Week 1 of the 2022-23 NFL season featured some great matchups, but the Monday Night Football matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos may have been the most intriguing due to the storylines involved in the game.
This game marked former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle, as well as his first game as the starting quarterback of the Broncos.
Many believed that Wilson would be able to thrive against his former team, but the Seahawks played spoiler in Wilson’s Broncos debut, defeating Denver 17-16 thanks to some impressive play from Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith.
Longtime Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll discussed the importance of the victory over Wilson to Seahawks fans and former players, saying that it was a “very rewarding victory”.
“I didn’t need the validation,” Carroll told Seattle Sports radio on Wednesday via Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson. “I just wanted to win. I wanted to win for all of the reasons that come along with this one. Maybe as much as anything is representing the guys that have played before. It meant a lot to those guys. I was so thrilled to be able to hug those guys up and see them and look them in the eye.”
“You figure that out,” Carroll said about why the game was so important to some former players. “It was really meaningful and they really wanted it and I knew we were playing for a lot more than just the regular stuff. We have a real connection with the history. . . . They feel it and they love the fact that they played here and they love seeing us do well. On this night, they realized there was a big opportunity and a big statement to be made. The game isn’t about an individual player here or there. It’s about team. This is the ultimate team sport and it’s been stated so many times before. It takes everybody.
There have always been rumors that Wilson’s teammates in Seattle were at times at odds with Wilson, but that became more clear following Monday’s game.
Former teammates Doug Baldwin and Richard Sherman were quick to take to social media to blast Wilson on his loss to Seattle.
Idk…. But i cant wait until my next podcast. https://t.co/MHz0P1Z8kt
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) September 13, 2022
— Doug Baldwin Jr 🌹 (@DougBaldwinJr) September 13, 2022
For the time being, the Seahawks trading Wilson doesn’t look like a bad decision at all, but that will almost certainly change if Wilson is able to bring success to Denver later on this season after their surprising Week 1 loss.
