Broncos Defense Delivers Overtime Thriller Over Seahawks 17-14

Denver built a 14-3 lead in the second quarter on short touchdown runs by J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, then watched the offense stall. Bo Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for just 107 yards with no touchdowns, and the Broncos finished with only 168 total yards. Seattle’s defense kept them in check after halftime, which left Denver’s own defense to carry the load against a Seahawks team that still had weapons and plenty of time.

Sam Darnold finished 27 of 51 for 278 yards, but the Broncos never let him throw for a score. They sacked him five times for 38 yards, forced him into a 52.6 passer rating, and kept Seattle off the board for long stretches. The Seahawks managed only a 55-yard Jason Myers field goal in the first half. Their ground game produced some yards, but the Broncos stayed in front of the sticks and limited explosive plays. Until late, Seattle had just three points on the board.

The Seahawks finally broke through with 3:37 left when George Holani scored on a one-yard run and Rashid Shaheed caught a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 14-11. Seattle still had the ball and the clock, and they drove again. With 1:31 remaining, Darnold threw short left toward Tory Horton. Kris Abrams-Draine stepped in front of the pass at the Denver 31 and the interception stopped the threat cold. Seattle still forced overtime on a late Myers field goal, but the pick had kept Denver alive when the game was slipping.

In overtime Seattle got the ball first. Denver elected to kick the ball to Seattle. On third-and-7, Darnold again went short left, this time looking for Shaheed. Darnold went short left on his previous interception. Once again it ended with a similar result. Ja’Quan McMillian jumped the route and picked it off at the Seattle 43, putting the Broncos in field-goal range right away. Denver managed a couple of short gains, then Will Lutz stepped up as a hero and drilled a 53-yarder to end it.

The win definitely wasn’t the best ball for Denver. Seattle controlled the clock and the yardage for much of the night, and Denver’s offense spent most of the second half struggling after a couple early scores. The Broncos used the run early, then simply couldn’t move the ball consistently against a physical Seattle front. The lack of offense is a concern for Denver who lost Jaylen Waddle early to injury. Defense and the leg of Will Lutz won the day for the Broncos.

The Broncos defense refused to let Darnold find the end zone through the air, generated pressure, and came up with the two interceptions that mattered most. Those plays kept Denver in it, gave Lutz a chance, and sent the Broncos home 4-2 after a night when the offense simply didn’t have it. Against the defending champions, that was enough.