I have been writing on this Seahawks blog for six years now. You would think by now I would have a more tempered view about this team. Every year, I start the season with high hopes and lofty expectations.. and then reality sucker punches me right in the nutsack.

This year proves no different. The first quarter of this game against the former AFC West rival Denver Broncos was such a brutally bad watch for a Seahawk fan that it made their retro jerseys look painfully fitting for any fan who remembers what happened in 1992.

So, a very funny thing happened to me while I watched Seattle’s inept offense give up its second safety in the game (something that hasn’t happened to an NFL team since the 1960s, gadzooks). After hyping up this offense and Geno Smith in a piece I wrote last week, I watched the first half unfold in abject terror, saw this second safety happen, and then I messaged friends saying that maybe this is the year that Seattle sucks enough to finally draft a top quarterback prospect next Spring, and maybe that’s a blessing.

The funny thing about that message is that I wasn’t at all upset. Mike Macdonald was hired by the Seahawks to fix what had become a horrendous defense under Pete Carroll, and to essentially take this team towards the direction of being the West Coast version of the Baltimore Ravens.

What I had seen through the initial minutes of the game was a Seahawk defense that looked vastly improved to the point of potentially becoming one of the best ones in the league this year. My feeling became centered around the idea that if Seattle were to end up with a losing season because of a bad offensive line, sporadic quarterback play, what have you, maybe the silver lining is actually being able to draft a top young passer next year to play on an inexpensive rookie contract for several years.

Then a short time later, Geno Smith must have been reading my mind because he scampered through the middle of the Denver defense like a bat out of hell with his hair on fire, blowing past defensive backs for a huge touchdown run that would make Lamar Jackson turn his head.

There are few things in this world that I am willing to guarantee. One thing that I will guarantee is that this game against the Broncos is going to lend ammo to those within the Seahawk fanbase who believe that Seattle needs to move off of Geno Smith. They will see the early sacks, the bad interception, and they will use those as prime examples when arguing with strangers on social media.

I will say this about Geno in this one against the Broncos. I don’t think he played a bad game. Outside of tossing that horrendous interception on the second play of the game, I thought he found his poise and efficiency once offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb made proper adjustments.

If anything, I think perhaps Grubb started the game off trying to go maybe too aggressive downfield against a very good NFL defense and defensive play caller, instead of taking a more methodical feeling it out approach with early runs. Let us remember that while Grubb was perhaps the best offensive play caller in college last year, he had never game planned against a proper NFL defense before in a meaningful regular season game. This game was essentially his baptism into becoming a NFL coordinator.

So when the first play of the game leads to a big sack, and the second play leads to an interception on a long downfield throw, I take faith that maybe now Grubb fully understands what he is in for with his advancement into the pros. His ability to make successful adjustments during the second half of this game can be taken as a positive sign of things moving forward towards that, I believe.

Therefore, if there is any silver lining to take away from this 26-20 victory over the Broncos, perhaps it is that Grubb now has a better feel for how he should call this offense. These games are not going to be Washington versus USC. Everyone is faster and stronger in the pros, and Seattle’s offensive line is not that where you can just chuck it around like you do in a game of Madden. Not yet, anyway.

Speaking of the offensive line, yeah, I know that was bad, but those big glorious bastards at least got to the run blocking better once Grubb started dialing into the run more. Let us remember that their new starting center Connor Williams is new to the scheme and is coming off a major knee injury from last December. Anthony Bradford is a first time starter, and Laken Tomlinson is new.

I get it that we all want things on offense to be great off the bat (nobody wants that more than me), but the reality is that offensive lines take time to gel together. The only player who was a starter on this line last year that played in this game was left tackle Charles Cross, that’s it. Let’s give this unit time to better find their groove before we reign down fiery balls of grievances towards general manager John Schneider.

Bradford is a big, physical, badass run blocker. Connor Williams is a great run blocking center. Let’s get K9 going early and often and give the big boys some confidence early in games.

I have faith Grubb is going to figure this out. Color me delusional, but I have faith this offensive line will get better this year.

For my money, though, outside of K9 running like a Marvel superhero, the real star in this first ever victory for new Seahawk coach Mike Macdonald was the whole entire defense. Damn, that was fun to watch.

I have not had this much fun watching a Seahawk defense play like this in many years. If this was a dress rehearsal for what is to become for this unit as this grueling NFL season wears on, I see this Macdonald defense sweeping the Tonys.

It was fitting that Kam Chancellor raised the 12th Man flag. This defense felt very much like the old Legion Of Boom era one. They were strong up front, fast to the ball, the tackling was stellar. The coverages were, by and large, very good. They brought pressures constantly even though they only netted two sacks, Bo Nix was hurried all day in a variety of ways, and had to resort to sandlot ball to make it a game in the final moments.

Nix, himself, I didn’t think played too poorly. He just didn’t look ready to play in an environment such as Lumen Field, but how many rookie quarterbacks do look like that? Plus, look at what he was going against.

Mike Macdonald is a master at creating NFL defenses. There can be no debate about this now. Clearly, he has Seattle’s defense on a fast track to becoming potentially a top one this year. While they still have a lot of work to do, the early returns are very encouraging.

Seattle’s inept first half offense gave up two safeties for four points. Had those plays not happened, Seattle would have essentially won this game 26-16 after Bo Nix’s touchdown run in the final minutes. Up to that point, the Seahawk defense held the Bronco offense to 9 points total through four quarters.

Seattle is building a beast of a team. This is what this game showed me more than anything else.

This defense is going to be a problem throughout the league once they fully gel. The defensive line is deep and strong. The safeties and linebackers are bad ass tacklers. The corners might be tops in the league.

I think the offense is going to catch up to it. The key is staying with the run game.

Just run the freaking ball. Do not overthink this thing. Get K9 the rock, and then let Geno and crew find their groove as the game wears on.

Seattle can be a really fun team this year if they stay with this formula. I can feel it. Can you?

Also, how about that key third down catch by Tyler Lockett in the end to ice it all away?

Every year, I hype up DK Metcalf and other young talents on this offense, and I forget just how clutch Lockett is. When the going got very tough in this one, this dude stepped up big time.

He’s special in ways that I do not think he gets nearly enough credit for, and he’s ours.

Go Hawks