Denver Broncos

SEATTLE — Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t get a final chance to make his return to Seattle a rousing, come-from-behind win.

Wilson threw nine yards to running back Javonte Williams to set up a fourth-and-5 from the Seahawks’ 46. But the Broncos let the clock run down to 20 seconds (by design), Wilson called timeout and kicker Brandon McManus was wide left from 64 yards with 15 seconds remaining, allowing Seattle to escape with a 17-16 win Monday night.

Wilson, who spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the Seahawks, was booed from the time he took the field for pre-game warm-ups until the Broncos’ final drive.

“It didn’t bother me,” he said after 340 yards on 29-of-42 passing. “It was a hostile environment. It always has been. I didn’t expect a round of applause every once in a while.

“I gave everything I had here every day. Every day. Anybody who says anything else, they’re completely wrong.”

Wilson started the final drive at his 22-yard line and 4:02 remaining. The Broncos had all three timeouts.

Wilson threw five yards to tight end Albert Okwuegbunam to convert a third down and nine yards to Williams to convert a third-and-2.

But from the Broncos’ 49, the drive went backward. Williams lost four yards on a completion. Receiver Jerry Jeudy dropped a pass on second down. On third-and-14, Williams gained nine yards.

Kick the field goal or go for it on fourth-and-5?

The Seahawks were expecting Wilson to get a final shot.

“Once they brought out that field-goal (team) I was like ‘OK,’” outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu said. “Because Russ is so dangerous in short yardage, he can make a lot of things happen. So when they took him out of the game and brought in field goal I was like, ‘Maybe they don’t trust him in that situation.’”

Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett trusted McManus to make the kick.

“We have the best field goal kicker maybe in the game,” Wilson said. “I believe in Coach Hackett and I believe in what we were doing. I don’t think it was the wrong decision.”

The Broncos (0-1) have the short week before hosting Houston on Sunday.

“It just didn’t go our way, but guess what: We have 16 more games to go,” Wilson said. “I’m looking forward to what we can do, especially when we can get it all together at the same time.”

Ryan O’Halloran has been covering the Broncos for The Post since 2018 and has covered the NFL since 2004. A native of North Dakota and graduate of Kansas State, O’Halloran previously covered the Washington Redskins for eight years, primarily at The Washington Times, and the Jacksonville Jaguars for six years at The Florida Times-Union. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors seven times for his work. He was named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year in 2019.

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