THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: A new look for the new-look Seahawks

The questions will go on and on. 

At least until next Sunday. 

Are the Seahawks a team that is bound to struggle, more often than not? 

Was that season-opening win over Denver more about the Broncos’ toothless offense than a high-flying Seattle operation under the guidance of new coach Mike Macdonald? 

There were enough mistakes on both sides to make the argument that we might as well have been watching a preseason game. 

Never mind for the moment, though. 

The Hawks will pocket their 26-20 win, and the coaches can worry about what needs to be done from here. 

For now, at least, it feels best to assume that the Seattle defense had more to do with some good new players and Macdonald’s leadership than Denver’s shortcomings — and the jitters displayed by rookie quarterback Bo Nix. 

I’m taking a risk by letting these words slip out in public, but the Seahawks defense looked like a legit NFL group — and nothing like the stragglers of a year ago. 

For one thing, we saw all the basics executed properly, which was refreshing. 

Tyrel Dodson was everywhere as the leader from his linebacker spot, and Leonard Williams (among others) pushed people around at the line of scrimmage. 

YES, YES, it was Denver, and the Broncos aren’t going to be confused with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. 

A year ago, however, it wouldn’t have mattered. 

Some Charmin-soft offenses ran through, around and over the Seahawks — assuming the defense was even in the right place. 

There were plenty of times Sunday when the Hawks sold out to make wicked gang tackles, and even more surprising, there was solid, one-on-one tackling all over the field. 

These Hawks came to hit. 

It was the difference in the game, too, because Denver never seemed to pick up that extra yard — or slip a tackle to turn something routine into a big play. 

When the Broncos discovered that the long passing game was basically off limits, they tried over and over to throw short and hope to tack on yards from there. 

Basically, they got whacked around for their trouble. 

It was tempting to think of Mike Tyson’s famous line: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” 

When the Broncos kept finding difficulty, on both sides of the field and straight over the middle, you watched and wondered: “Are these really the Seahawks?” 

Please recall that Seattle had ghastly numbers (roughly 27th, 29th, various ugly spots around that range) in defensive stats last year. 

We suspected that Macdonald might tighten things up a bit, but it was a surprise to see the Hawks defense taking over the game. 

And they did. 

Absolutely. 

ON THE other side of the ball, the Hawks took care of business without setting records that lit up Lumen Field. 

After a gruesome first half that made you long for an occasional first down or a complete pass, the whole script changed. 

The Seahawks didn’t quite get to Beast Mode. 

But. 

Let’s at least credit them with Slap-You-Around Mode. 

Kenneth Walker III cut loose on a series of runs that shot some fireworks through the building, and Geno Smith had time — imagine that — to find receivers without much danger. 

A player who got my attention was right tackle Stone Forsythe. 

He’s hard to miss at 6-foot-8 and 207 pounds, but he HAS been missed by various coaching staffs. 

Forsythe is starting his fourth season after being drafted 208th in 2021. 

He’s barely stayed on the roster each season, and this time around, he’s a backup to Charles Cross at left tackle and George Fant on the right side (along with Michael Jerrell). 

When Fant got hurt early against Denver, Forsythe got the call. 

He was promptly embarrassed on a pass play, doing a nice imitation of a concrete statue of Robert E. Lee (on horseback). 

Geno survived that swing-and-miss, fortunately, and Forsythe slowly worked his way into the game. 

In fact, he was right there at the point of attack on back-to-back runs by Walker III that produced a touchdown and basically knocked the Broncos out of the game. 

OK, it wasn’t the strength and grace of the Olympic parallel bars. 

Getting right into a tackle’s face and doing some mauling, now that’s right up Forsythe’s alley — but let’s be fair to Stone. 

He got position on those consecutive plays, like driving a road grader through a stadium concourse, and opened the door for Walker. 

Stone’s not going to be the lead video on SportsCenter anytime soon, but once in a while, your backup tackle will have to do the business. 

I promise that the coaches saw it on the tape. 

And liked it a lot. 

Email: scameron@cdapress.com 

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens. 

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”