 Denver Broncos  Seattle Seahawks | |
| Location | Denver,Seattle |
|---|---|
| First meeting | October 2, 1977 Broncos 24,Seahawks 13[1] |
| Latest meeting | September 8, 2024 Seahawks 26, Broncos 20[1] |
| Next meeting | TBD (no later than 2026 regular season) |
| Stadiums | Broncos:Empower Field at Mile High Seahawks:Lumen Field |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 58[1] |
| All-time series | Broncos: 35–23[1] |
| Regular season series | Broncos: 35–21[1] |
| Postseason results | Seahawks: 2–0[1] |
| Largest victory | Broncos: 41–14(1989), 34–7(1996) Seahawks: 43–8(2013)[1] |
| Most points scored | Broncos: 41(1989) Seahawks: 43(2013)[1] |
| Longest win streak | Broncos: 6 (1996–1998) Seahawks: 3 (1982–1983, 1987–1988) |
| Current win streak | Seahawks: 2 (2022–present) |
| Post-season history | |
| |
TheBroncos–Seahawks rivalry is anAmerican footballrivalry in theNational Football League (NFL) between theDenver Broncos and theSeattle Seahawks.[2][3][4][5][6] The teams wereAFC West divisional rivals from 1977 until 2001, after which the Seahawks moved to theNFC West.[7] The Broncos lead the series 35–23. The teams have met twice in the playoffs, most notably the 43–8 Seahawks victory inSuper Bowl XLVIII.[8]
TheSeattle Seahawks first post-season appearance came in 1983, with theDenver Broncos as their opponent in the AFC Wild Card game.[2] They met on Christmas Eve at theKingdome, where the Seahawks won 31–7 and notched their first playoff victory.[8]
Outspoken linebackerBrian Bosworth was selected by the Seahawks in the1987 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 quarterbackJohn Elway.[9] 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.[10] 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.[10] 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.[11] Elway would later refer to his rivalry with the Seahawks as "a great rivalry."[12]
In Week 1 of the1988 season, futurePro Football Hall of Fame Seahawks wide receiverSteve Largent was knocked out cold by Denver safetyMike Harden.[13] 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.[14][15]
Later that season, Largent got revenge.[2] In their Week 15 rematch Seahawks quarterbackDave Krieg was intercepted by Harden on an intended pass toBrian 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.[15] After Largent's payback, the original interception was nullified by a defensive holding penalty.
On February 2, 2014, the AFC ChampionDenver Broncos met the NFC ChampionSeattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII to decide the2013 NFL season.[3]
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 formerAFC 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 theNFC 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 Seahawks defense prevailed against the Bronco offense, as Seattle went on to beat Denver 43–8.
The two teams would meet again the following season, which concluded with the Seahawks defeating the Broncos 26–20 in overtime.[16]
In 2022, Seattle traded franchise quarterbackRussell Wilson to Denver after 10 years with the team. In return, the Seahawks received two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterbackDrew Lock, defensive linemanShelby Harris, and tight endNoah Fant.[17] Wilson won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks, beating the Broncos 43–8.
Wilson would make his Broncos debut onMonday Night Football against the Seahawks in his return to Seattle. In a tightly contested game, the Seahawks defeated the Broncos 17-16 after kickerBrandon 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 coachNathaniel 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.[18][19][20][21]
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.[22][23][24][25] To make matters worse, Denver would have had the fifth pick of the2023 NFL draft, but it went to Seattle instead as a result of the Wilson trade. Meanwhile, theSeahawks, who were projected by many to be among the worst teams in the league, finished the season with a 9–8 record, with starting quarterbackGeno Smith, who had backed up Wilson for the prior three seasons, winningComeback Player of the Year honors and aPro Bowl appearance, good for second in theNFC West and the #7 seed in the playoffs and faced theirrival, the NFC West champion and #2 seedSan Francisco 49ers.[26][27][28] However, Seattle lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Game.[29][30]
Following the disastrous 2022 season, the Broncos acquired head coachSean Payton from theNew Orleans Saints in another major trade.[31] 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 ofJarrett Stidham with two games remaining in the season.[32] 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.[33] Wilson would sign a one-year deal with therivalPittsburgh Steelers for the veteran's minimum eleven days later.[34][35] The trade is widely considered to be one of the worst in NFL history from Denver's side, drawing comparisons to the infamousHerschel Walker trade and to theDeshaun Watson trade which also occurred in the 2022 offseason.
| 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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
