DENVER, Colorado — The Denver Broncos survived a late collapse, an eleven-point lead evaporating in the fourth quarter, and still walked off the field 17-14 winners over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, with kicker Wil Lutz drilling a 53-yard field goal in overtime at Empower Field at Mile High.
Denver appeared to have the game sealed when cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold at the Denver 30 with 1:25 left in regulation. But the Broncos burnt only 15 seconds off the clock before punting, and the Seahawks drove into field-goal range to tie the score at 14 with three seconds left on a Jason Myers kick. In the extra period, it took only one snap to turn the game: Ja’Quan McMillian picked off Darnold on Seattle’s first overtime possession, and Lutz did the rest.
The Broncos had controlled the first half, with two short rushing touchdowns from J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey building a 14-3 lead. Then the offence vanished. Denver managed just 30 yards and two first downs after the interval, failing on all six third-down attempts, and quarterback Bo Nix threw for only 107 yards all evening. It was the defence — and the kicker — that carried the night.
Our Thursday night preview had flagged Denver’s pass rush as the decisive lever, and the front seven delivered five sacks. Discipline around the league also stayed in the headlines, with Rams lineman Alaric Jackson appealing a two-game suspension the same week.
Darnold’s rough night undoes a strong Seahawks push
Seattle outgained Denver heavily and fought back from 14-3 down, yet left the field empty-handed. Darnold finished 27-of-51 for 278 yards with two interceptions, was pressured on 24 dropbacks and sacked five times. The Seahawks also squandered chances: a lost fumble by Rashid Shaheed, a missed 47-yard field goal off the upright by Myers in the third quarter, and two Darnold picks in the closing stages.
Head coach Mike Macdonald offered no excuses: “No moral victories in the league. It’s a bottom-line business. But I’m proud of our effort. I’m proud of the resolve of the team.” The loss dropped the Seahawks to 3-3, while the Broncos improved to 4-2 despite a sputtering attack.
What the win says about the AFC West race
The result underlines how the Broncos intend to survive while the offence searches for rhythm: lean on a swarming defence, trust the special teams, and let opponents make the last mistake. Seattle, by contrast, will be asking serious questions about pass protection after Darnold spent the night under siege. With the division race tightening, Denver’s margin for error remains thin — but on Thursday night, the thin margin was enough.
