Despite a debut loss, Russell Wilson is better off with the Denver Broncos 

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson made his debut for the Denver Broncos this week. Although he played well, the Broncos fell short with a final score of 17-16. Seahawks fans may be rejoicing for now, but Wilson is still in a much better place with Denver than if he were still in Seattle.

Don’t let the final score deceive you; the Broncos are still a better team than the Seahawks. Wilson led his offense well, moving the ball up the field with ease and consistency. He looked comfortable, and even though there were times when he had to escape the Seattle defense in a scramble, Wilson looked confident in his offensive line. He went 29/42 on passes, threw for a touchdown, and had 340 passing yards against Seattle. These are very respectable numbers for a veteran quarterback in his first game on a new team.

Wilson can’t be faulted for Monday’s loss. Two fumbles in the red zone, poor clock management, and a bad decision to kick a long field goal in the waning moments were lethal to Denver’s chances of winning. The Broncos’ coaching staff needs to trust in WIlson's ability to handle big moments and convert on key fourth downs. He held up his end of the bargain Monday night and simply needed a little help from his supporting cast to finish the job.

Going forward, the Broncos will improve. Besides having Wilson, a bona fide champion at quarterback, Denver have key weapons on offense that can torch NFL defenses. Jerry Jeudy, Patrick Surtain II, Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon are all phenomenal offensive players that will prove to be perfect targets for Wilson to utilize. Though Seattle took the win, Denver have the better trajectory at the moment.

What the Seahawks can take from their victory over the Broncos

Denver Broncos v Seattle Seahawks

First and most importantly, they can take the win and go into Week 2 1-0. But Seattle won't read too much into the minutiae of one game. While Seahawks fans will certainly be juiced up over Geno Smith’s performance, Smith is not a long-term solution at quarterback. Neither is Drew Lock. Rashaad Penny and D.K. Metcalf are both game-changing, dynamic players, but Seattle’s offense isn't exactly intimidating.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Seahawks have some cause for worry. Jamal Adams, a star safety, went down on Monday with a knee injury that appears to be fairly serious. Even though they lost Adams fairly early on in the game, the Seattle defense played very well and proved to be stingy in the red zone. They stalled several of Wilson’s drives, forcing Denver to settle for field goals and fumble at the goal line.

They will take confidence from this victory into their Week 2 matchup, away to the San Francisco 49ers. This will be as tough a game as any in the NFL, compounded by the fierce division rivalry the two share. If they can come out on top in San Francisco, it may be time to buy into the hype.

As for Denver, the Seattle Seahawks got the upper hand in this Week 1 matchup, but Russell Wilson has a great shot at long-term success. They host the Houston Texans in Week 2, a matchup they will be determined to win at all costs. If they are to challenge for the AFC West this year, they need to win these kinds of matchups.