last week.
San Diego showed that the middle of Seattle's defense can be exploited.
Though catching three touchdowns is unlikely, look for a big game from Thomas.
Prediction
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This will be one of the most anticipated matchups in the NFL all year long—it is a very enticing game.
The Broncos will look to establish themselves early in this game on the offensive side of the ball. Peyton Manning will look for his big targets Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas in hopes of getting an early score.
Don't expect Manning to shy away from Richard Sherman, either.
But for Denver to be effective over the balance of the game, it needs to take a page out of San Diego's book.
Controlling the ball and eating up the clock will be the best way to take the crowd out of the game. That means Denver must find a way to establish Montee Ball and the running game.
Equally important will be the way the revamped Denver defense handles an underrated Seattle offense. If it loses track of Percy Harvin and allows Russell Wilson to make plays outside the pocket, the defense will be in for a long day.
But if they can find a way to get pressure on Wilson with DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller, while also keeping Marshawn Lynch and the Seattle rushing attack in check, the Broncos will have a great chance to pull off the victory.
Denver will get an angry Seattle team, one that's coming off a 30-21 loss to the Chargers in which some San Diego players said Richard Sherman may not be as good as some think he is.
"Lmao Exposed? .... Complete 3 passes 0 touchdowns 0 explosive passes.... These guys make me laugh
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) September 15, 2014"
It won't be 43-8. Seattle will face a much stiffer challenge this time around. If the game were in Denver, the Broncos would have an excellent chance to avenge their Super Bowl defeat. But in the end, the home-field advantage that the Seahawks have will end up being the difference.
Prediction: Seahawks 23, Broncos 17
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