Defeating the Denver Broncos must have been a great feeling for the Seattle Seahawks.
They went up against their former quarterback Russell Wilson, who led the squad to the pinnacle of the NFL world.
The Seahawks were also given little chance to win their Monday Night Football showdown, given Denver’s high-powered offense.
Seattle changed the narrative by pulling off a 17-16 victory over the AFC West squad.
Their defense came up big by repeatedly thwarting the Broncos’ red zone drives.
Likewise, their 12th man became a factor as Denver committed two delay of game penalties and three false starts.
But the loudest cheer for the night was reserved for quarterback Geno Smith.
Wilson’s former backup finished with 23 completions for 195 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Smith silenced the critics by saying, “They wrote me off, but I ain’t write back.”
Likewise, he received positive words from FOX Sports host Skip Bayless.
Happy for Geno Smith, who has suffered so much disappointment and criticism for so long.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) September 13, 2022
Bayless tweeted, “Happy for Geno Smith, who has suffered so much disappointment and criticism for so long.”
Smith will continue to feed off the negativity and the praise in hopes of having a bounce-back season.
Third Opportunity To Be The Week 1 Starter
Smith had his first two chances during his rookie and sophomore seasons with the New York Jets.
He finished his first NFL season with 3,046 yards and 12 touchdowns.
However, he also threw 21 interceptions and completed only 55.8 percent of his passes.
Still, the Jets finished with an 8-8 record, and Smith added six rushing touchdowns out of 366 yards.
After his second season as the starter, he lost his job to Ryan Fitzpatrick.
He also suited up for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before joining the Seahawks in 2019.
His Week 1 performance earns him the starting spot in Week 2 when they face the San Francisco 49ers.
NEXT: Geno Smith Shared A Perfect Tweet After Monday's Win