Russell Wilson Returns To Seattle 🏈

With the first week of the NFL season almost behind us, it's time for the inaugural Monday Night Football matchup. Russell Wilson and the Broncos are heading to Seattle for a very intriguing reunion 🐎 (4 min read)

Author

Nate Hartnick
September 12, 2022

Shoutout Carlos Alcaraz! The 19-year-old becomes the first teenager to claim the No. 1 ranking, and the youngest Grand Slam men's champion since Rafael Nadal in 2005. Watch championship point here 🏆

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MNF Is Back

What a NFL Sunday! Hope your fantasy team put up some points 🏈

This season's first installment of Monday Night Football promises to bring forth a boatload of drama. Russell Wilson's Broncos travel to Seattle, giving the QB a golden opportunity to show out vs. his former team of ten years. Wilson's career with the Seahawks was undoubtedly prolific, but it all soured toward the end 📉

  • Russ now finds himself equipped with a dramatically improved roster in Denver, featuring Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon, Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton

  • The Broncos will be battling in a historically stacked AFC West division, but they have the defense to play with anybody

As for Russ' former team, it's clear they're entering into a rebuild. The Seahawks still possess some promising pieces on both sides of the ball, but the Broncos are heavy favorites for a good reason. The stage is set for Russ to make a statement in this season's opening Monday night...can he deliver?

  • Spread: Broncos -6.5

  • Moneyline: Broncos -300 (bet $300, win $100), Seahawks +245 (bet $100, win $245)

  • Over/Under: 44.5

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Let's Ride

It's clear that this game will be personal for Wilson, how could it not? In an ESPN interview released this week, Russ alleged that Seattle tried to trade him "a couple of times", most notably in 2018 to the Cleveland Browns 👀

Wilson claimed that anyone who believes his skills to be diminished at 33 will be proven wrong this year, and his first test to do so comes against the very team that doubted him 💪

  • Seattle enjoyed tremendous team success in Russ' first few years, spearheaded by their resounding 2013 Super Bowl victory over...Denver

  • Russ ascended into one of the league's top QBs as his career advanced, but the Seahawks' championship core continually deteriorated

  • It seemed that Russ and the Seahawks' trajectories never truly aligned, and their divorce ultimately felt inevitable

Wilson has to feel good heading into this one, as the Broncos boast far superior talent than the Seahawks. The spread shows that Vegas has little faith in Seattle's ability to defend their home field, as they enter the post-Russ era without a clear succession plan. Their QB room indicates a team attempting to remain competitive, while also building for the future...that's not easy to do 👇

  • Seattle's Week 1 starter is career journeyman Geno Smith, who appears unlikely to be the long term solution

  • Next up in line is Drew Lock, the young QB who flamed out in Denver and was sent packing in the Wilson trade

Seattle still has some star talent at WR in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but it's hard to see either QB capitalizing on it. Regardless, tonight marks the start of a new chapter in Wilson's HOF career. If you're not a Broncos fan yet, watch this 🐎

Trivia Question: Wilson was drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft, which had four QBs go in the first round. Can you name who went first and second overall?

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For My Parlay Gurus

The spread on this matchup is surprisingly high, but I still like the Broncos to take this one pretty easily. Look for Russ to come out firing, finding Jeudy and Sutton early and often. Broncos spread with the over on Wilson's TD prop feels like a good way to kick off MNF 👇

  • Broncos -6.5 @ Seahawks: -115

  • Russell Wilson OVER 1.5 passing TDs: -128

$100 on this bet would win you $233 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: In 2012, Andrew Luck and RG3 were the first two overall picks. Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden were also first round picks that year

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