Russell Wilson returned to familiar surroundings Monday night, but the superstar quarterback looked anything but comfortable in the NFL’s final game of Week 1.
The Broncos-Seahawks primetime clash marked Wilson’s first game in Seattle as a visiting player. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection wasn’t atrocious at Lumen Field — 29-of-42 for 340 passing yards with a touchdown — but he didn’t perform at the level expected from a player who signed a $245 million deal just a few weeks ago. Wilson looked particularly shaky in the red zone, as Denver didn’t convert on a single goal-to-go situation and gave the football away in the area twice.
Former NFL safety Will Blackmon seemed to believe some of the Broncos’ red-zone struggles were due to Nathaniel Hackett’s puzzling play-calling. But Richard Sherman, Wilson’s Seahawks teammate for six seasons, defended Hackett at the expense of his former teammate.
“He is adjusting to his personnel…..” Sherman tweeted Monday night.
Sherman wasn’t the only Seahawks great who ribbed Wilson after Seattle’s upset victory. Former wide receiver Doug Baldwin tweeted out a GIF after Brandon McManus’ missed field goal that appeared to be targeted at the Broncos’ new quarterback.
Wilson is primed to bounce back Sunday when he plays his first home game as a Bronco. Denver is a double-digit favorite at some sportsbooks for its Week 2 matchup with the Houston Texans.
