The Broncos–Seahawks rivalry is an American football rivalry in the National Football League (NFL) between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.[2] The teams were AFC West divisional rivals from 1977 until 2001, after which the Seahawks moved to the NFC West.[3] The Broncos lead the series 35–23. The teams have met twice in the playoffs, most notably the 43–8 Seahawks victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.[4]
Denver Broncos
Seattle Seahawks
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| First meeting | October 2, 1977 Broncos 24, Seahawks 13 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | September 8, 2024 Seahawks 26, Broncos 20 |
| Next meeting | 2026 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 58 |
| All-time series | Broncos, 35–23[1] |
| Regular season series | Broncos, 35–21 |
| Postseason results | Seahawks, 2–0 |
| Largest victory | December 1, 1996 Broncos 34, Seahawks 7 February 2, 2014 Seahawks 43, Broncos 8 |
| Longest win streak | Broncos: 6 (1996–1998) Seahawks: 3 (1982–1983; 1987–1988) |
| Current win streak | Seahawks, 2 (2022–present) |
| Post-season history | |
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Notable events
edit1983 AFC wild card game
editThe Seattle Seahawks first post-season appearance came in 1983, with the Denver Broncos as their opponent in the AFC Wild Card game.[2] They met on Christmas Eve at the Kingdome, where the Seahawks won 31–7 and notched their first playoff victory.[4]
Bosworth / Elway feud
editOutspoken linebacker Brian Bosworth was selected by the Seahawks in the 1987 NFL draft. "The Boz" spent the weeks leading up to his first game, a week-one matchup at Denver, trash-talking the Broncos and their star quarterback John Elway.[5] Bosworth's quote "I can’t wait to get my hands on John Elway’s boyish face" riled up the Denver fanbase, as did his nickname of "Mr. Ed" for the QB.[6] After losing the game, the industrious Bosworth claimed that the anti-Boz t-shirts that many Denver fans wore to the game were secretly produced and sold by his own company.[6] When Bosworth was waived by the Seahawks in 1990, Elway shed no tears and predicted the linebacker's nascent acting career would be a flop.[7]
Harden / Largent hits
editIn Week 1 of the 1988 season, future NFL Hall of Fame Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent was knocked out cold by Denver safety Mike Harden. Largent suffered a concussion and lost two teeth from the brutal forearm hit; no penalty was called on the field, but Harden was subsequently fined $5,000 by the league.[8][9]
Later that season, Largent got revenge.[2] In their Week 15 rematch Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg was intercepted by Harden on an intended pass to Brian Blades. Largent followed the play out of the opposite corner of the endzone and put a huge blindside hit on Harden during the return. The hit knocked out the ball and Largent recovered the fumble himself.[9] After Largent's payback, the original interception was nullified by a defensive holding penalty.
Super Bowl XLVIII
editOn February 2, 2014, the AFC Champion Denver Broncos met the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII to decide the 2013 NFL season.
The Broncos had the best offense that season (statistically the best offense of all time), and the Seahawks had the best defense of that season.
This Super Bowl was a matchup between former AFC West adversaries, a fact that was immediately noticed by local media in the run-up to the big game.[2] The postseason finale reignited the rivalry that had been mostly dormant for the past decade, the teams having met only 3 times since the Seahawks moved to the NFC West for the 2002 season.
On the first play of the game, the Seahawks recorded the fastest score of Super Bowl history, scoring a safety off a botched snap to Peyton Manning, 12 seconds into the first quarter.
The Seahawk defense prevailed against the Bronco offense, as Seattle went on to beat Denver 43–8.
By happenstance, the teams immediately met again on August 7, 2014, during the NFL preseason, which was both teams' next game following the Super Bowl.
Russell Wilson trade
editIn 2022, Seattle traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver after 10 years with the team.[10] Wilson won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks, beating the Broncos 43–8.
Wilson would make his Broncos debut on Monday Night Football against the Seahawks in his return to Seattle. In a tightly contested game, the Seahawks defeated the Broncos 17-16 after kicker Brandon McManus missed a 64-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, allowing the Seahawks to run out the clock and win the game. Following the game, Broncos rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett came under intense scrutiny for his poor in-game decisions, especially his decision to let McManus attempt the field goal instead of keeping the ball in Wilson's hands on a makeable 4th and 5.[11][12][13][14]
Denver ultimately failed to meet their lofty expectations for the season, as poor play by Wilson and the offense led to the Broncos going 5–12, finishing in last place in the AFC West despite boasting a defense that was among the league's elite. After stumbling to a 4–11 record through 15 games, Hackett was fired, with many analysts and observers arguing that Hackett's coaching was a major reason for Denver's woeful underperformance and Wilson's decline.[15][16][17][18] To make matters worse, Denver would have had the fifth pick of the 2023 NFL draft, but it went to Seattle instead as a result of the Wilson trade. Meanwhile, the Seahawks, who were projected by many to be among the worst teams in the league, finished the season with a 9–8 record, with starting quarterback Geno Smith, who had backed up Wilson for the prior three seasons, winning Comeback Player of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl appearance, good for second in the NFC West and the #7 seed in the playoffs and faced their rival, the NFC West champion and #2 seed San Francisco 49ers.[19][20][21] However, Seattle lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Game.[22][23]
Following the disastrous 2022 season, the Broncos acquired head coach Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints in another major trade.[24] The Broncos improved in the 2023 season, but still finished with an 8–9 record and missed the playoffs, and Wilson was benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham with two games remaining in the season.[25] On March 4, 2024, Wilson was informed by the Broncos organization that he would be released at the beginning of the 2024 NFL league year. The Broncos missed the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 with Wilson as their starting quarterback. The $85M dead cap hit resulting from Wilson's release set a record for the largest dead cap hit in league history.[26] Wilson would sign a one-year deal with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers for the veteran's minimum eleven days later.[27][28] The trade is widely considered to be one of the worst in NFL history from Denver's side, drawing comparisons to the infamous Herschel Walker trade.
Season-by-season results
edit| Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Season-by-Season Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1970s (Broncos, 4–1)
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1980s (Broncos, 11–10)
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1990s (Broncos, 14–6)
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2000s (Broncos, 4–2)
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2010s (Tied, 2–2)
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Summary of Results
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References
edit- ^ "Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Results". The Football Database. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Condotta, Bob (January 26, 2014). "Seahawks-Broncos rivalry goes back to old AFC West days". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
If Denver and Seattle won out, then it would be set — a matchup of former longtime AFC West rivals in Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday in New Jersey. [...] And among those who lived through the Seahawks' formative years, the Super Bowl matchup also instantly revived memories of a rivalry that was once as intense as any.
- ^ Tribou, Doug (February 1, 2014). "Seahawks, Broncos Renew AFC West Rivalry In Super Bowl". WBUR-FM. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
Until this week, the Broncos and Seahawks hadn't seen much of each other lately. The NFL moved Seattle from the AFC to the NFC in 2002. But for nearly a quarter century, they played twice a year as members of the AFC West.
- ^ a b Asher, Matthew (January 28, 2014). "Seahawks And Broncos Postseason Rematch: 31 Years In The Making". CBS News. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
With all the talk over the top offensive and top defensive teams squaring off in the Super Bowl, there hasn't been much talk over the former AFC West rivalry between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks as these two teams have played each other more than 50 times. While both teams certainly have bigger rivals - Denver with Oakland and Seattle with San Francisco - the Broncos and Seahawks are no strangers. Thanks to both teams playing in the AFC West division from 1977 through 2001, Denver is actually the team that has faced Seattle the most in franchise history.
- ^ Wilbon, Michael (September 20, 1987). Written at Denver. "'The Boz' has a lot to learn". Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Bosworth, Brian (September 6, 1988). "'Mr. Glee Club' Elway, 'Turtle Face' Rozelle on his Hit List". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ "Elway Sheds No Tears for Bosworth – 'Mr. Ed' Says Boz Will Flop in Films". Seattle Times. Scripps Howard: AP. July 21, 1990. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- ^ Farnsworth, Clare (September 6, 1988). "Largent Says He'll Play". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. D1.
During Sunday's season-opening 21-14 victory at Denver's Mile High Stadium, the National Football League's all-time leading pass catcher was on the receiving end of a Mike Harden forearm that knocked him out. [...] The damage report from his third-quarter collision with the Broncos' free safety included: One concussion, two broken teeth, one very tender cheek, a twisted left knee and one mangled facemask.
- ^ a b Withers, Bud (December 12, 1988). "Sweet Touch of Revenge inspires Largent". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. C1.
Last night, Steve Largent left another calling card. If Seahawk fans will remember the streak and the touchdowns and the class he brought to the community, they will also recall that in what might be his last home appearance, he unloaded a shot on Denver cornerback Mike Harden worthy of a wrecking ball.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric. "Broncos trade for nine-time Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ "Seahawks survive Wilson's return, edge Broncos on missed FG".
- ^ "Hackett flops in his head coaching debut for Denver Broncos". CBS News. September 13, 2022.
- ^ "Broncos' play under review: Nathaniel Hackett's head coaching debut ends in firestorm of criticism". September 13, 2022.
- ^ "Nathaniel Hackett's late-game coaching in Russell Wilson's return to Seattle was historically bad". CBS News. September 13, 2022.
- ^ "The Broncos Had to Fire Nathaniel Hackett Because They Can't Fire Russell Wilson". December 26, 2022.
- ^ "Denver Broncos: Time To Pull The Plug On Disastrous Nathaniel Hackett Hire". Forbes.
- ^ "Woody Paige: Good riddance to the Nathaniel Hackett error". December 26, 2022.
- ^ "The Broncos No Longer Have A Nathaniel Hackett Problem". December 27, 2022.
- ^ "The Seahawks Are Headed To The Playoffs, Will Face 49ers In Wild Card Round". www.seahawks.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Gordon, Grant. "Seahawks earn NFC's final playoff spot thanks to Packers' loss". NFL.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Morse, Ben; Lev, Jacob (January 9, 2023). "NFL playoffs set following Green Bay Packers loss to the Detroit Lions". CNN. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Patra, Kevin. "49ers defeat Seahawks, advance to NFC Divisional Round for second straight season". NFL.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "NFL Divisional Round schedule set: Eagles host Giants; Cowboys at 49ers on Sunday night". NFL.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Source: Broncos reach deal with Saints for Sean Payton". ESPN.
- ^ "Report: Broncos Bench Russell Wilson for Final Two Games". SI.com.
- ^ "Broncos to cut Russell Wilson, take on $85M dead money hit". ESPN. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Varley, Teresa (March 15, 2024). "Wilson signed to one-year contract". Pittsburgh Steelers. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ Schefter, Adam (March 11, 2024). "Sources: Russell Wilson to sign free agent deal with Steelers". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.