The element of surprise looms in opener

In their final preseason tuneup, the Seahawks’ starting offense ran 35 snaps and used only two personnel groups: Three receivers/ one running back/one tight end and two receivers/two tight ends/ one running back.

Broncos inside linebacker Brandon Marshall noticed.

“They’ve saving it,” he said. “They’re going to come out with something we haven’t seen.”

A lot of somethings.

The challenge for players and coaches — and the beauty for fans — about every Week 1 game is the unknown. The Seahawks and Broncos staffs have been plotting for Sunday since the schedule came out in late April. They know whichmatchupstheywanttoexploit offensively and which pressure packages and coverages defensivelycouldcausetrouble.

Thingis,theyhavekeptitunder wraps. The team that can better execute their new looks in a game setting will start 10.

“It’s definitely a unique game,” Broncos offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said after practice Thursday. “There’s nothing like an opener. We know things we’ve seen on film from Seattle won’t necessarily be what we see on the field on Sunday.”

Against Minnesota two weeks ago, the Seahawks’ offense kept it simple and so did their defense. The starters had only six fiveman pressures — four from the slot corner and two from the linebackers, Bobby Wagner and Barkevious Mingo.

Against Washington two weeks ago, the Broncos’ top defense rushed four men on 12of15 dropbacks. Musgrave used four personnel groups, but primarily stuck to three receiver/one tight end/one back (21 firsthalf snaps).

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said his team is preparing for the Broncos “in a general sense.”

“That’s always the case,” Carroll said. “You can take the preseason games and you try to figure it out and everybody is doing that solvethepuzzle game, so we have to be ready to adjust. The