Hot on the heels of notching their first win at SoFi Stadium in the Sean Payton era, the Denver Broncos are faced with yet another challenge, and one even more enormous.
The defending World Champion Seattle Seahawks are coming to Mile High for a Thursday Night Football throwdown. It's a short-week turnaround for both teams, with the Broncos coming off a win and the Seahawks off a loss.
Broncos-Seahawks was the Super Bowl many people expected last season before Bo Nix's shocking ankle injury. When the 2026 schedule dropped earlier this year, this game was circled as a potential Super Bowl preview.
Despite both teams sitting at 3-2, few people currently view the Broncos as a true Super Bowl contender, but that's no different than the general consensus at this time last year. The narrative around the Seahawks, though, is strikingly different.
What's the disconnect? Offense. The Broncos' offense and the quality of quarterback play haven't been at a Super Bowl level — but the season is still young.
How will Broncos-Seahawks shake out on Thursday night? We're going around the table to see how the Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle staff foresee this one playing out at Mile High. You can connect with each staff on X (their handles are linked next to their names).
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 4-1: Another week where the Broncos decided to take the first three quarters off before finally showing up. At some point, it gets a little anticlimactic. That point, for me, is now. It worked against a winless, decimated Chargers team — even though Denver barely eked out a win — but it absolutely will not work against the reigning Super Bowl champs, who come into this game a little ticked off following a loss to San Francisco. Denver being home should help, but the magic won't be enough this time around. Fortunately, a much-needed mini-bye awaits.
Pick: Seahawks 23, Broncos 20
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 4-1: The Seahawks have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Their offense isn't great, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the best receivers in the game, and the Broncos may be without three starters in the secondary. I expect the Denver defense to put up a fight, but it's hard to trust the Broncos' offense, especially against a top defense, on a short week.
Pick: Seahawks 23, Broncos 13
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 3-2: The brutal reality is that the misfiring Broncos aren't as good as their 3-2 record suggests. However, despite the mismatch on paper, the Broncos' key strength is sheer resilience and late-game moxie. Payton might become the clubhouse leader for Coach of the Year if he can get this offense going. Ultimately, Denver lands a few haymakers and wins a close one as the short week dramatically levels the playing field against all the odds.
Pick: Broncos 28, Seahawks 24
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 3-2: Thursday games are some of the most unpredictable. The Broncos have the home-field advantage, while the Seahawks could be missing some key running backs. I expect this to be a big defensive battle. The team that turns it over less wins the game. Unfortunately, the Seahawks get a key turnover late and win a very close game, with the Broncos' offense once again struggling to get anything going consistently.
Pick: Seahawks 20, Broncos 17
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 3-2: The Broncos are a different team at home. Nix has only lost three games at Mile High — two his rookie year and one last season. With Broncos Country at his back, he has a penchant for conjuring some Mile High Magic against the stiffest competition. Nix admitted on Tuesday that both sides will have some "extra juice," so I'm going out on a limb to predict he and the offense look at least a little better, even against this defense. Bold, I know. I won't forecast sudden early-game success offensively, but I can promise you Payton has a little something special queued up for Mike Macdonald after his "cold war" hot-mic comments dropped a few weeks back. Can this secondary cover for the potential loss of three starters? The Broncos better come ready to tackle, and JSN can't be allowed to take over this game.
Pick: Broncos 23, Seahawks 20
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 3-2: The Broncos' offense is off to a rather putrid start. While they have played one of the toughest schedules to date, even with that qualifier, the stats and the film state the obvious: it's simply not good enough. With cold, bad weather in the cards and a quietly struggling Seahawks offense, expect a classic Thursday night slop fest. Fortunately, for Denver, this team knows how to win ugly. While explosive plays and turnovers are obvious stats to watch, as they were against the Rams, I expect red-zone conversion percentage to be key. With what will likely be limited possessions and opportunities in that area, coming away with seven instead of three on offense and doing the opposite on defense likely determines the game. The boobirds come out with another ugly offensive performance, but the Broncos endure.
Pick: Broncos 17, Seattle 13
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 2-3: The Broncos are facing the reigning Super Bowl champions on a short week, pitting Nix against an incredible defense. The Broncos' defense will have its share of wins against Sam Darnold, but JSN's quality will be evident against a depleted secondary. If Nix is to silence his detractors, this is the game to make a statement, limit his mistakes, and take the shots when they present themselves. Sadly, Seattle's relentless defense forces a few turnovers and gets at least one defensive score before making the score look even more lopsided late.
Pick: Seahawks 38, Broncos 10
Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) 2-3: This game feels like the Spider-Man meme because both teams have great defenses that have to drag their respective offenses to a victory. This game is going to be a slog. The weather is going to suck, and neither team can get the ground game going, so I expect a low-scoring affair with a couple of turnovers from each side. I'll take the home team on a short week.
Pick: Broncos 9, Seahawks 6
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 2-3: The Broncos are beat up in the wrong spots to take on the Seattle Seahawks, and their own struggles play into the opponent's strength. With a short week and the Seahawks coming off a loss, they'll be pushing for the win to send a message about how they can beat a Broncos team with Nix in the lineup, given the hoopla about why Denver missed the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Broncos' issues on offense are still there, and weren't magically fixed because Payton took back the play-calling. The offense becomes an even bigger issue against the tough Seahawks defense. A defensive bout incoming, with Seattle netting the win.
Pick: Seahawks 17, Broncos 9
Dylan Von Arx (@DylanVonArxMHH) 2-3: The Broncos survived an encounter with one of the worst teams in the NFL and have a quick turnaround this week to face the Seahawks. Denver's offense is sad and uninspired through five weeks, and facing one of the best defenses in the NFL may completely break them. Unfortunately, I don't think Nix gets his confidence back against the ferocious Seattle defense, and the Broncos take an embarrassing loss at home.
Pick: Seattle 28, Broncos 13
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