The Denver Broncos didn’t have the start to the season they were hoping for when they took on the Seattle Seahawks yesterday. The offense, led by Bo Nix, looked about as bad as a Nathaniel Hackett offense has ever looked in his short time here. There were more three-and-outs than you could count and the offense never found a rhythm.

It wasn’t all bad news though, so we’ve rounded up the highlights and lowlights of their 26-20 loss in Seattle.

Highlights

The interior defensive line looked pretty sharp, aside from the multiple breakdowns in the third quarter. They got some push from the inside and kept Geno Smith off-schedule a lot of the game. It feels like the front 7 is a strength on this team in 2024. -Tim Lynch

The Broncos should be able to run the ball well if they commit to it. There were plenty of nice running lanes created by the offensive line, especially on that duo play late in the game. Javonte Williams seemed to be going well and Jaleel McLaughlin did a nice job running between the tackles. -Ross Allen

Jonathon Cooper. The Broncos’ revamped defensive front seven looked good in the first half. One player that stood out for me was fourth-year pro Jonathon Cooper. I thought he had a solid game, getting multiple sacks and quarterback pressure on Geno Smith. – Chris Hart

Zach Allen. He was unblockable the entire game and was a big reason for the defense’s success in the first half. Hopefully he can be a disruptive force all season long. -Scotty Payne

The tempered expectations. There was some good play on the field, but the Seahawks defense helped bring Broncos Country back down to earth a little bit. Bo Nix is ​​still something to be excited about, but the reminder that he’s a rookie and these games are going to happen was probably the reality check we all needed. No, the sky isn’t falling, but hey, we’ll have to wait a little longer for the outcome to live up to the hype. – Adam Malnati

Special teams play. Of the three phases, this was the most consistent on Sunday. The “highlight” was pinning the Seahawks on the 1-yard line. Hopefully the offense and defense play the entire game, but special teams did their part. – Ian St. Clair

Low points

I’m not sure what Sean Payton intended with this game plan, but the play calling was terrible. No play was enough to convince the Seahawks defense that maybe they shouldn’t stack the box and the line of scrimmage. All the short passing plays went nowhere and the run game — while it worked early on — disappeared or was ineffective.

The offense is still predictable and inefficient. When they needed to run the ball, they usually couldn’t. When they needed a first down, they threw in front of the sticks. They couldn’t get anything going in the middle of the field, and YAC didn’t exist. -Ross Allen

Alex Singleton. Alex Singleton started the game well with an interception of Smith. Unfortunately, he struggled in the second half and had several failed assignments that resulted in scores for the Seahawks. The Broncos will need him to play more consistently. Despite all the tackles, he has been inconsistent from game to game. – Chris Hart

The run defense in the second half was not good. They contained Kenneth Walker in the first half, but in the second half he cut the defense in half and was a big reason why they lost this game. The run defense was a problem last year and they showed it again this year. -Scotty Payne

All the passing plays. If Nix is ​​asked to throw the ball 40+ times a game, he’s not going to have the breakout season we all hope he will. That’s a lot to ask of a rookie QB. The game dictates play calling, and some short passes feel like runs, but if that’s the game plan going forward, yikes. – Adam Malnati

The Second Half. You would think that the way Nix led the charge for a late field goal late in the first half would instill confidence and enthusiasm in the Broncos offense and defense. Instead, it seemed like most of the team stayed in the locker room. Whether it’s team leaders or coaches, this needs to be addressed before it becomes a problem. – Ian St. Clair

What were your highlights and lowlights of the match? Share them in the comments below.