Seahawks vs. Broncos Week 1 Game Review | PFF

Summary

The video script discusses a close game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, which ended 26-20 in favor of Seattle. While Denver's performance was underwhelming, especially on offense with quarterback Bo Nix struggling to throw deep, Seattle shone with standout performances, particularly from Charles Cross and Julian Love. Denver’s lack of a balanced offense, poor running game, and turnovers contributed to their loss. On the other hand, Seattle’s solid run-blocking and strong secondary, highlighted by Cross' excellent run-blocking and Love's coverage, were key factors in their victory.

Takeaways

• 🏈 Denver lost to Seattle 26-20 in a game that was closer than expected.
• 😟 The Broncos' performance was criticized, particularly on offense and from quarterback Bo Nicks.
• 📉 Denver's top graded player was Jonathan Cooper with a grade of 79.2, while others like PJ Locke and Mike McGlinchey scored significantly lower.
• 💪 Seattle's offensive line and defense performed exceptionally well, with standout performances from Charles Cross (94.8) and Julian Love (93.4).
• 🎯 Bo Nicks struggled with deep passes, completing only 2 of 11 throws for 42 yards and committing three turnover-worthy plays.
• ⚠️ Denver’s offensive line and running game underperformed, with running backs combining for 64 yards on 20 carries.
• 🤔 Nicks faced criticism for being overly reliant on short passes and failing to make successful deep throws when needed.
• 🔥 Charles Cross earned a 96.1 run-blocking grade, opening numerous running lanes for Seattle with no negatively graded plays.
• 🛡️ Denver’s secondary shined despite the team’s struggles, with four of their defensive backs earning coverage grades above 80.
• 🎉 The Seattle Seahawks' secondary is emerging as an elite unit, especially under the leadership of Mike McDonald.

Q & A

What was the final score of the Denver vs. Seattle game?

Seattle won the game with a score of 26 to 20 against Denver.

Why were people unimpressed with Denver's performance despite a close score?

People were unimpressed with Denver because of a lackluster performance by key players, particularly their offensive line and quarterback Bo Nix, despite only losing by six points.

Who were Denver's top-graded players, and how did they perform?

Denver's top-graded player was Jonathan Cooper with a 79.2 grade. Other top players were safety PJ Locke (69.8), Mike McGlinchey (67.6), Baron Browning (66.5), and Devonte V (65.3). These grades highlight underwhelming individual performances.

How did Bo Nix perform in this game?

Bo Nix had a poor debut, with a 43.2 overall grade and three turnover-worthy plays when attempting deep passes, which were costly for Denver.

How did Seattle’s offensive line perform, particularly Charles Cross?

Charles Cross had an outstanding performance with a 94.8 grade, excelling in run blocking with nine positively graded blocks and no negatives. His dominance in both zone and duo run schemes helped create large running lanes.

What role did Seattle’s secondary play in the game?

Seattle’s secondary played exceptionally well, with four out of five defensive backs earning coverage grades above 80. Julian Love led the secondary with a 90.2 coverage grade.

What was Bo Nix’s biggest issue during the game?

Bo Nix struggled with throwing deep down the field, completing only two of 11 passes for 42 total yards on throws of 10 or more yards, while also having three turnover-worthy plays on such attempts.

Why was the running game crucial for Denver’s offense?

Denver's offense needed a strong running game to support Bo Nix, as he struggled in the passing game. However, their running backs only managed 64 yards on 20 carries, failing to establish consistency.

What stood out in the Seattle offensive line's performance beyond Charles Cross?

Seattle's offensive line, led by Charles Cross, was highly effective in both zone and duo blocking schemes, contributing to a balanced running attack that supported their offense throughout the game.

How rare was Bo Nix's poor performance in terms of turnover-worthy plays?

It was highly uncharacteristic for Bo Nix, as this was his first game with three turnover-worthy plays since November 6, 2021, when he played at Auburn against Texas A&M.

Outlines

00:00

🏈 Denver's Struggles and Seattle's Victory

The video discusses a football game where Seattle Seahawks defeated Denver Broncos with a score of 26 to 20. The game was closer than expected, with Denver's performance not meeting expectations despite the narrow loss. The Broncos' top players, led by Jonathan Cooper, had low grades, indicating poor performance. The offensive line and running game were criticized for not providing enough support, especially with the running backs only managing 64 yards on 20 carries. The discussion also touches on the Broncos' quarterback, Bo Nicks, who had a concerning performance with multiple turnover-worthy plays, particularly when attempting deep throws. The contrast is made with Seattle's strong performance, particularly on defense, where several players had high grades, indicating an impressive game.

05:00

🏃‍♂️ Seattle's Offensive Line and Secondary Stand Out

This paragraph focuses on individual player performances, particularly from Seattle. Charles Cross is highlighted for his exceptional run blocking, earning a 94.8 grade and potentially the best single performance of the season. His ability to open holes and seal off defenders was praised, significantly contributing to the team's balanced offensive strategy. The Broncos' secondary is also commended, with four out of five starting defensive backs achieving coverage grades above 80, showcasing an elite unit. Julian Love's 90.2 coverage grade stands out as particularly impressive. The Seattle Seahawks' secondary is noted as playing very well under coach Mike McDonald, indicating a strong defensive performance that contributed to their win.

Keywords

💡Turnover worthy plays

Turnover worthy plays are moments in a game where a player makes decisions that risk leading to turnovers, such as fumbles or interceptions. In the script, Bo Nix is mentioned as having three turnover worthy plays, which were critical to Denver's loss against Seattle, especially when Nix tried to throw the ball deep down the field.

💡Running game

The running game refers to offensive plays where the ball is carried by a player on foot, typically by a running back. In this video, Denver's inability to establish a successful running game (20 carries for only 64 yards) is highlighted as a factor that contributed to their poor offensive performance, which failed to support their quarterback, Bo Nix.

💡Pass protection

Pass protection is the effort by an offensive line to protect the quarterback from being sacked or pressured by the defense during a passing play. In the script, Denver's offensive line is criticized for their poor pass protection, which contributed to Nix's struggles in throwing deep passes and led to his underwhelming performance.

💡Deep passes

Deep passes are throws that travel more than 10 yards downfield. The script points out that Bo Nix struggled with deep passes, completing only 2 of 11 attempts for 42 yards, while three of his turnover worthy plays occurred on these deep attempts. This inability to successfully push the ball downfield hindered Denver's offensive progress.

💡Offensive line

The offensive line is a group of players whose primary job is to block for the quarterback and running backs. In this video, Denver's offensive line is highlighted as underperforming, failing to protect Nix and open up running lanes. In contrast, Seattle's offensive line, particularly Charles Cross, excelled in run blocking.

💡Charles Cross

Charles Cross is an offensive lineman for the Seattle Seahawks, known for his impressive pass protection. In the script, his standout performance in run blocking, with a 94.8 grade and nine positively graded blocks, is highlighted as a key factor in Seattle's successful running game during the match.

💡Bo Nix

Bo Nix is the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, whose poor performance is central to the discussion in this video. Despite being highly efficient during his time at Oregon, Nix struggled in this game, particularly with deep passes, and was responsible for several turnover-worthy plays that hurt Denver’s chances.

💡Run blocking

Run blocking refers to the effort by offensive linemen to create space for running backs by blocking defenders. In the video, Charles Cross's performance in run blocking is praised, as he earned a remarkable 96.1 grade and created numerous holes for Seattle's running backs, contributing to their dominant ground game.

💡Turnovers

Turnovers occur when a team loses possession of the ball to the opposing team, either through interceptions or fumbles. In this game, Denver's turnovers, including a fumble by Audri Ese and another by Jaleel Mlin, played a significant role in their inability to win, as they disrupted offensive momentum.

💡Seattle Seahawks secondary

The secondary refers to the defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) responsible for covering receivers and defending against passes. In the video, Seattle's secondary is highlighted for its strong performance, with four out of five starters receiving high coverage grades, contributing to their defense against Bo Nix and the Denver offense.

Highlights

Seattle won against Denver with a score of 26 to 20, which was closer than expected.

Denver's performance was underwhelming despite only losing by six points.

Top five graded players for Denver had relatively low scores, with Jonathan Cooper leading at 79.2.

Denver's offensive line and running game were not effective, with running backs achieving only 64 yards on 20 carries.

Seattle Seahawks had impressive grades, with Charles Cross leading at 94.8.

Seattle's secondary played exceptionally well, contributing to the victory.

Nick's performance was a concern, with a significant number of turnover-worthy plays.

Denver's offense struggled, with issues in both passing and running games.

Nick's deep pass attempts resulted in turnovers rather than successful completions.

Charles Cross's run blocking was outstanding, earning a 96.1 run block grade.

Denver's offensive line must improve to support the running game and protect the quarterback.

Seattle's defensive backs earned high coverage grades, indicating a strong secondary unit.

The game's narrative focused on Nick's performance and Denver's offensive struggles.

Despite the loss, Denver's close scoreline suggests potential for improvement.

Seattle's win was attributed to a balanced offensive strategy and strong defensive plays.

The game highlighted the importance of a strong running game and effective offensive line play.

Denver's future success hinges on improving quarterback performance and offensive consistency.

Transcripts

uh Denver at Seattle Seattle comes away

with this one 26 to 20 I think closer

than people thought it was especially

from the narratives out of this game it

feels like the guy was falling in Denver

things aren't going very well they only

lost this game by six points and I can

understand why people weren't impressed

with how Denver played because when we

look at their top five graded players on

the day Jonathan Cooper leads the way

it's just a

79.2 and then at number two you drop all

the way to a 69.8 from safety PJ block

go back to the offensive line for Mike

mcglinchy

67.6 Baron Browning is next to number

four at a 66.5 and then Devon V at a 50

or sorry a 65.3 coming in at number five

bonix yeah we'll get into it 43.2

overall grade was not a good debut for

the Oregon Duck there Seattle Seahawks

on the other hand holy cow so almost

like we had too many good grades well

it's almost like we could have extended

this all the way to 10 look at Charles

cross up there 94.8 from Charles cross

you love to see it safy Julian love

coming in at a 93.4 as well Tyler lock

at a 90.3 Devon Witherspoon number four

85.3 and Tariq woen at 83.8 now of

course Nick's performance goes into the

secondary playing well we recognize that

but man it's just like the the the

Chicago Bears conversation they

capitalized when Nicks gave them

opportunity to do so so you see goino

Smith down there

76.1 on the day for Gino Smith uh what

was the stat that told the story for you

joh for me I'm I'm GNA stay off of Nicks

right now because we're a long long

conversation for that um another case

where look I got a Young quarterback I I

gotta be able to run the ball and

Denver's running backs had 20 carries

for 64 yards and a 50.9 rushing grade

audri ese your guy had a fumble that

they didn't lose Jalil mlin um fumbled

on a reception it just the story and

there was moments when they ran well

especially javante William there was

moments but just not enough of them

right and they this is another team they

have a decent offensive line Quinn

Miners right Garrett BS Mike mcin they

they have to be able to balance this B

Knicks Bo Knicks especially at Oregon

always had a really good running game to

lean on and everything else High play

action rate and worked off of that and

and his performance was concerning but

they they have to help him out too I

mean this this Denver offense as a hole

was just wasn't good between the

turnovers and and with Nicks but they

didn't run the ball well either and

running backs especially can't cough the

ball up we have to be more consistent

there was a handful of good runs in this

game but a handful isn't enough to

sustain you through a whole game so the

this was a story a lot of it to me and

I'll get into another guy in a second

here for Seattle but one team ran the

ball well in in a game that was kind of

ugly especially with the turnovers and

the other one didn't and and they didn't

help out their quarterback and they

couldn't win in some other way without

bone Nicks playing well Denver's offense

looked lost in a lot of ways and you

know Nicks did not play well and

unfortunately that sort of the stat that

told the story for me uh Nick's just not

playing well but you know full context

here the offensive line also played

poorly they did not block well for him

they didn't block well in the running

game it just was not good overall for

the Denver Broncos but when you look at

B Knicks particularly the stat that told

this story even though he's not All To

Blame something that is important to

note is Nicks people called him the

checkdown merchant right it was just a

wide receiver screen type of a dude

quick slance just dumping the ball off

whether he was Auburn or whether he was

at Oregon success that he was having at

Oregon if people wanted to sort of take

that away from him that was the way they

did it they said oh he's not he won't

throw the ball deep down the field he's

just dumping it off letting some

Playmakers make some plays in open space

I I thought that Nicks got too much

criticism for that that second year at

Oregon especially he he was he was

efficient with what they asked him to do

and there were moments when he was asked

to make some NFL throws deep down the

field that he did that he was able to do

that in the NFL for a full game he was

not able to do that when you look at

passes of 10 or more yards down the

field Nicks was just two of 11 42 total

yards three turnover worthy plays all

three of his turnover worthy plays came

when he tried to push the ball deep down

the field um I think everybody who has a

Twitter account has probably seen the

interception where he's trying to hit

the the Deep Crosser that's coming over

the middle and it's like when he lets

that ball out of his hands actually

before he even lets the ball out of his

hands the commentator who was on the

game is Adam archuletta and archila was

was like oh no Ball's not even out of

his hand yet and he just goes oh no and

you see the ball go into a sea of blue

jerseys and archeleta afterwards was

completely right when he said you cannot

throw this ball there's like there

there's not even a I see what he was

looking at it is simply a you cannot

throw this ball so the stat that told

this story is in a game that was a one-

score game whenever Nicks tried to throw

the ball deep down the field when they

sort of needed him to even if it was

only like one or two completions that

they needed from him they did not get

that from him and instead they got

turnover replay so it's got to be better

yeah and I'll I'll flip us backwards a

little bit here and just start with

Nicks is my most disappointing I'm I'm

I'm not going to pile on I'm just going

to throw one more stat at you that kind

of exemplifies how rare it is to see him

actually because you watch his organ

tape there's no throws like that even an

intercep like even the interceptions are

more competitive ones where you go okay

was the very few interceptions by the

way just last stat for that that was his

first game with three turnover worthy

plays since November 6 of 2021 when he

was still at Auburn playing against

Texas shout out Zack dantill Auburn War

Eagle um just that's how rare that's how

rare it is that he has that many

turnover worthy plays in one game is

that he was still at Auburn he never did

it in two years at Oregon so that's

that's really about it with Nicks it's

uncharacteristic hopefully that stays

uncharacteristic but it's something to

watch for moving forward my most

impressive it's a guy you mentioned it's

a guy you mentioned real quick at the

top of the the grades Charles cross stud

did you watch The Run block tape no but

I saw the Run blocking grades oh my word

and it's incredible because what was

Charles cross known for when he was

coming out of college pass pass Pro we

talked about the footwork we talked

about the Finesse game how he could

mirror any Edge rusher and now my friend

we're talking about the runway he just

became Ryan Grub's favorite person

because whether it was Zone whether it

was Duo and double teams you talk about

Trev you want a clinic on getting the

linebackers Charles crosses tape and

this game is it and a 96.1 run block

grade that that's there's a chance that

stands as the single best performance of

the Season he if you watch this run

block tape and the holes he was opening

and and the seals he was getting on the

backs side Trevor he had nine positively

graded run blocks and no negatives nine

that's nuts nine of them usually a good

game you're looking at five I was going

to say four maybe five maybe six he had

nine positives and no negatives and when

I tell you in any scheme that Ryan grub

was it wasn't just like the same block

over and over that he was killing double

teams getting the linebackers reaching

three techniques everything that you

could do as an offensive tackle in the

Run game Charles cross did in this game

if that continues this Seattle offensive

line gets a lot better and they have a

lot more balance with Kenneth with

Kenneth Walker and Zack shanet running

behind it he was in it's watch the tape

when we get off this show it was just

incredible I had him as the number three

overall Pro prect in the 2022 NFL Draft

so this is wonderful for me personally I

love everything that you're saying there

my most impressive well most disappoined

was the Broncos offense so we've kind of

already talked about that again don't

want to pile on too much but it was uh

most impressive though Broncos secondary

four out of their starting five def

defensive backs earn coverage grades

above 80 above

80 that is extremely difficult to do

it's Lights Out it's a good unit with a

lot of good players that is it's lights

out man Julian love if I had to point

out one player 90.2 grade that was the

second highest single season or single

game coverage grade of his entire career

Seattle and New York all of that so

shout out to those dudes man and an

elite secondary brewing with the Seattle

Seahawks and they're playing very very

well under Mike McDonald already

[Music]