Broncos–Seahawks rivalry

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] They are the only two teams to have ever played each other in the playoffs and also in the Super Bowl,^[5] as the Seahawks are one of only two teams to have switched conferences. The Seahawks have also played the Raiders, the Dolphins, the Oilers (now the Titans), and the Bengals during their time in the AFC, although they have yet to meet in the Super Bowl.

Broncos–Seahawks rivalry

Denver Broncos Seattle Seahawks
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
1983 AFC Wild Card: Seahawks won, 31–7 Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks won, 43–8

Seattle Seahawks kicker Stephen Hauschka kicking a field goal during Super Bowl XLVIII vs. the Denver Broncos.

Notable events

1983 AFC wild card game

Main article: 1983–84 NFL playoffs § Wild Card playoffs

The 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

Outspoken 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.^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

Harden / Largent hits

In 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.^[9][10]

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.^[10] After Largent's payback, the original interception was nullified by a defensive holding penalty.

Super Bowl XLVIII

Main article: Super Bowl XLVIII

On 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

In 2022, Seattle traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver after 10 years with the team.^[11] 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.^{[12][13][14][15]}

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.^{[16][17][18][19]} 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.^[20][21][22] However, Seattle lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Game.^[23][24]

Following the disastrous 2022 season, the Broncos acquired head coach Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints in another major trade.^[25] 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.^[26] 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.^[27] Wilson would sign a one-year deal with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers for the veteran's minimum eleven days later.^[28][29] 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

Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Season-by-Season Results
1970s (Broncos, 4–1) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 1977 Broncos 24–13 Kingdome Broncos 1–0 Seahawks join NFL as an expansion team and are placed in the NFC West. The following season, they were moved to the AFC West, where they remained through 2001. First meeting in Kingdome. Broncos lose Super Bowl XII. 1978 Broncos 28–7 Mile High Stadium Broncos 3–0 First meeting in Mile High Stadium. Broncos 20–17 (OT) Kingdome 1979 Broncos 37–34 Mile High Stadium Broncos 4–1 Seahawks 28–23 Kingdome
1980s (Broncos, 11–10) Season Season series at Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks Overall series Notes 1980 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 36–20 Broncos 25–17 Broncos 6–1 1981 Tie 1–1 Broncos 23–13 Seahawks 13–10 Broncos 7–2 1982 Seahawks 2–0 Seahawks 17–10 Seahawks 13–11 Broncos 7–4 Both meetings were played despite the players' strike which reduced the season to 9 games; Seahawks first series sweep. 1983 Tie 1–1 Broncos 38–27 Seahawks 27–19 Broncos 8–5 1983 Playoffs Seahawks 1–0 Seahawks 31–7 Broncos 8–6 1983 AFC Wild Card Game. First playoff meeting between the two franchises. 1984 Tie 1–1 Seahawks 27–24 Broncos 31–14 Broncos 9–7 Meeting in Seattle was a de facto AFC West Championship Game. Broncos win to clinch the division and finished as the #2 seed while forcing the Seahawks into the AFC Wild Card Game as the eventual #4 seed. 1985 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 13–10(OT) Broncos 27–24 Broncos 11–7 1986 Tie 1–1 Broncos 20–13 Seahawks 47–13 Broncos 12–8 Broncos lose Super Bowl XXI. 1987 Tie 1–1 Broncos 40–17 Seahawks 28–21 Broncos 13–9 Broncos lose Super Bowl XXII. 1988 Seahawks 2–0 Seahawks 21–14 Seahawks 42–14 Broncos 13–11 1989 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 41–14 Broncos 24–21(OT) Broncos 15–11 Broncos lose Super Bowl XXIV.
1990s (Broncos, 14–6) Season Season series at Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks Overall series Notes 1990 Tie 1–1 Broncos 34–31(OT) Seahawks 17–12 Broncos 16–12 1991 Tie 1–1 Broncos 16–10 Seahawks 13–10 Broncos 17–13 1992 Tie 1–1 Broncos 10–6 Seahawks 16–13(OT) Broncos 18–14 1993 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 28–17 Broncos 17–9 Broncos 20–14 1994 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 17–10 Broncos 16–9 Broncos 22–14 Broncos win six straight meetings in Denver. 1995 Seahawks 2–0 Seahawks 31–27 Seahawks 27–10 Broncos 22–16 Seahawks' first season sweep since 1988. 1996 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 34–7 Broncos 30–20 Broncos 24–16 1997 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 30–27 Broncos 35–14 Broncos 26–16 Broncos win Super Bowl XXXII. 1998 Broncos 2–0 Broncos 28–21 Broncos 21–16 Broncos 28–16 Broncos win Super Bowl XXXIII. 1999 Tie 1–1 Broncos 36–30(OT) Seahawks 20–17 Broncos 29–17 Broncos win six straight meetings. Final meeting in Kingdome.
2000s (Broncos, 4–2) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2000 Broncos 31–24 Mile High Stadium Broncos 31–17 Final meeting in Mile High Stadium Broncos 38–31 Husky Stadium Seahawks temporarily play at Husky Stadium during demolition of the Kingdome. 2001 Broncos 20–7 Empower Field at Mile High Broncos 32–18 Broncos open Broncos Stadium at Mile High (known then as "Invesco Field at Mile High"). Seahawks 34–21 Husky Stadium Final meeting in Husky Stadium. 2002 Broncos 31–9 Seahawks Stadium Broncos 33–18 Seahawks move to the NFC West as a result of NFL realignment. Seahawks open Seahawks Stadium (now known as Lumen Field). 2006 Seahawks 23–20 Empower Field at Mile High Broncos 33–19 Seahawks' first win over Broncos in Denver since 1995.
2010s (Tied, 2–2) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2010 Broncos 31–14 Empower Field at Mile High Broncos 34–19 2013 playoffs Seahawks 43–8 MetLife Stadium Broncos 34–20 Super Bowl XLVIII. First meeting between Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson. 2014 Seahawks 26–20(OT) CenturyLink Field Broncos 34–21 Peyton Manning's final start in the series. First Super Bowl rematch in the immediate following season since the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots met in 1997 in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXI. 2018 Broncos 27–24 Empower Field at Mile High Broncos 35–21 Russell Wilson's final start in the series for the Seahawks.
2020s (Seahawks, 2–0) Season Results Location Overall series Notes 2022 Seahawks 17–16 Lumen Field Broncos 35–22 After 10 years with the Seahawks, Russell Wilson is traded to the Broncos. Wilson's first start as a Bronco. 2024 Seahawks 26–20 Lumen Field Broncos 35–23
Summary of Results Season Season series at Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks Notes Regular season Broncos 35–21 Broncos 22–5 Seahawks 16–13 Postseason Seahawks 2–0 N/A Seahawks 1–0 AFC Wild Card: 1983 Super Bowl: XLVIII Regular and postseason Broncos 35–23 Broncos 22–5 Seahawks 17–13 Seahawks are 1–0 at neutral site games

References

1. "Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks Results". The Football Database. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. "Seattle Seahawks Playoff History". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
6. Wilbon, Michael (September 20, 1987). Written at Denver. "'The Boz' has a lot to learn". Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
7. Bosworth, Brian (September 6, 1988). "'Mr. Glee Club' Elway, 'Turtle Face' Rozelle on his Hit List". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
8. "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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. DiLalla, Aric. "Broncos trade for nine-time Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
12. "Seahawks survive Wilson's return, edge Broncos on missed FG".
13. "Hackett flops in his head coaching debut for Denver Broncos". CBS News. September 13, 2022.
14. "Broncos' play under review: Nathaniel Hackett's head coaching debut ends in firestorm of criticism". September 13, 2022.
15. "Nathaniel Hackett's late-game coaching in Russell Wilson's return to Seattle was historically bad". CBS News. September 13, 2022.
16. "The Broncos Had to Fire Nathaniel Hackett Because They Can't Fire Russell Wilson". December 26, 2022.
17. "Denver Broncos: Time To Pull The Plug On Disastrous Nathaniel Hackett Hire". Forbes.
18. "Woody Paige: Good riddance to the Nathaniel Hackett error". December 26, 2022.
19. "The Broncos No Longer Have A Nathaniel Hackett Problem". December 27, 2022.
20. "The Seahawks Are Headed To The Playoffs, Will Face 49ers In Wild Card Round". www.seahawks.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
21. Gordon, Grant. "Seahawks earn NFC's final playoff spot thanks to Packers' loss". NFL.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
22. Morse, Ben; Lev, Jacob (January 9, 2023). "NFL playoffs set following Green Bay Packers loss to the Detroit Lions". CNN. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
23. Patra, Kevin. "49ers defeat Seahawks, advance to NFC Divisional Round for second straight season". NFL.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
24. "NFL Divisional Round schedule set: Eagles host Giants; Cowboys at 49ers on Sunday night". NFL.com. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
25. "Source: Broncos reach deal with Saints for Sean Payton". ESPN.
26. "Report: Broncos Bench Russell Wilson for Final Two Games". SI.com.
27. "Broncos to cut Russell Wilson, take on $85M dead money hit". ESPN. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
28. Varley, Teresa (March 15, 2024). "Wilson signed to one-year contract". Pittsburgh Steelers. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
29. Schefter, Adam (March 11, 2024). "Sources: Russell Wilson to sign free agent deal with Steelers". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.