Seahawks spieltag in Deutschland: The scene from Munich before kickoff at Allianz Arena

Spieltag in Deutschland.

The first-ever Seahawks game day in Germany began with fog. Then the sun came out about two hours before kickoff of the first NFL regular-season game in this historic country, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Quarterback Geno Smith came off being superimposed onto the top of the Olympiaturm tower in Olympiapark Munchen to talk to Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and throw passes in early warmups. He was on the field that is normally the home to FC Bayern Munich about two hours, 45 minutes before the kickoff at 6:30 a.m. Seattle time.

A ticket was going for $1,200 or more for Sunday’s game, the first of the 15-year-old NFL international series of regular-season games to feature two division leaders. Alexander Steinforth head of NFL Germany said this spring three million requests were processed when tickets went on sale for Seahawks-Buccaneers in Munich. Allianz Arena holds 67,000 spectators.

“A staggering number,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of the three million wanting to get into this game. “I can’t imagine. It’s an honor…we will respect the heck out of every aspect of this.”

The Seahawks players were among the estimated 20,000 Seattle fans who arrived in Munich for the game. They came from Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Denmark and, of course, Washington state.

Tight end Noah Fant appeared in the Marienplatz Saturday night. The line to see him at a sporting-goods store stretched down the street, around the block into a plaza.

Chris, a dentist from Switzerland, was in the Augustiner Stammhaus, the designated Seahawks beer hall for the week in the old-town Marienplatz section of Munich Friday night. In addition to fixing the teeth of 2 to 200-year olds in the Swiss national health care system, Chris also is on the Swiss national underwater rugby team.

Yes, that’s a big deal in Europe. So is this Seahawks game.

“I wouldn’t miss this!” Chris said in his accented English, screaming over the roars inside the Stammhaus.

DK Metcalf was co-featured with Tom Brady on displays across Munich promoting the game.

Look for the Seahawks to send rookie Ken Walker testing Vita Vea and the Buccaneers’ run defense, Tampa Bay’s strength, early in this game. That will set up Smith to throw off play action to Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and the three tight ends Waldron has been using in Seattle’s surging offense this season.

Defensively for Seattle, Brady is likely to target Tumwater’s Cade Otton plenty. The rookie tight end from the University of Washington had his first career touchdown catch last weekend, from Brady with 9 seconds left to send Tampa Bay over the Rams. Brady is likely to follow the Chargers, Giants and Cardinals immediately before him in not targeting Seahawks rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen often. Cornerback Michael Jackson has been impressive this season opposite Woolen. But the middle of the Seattle defense is where the Seahawks have been vulnerable.

Let’s see if Brady looks for Otton there. We wrote a News Tribune feature on what Otton has endured to get here: the recent death of his mother, Sally.