Nobody remembers the preseason. Nobody forgets Super Bowls. Welcome to the Broncos’ dilemma. Denver hosts the defending champion Seattle Seahawks on Thursday in its exhibition opener.
Fake games provide real impressions for backups and rookies clawing for roster spots. They aren’t designed to boil blood or exact revenge. And yet, this game features a different vibe, a slightly more serious tone.
The Broncos used the number 35 as a rally cry during offseason workouts, a cruel reminder of the Seahawks’ 43-8 thrashing at MetLife Stadium. Thursday’s game doesn’t count, yet carries significance.
“Oh, yeah, it matters,” Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “It matters to the city, to the team. That was the last team we played, and we know what happened. It’s a team where you can see where you are at, and if you made some improvements. I expect it to be a little more aggressive because of the Super Bowl and the fact that they have been talking a lot during the offseason.”
The Seahawks stomped the Broncos, then told the world that Denver acted afraid, unable to adjust to a fast, physical defense. Super Bowl blowouts aren’t uncommon. What made this different is that most people favored Denver because of its record-setting offense.
The Broncos steamrolled opponents last season. They trailed for 195 minutes, 57 seconds in their first 18 games. They trailed for 59 minutes, 48 seconds against Seattle, a breathtaking collapse that began with an errant snap past quarterback Peyton Manning and ended with the Broncos scrambling to avoid a shutout.
Seattle’s mauling prompted Denver’s remodeling.
The Broncos spent $32 million in salary this offseason on safety T.J. Ward — their version of Seattle’s Kam Chancellor — cornerback Aqib Talib — a potential lockdown corner like Richard Sherman — and defensive end DeMarcus Ware.
The Broncos also reconfigured their offensive line — left tackle Ryan Clady was sorely missed in the Super Bowl — moving monstrous Orlando Franklin to left guard and Chris Clark to right tackle.
Thursday night’s game offers a peek on whether the Broncos’ changes have them on the right track.
“Our entire team was motivated by the Super Bowl. That started back in April. Guys have worked hard every day,” Manning said. “I know the offensive line will appreciate this. Those guys get tired of banging against the same guys every day. This will be a nice change of pace.”
Manning views the game, like every practice or film study, as a stair step to a larger goal. It is an early barometer, or as coach John Fox said, a “measuring stick.”
For the Seahawks, it represents a chance to compete, a glorified practice.
“No, it doesn’t matter who we play. The opponent never matters in these situations. You’re working on technique and discipline,” Sherman said. “We don’t think about the outside perception. We go out there and play our assignments, and play sound football. If other people want to look at it differently, then so be it.”
The Broncos can’t help it, with two factors providing cattle prods. For starters, the offense wants to test its schemes against the league’s best defense. Manning figures to take 10 to 12 snaps. Running back Ronnie Hillman will start in place of Montee Ball, who had an appendectomy this week.
In the first 12 plays against Seattle in the Super Bowl, the Broncos totaled 20 yards, fumbled twice (recovering one), threw an interception and recorded one first down.
The Broncos are looking to keep Manning upright and, at the very least, build momentum. The Seahawks’ focus remains on the mirror.
“It will sound funny, but it really comes back to us, and how ready can we get to play our best. It happens to be that we are going against a terrific offense with unique guys. That’s part of it,” Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. “But it comes back to seeing how our guys play, seeing if some of the younger guys can do it.”
Pride fuels Denver’s defense. The Broncos didn’t match up well against the Seahawks in February, and the newfangled unit was torched in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage, allowing three long scoring drives. Even with linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Chris Harris out and Ware possibly sitting, the Broncos want to create resistance for Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, whose team’s chief concern remains uncertainty along the offensive line.
“It’s going to be a good game. We are going to go out there with a fire lit under (us) because we know we have something to prove,” Broncos defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. “We are going to go as long as the coaches keep us out there, try to make it a good game and see where we are at.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or twitter.com/troyrenck
