The defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, took a major hit to their NFC West title hopes after a close home loss to the San Francisco 49ers, 32-29, dropping them to 3-2. Unlike the Seahawks, the Denver Broncos got a much-needed road win over the Los Angeles Chargers to go 3-2 and avoid a losing record. The teams meet on Thursday, October 15, on Thursday Night Football, with one team set to fall down to .500 after this game.
The Seahawks played sloppily against the 49ers, with four turnovers, including a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Sam Darnold struggled, throwing only one touchdown on 195 passing yards, throwing two interceptions, and being sacked five times. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a bright spot on the offense, catching five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown despite a critical drop on Seattle’s final drive.
As for the defense, they played much better after having a players’ meeting before the game, despite the loss. They forced three turnovers against one of the league’s best offenses and held them to under 300 yards. The team was also more disciplined, committing only five penalties for 46 yards, down from 14 penalties for 150 yards the week before. They now lead the league with 11 turnovers forced and continue to allow the fewest yards per game.
The Broncos got an ugly win over the Chargers, overcoming a 17-10 fourth-quarter deficit to avoid a loss. With the offense struggling, the defense played a big role, forcing three turnovers and scoring 20 points off them, including one turnover-on-downs. The offense capitalized on those turnovers, with J.K. Dobbins and Courtland Sutton scoring both touchdowns. Bo Nix played a modest game, throwing one touchdown on 123 yards despite a fumble.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos Thursday Night Football Preview
Game: Seattle Seahawks (3-2) @ Denver Broncos (3-2)
History: 35-23, Denver Broncos
Last Meeting: 26-20, Seattle Seahawks (2024)
Time: 8:15 p.m. (EST)
Location: Empower Field at Mile High | Denver, CO
TV: Amazon Prime Video
Radio: Seattle Sports 710 AM| KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM | KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM | SiriusXM 88, 192, 193, XM App
Odds: Seahawks -2.5 | O/U: 40.5
This will be the 59th meeting between the two divisional opponents and the 18th in Denver. The teams were divisional rivals in the AFC West from 1977 to 2001, when the Seahawks moved to the NFC West. Since the move, the teams have met eight times, with Seattle winning five, including four of the last five. The last time the teams met in Denver was in 2018, when the Broncos defeated the Seahawks 27-24.
Seattle Seahawks Focus On Cleaning Up Turnover Issues
The Seahawks played well through the first two weeks of the season despite losing Darnold to a glute injury in the season opener. They had only one turnover through those games, while backup Drew Lock filled in admirably for Darnold, throwing four touchdowns and committing no turnovers. However, the unit has been struggling since Darnold returned in Week 3. Rather than building on its promising start, Seattle has committed eight turnovers, including two returned for touchdowns.
Turnovers have plagued Seattle since last season, when it recorded 28, the second-most in the NFL. Despite those struggles, the Seahawks still won the Super Bowl, largely thanks to their defense. This season, however, the defense has also struggled, allowing nearly 30 points per game over its last three contests. Turnovers have put the defense in bad situations, as Seattle is tied for the NFL lead in points given up off turnovers.
Heading into Thursday Night Football, the Seahawks have committed nine turnovers in their first five weeks, tying them for the fifth-most in the NFL. On top of that, Darnold has struggled with his average release time, taking 3.21 seconds to throw the ball, the longest among 31 qualifying QBs. At Tuesday’s press conference, Darnold acknowledged the urgency of addressing the problem and improving his ball security.
“There needs to be a sense of urgency to get better and have ball security,” Darnold said. “I got to do a better job of getting the ball out, moving on in progressions, stuff like that. You got to protect the football in this league, and if you don’t, you’ll pay.”
Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said at Wednesday’s press conference that his team needs to turn things around after a difficult stretch. It’s not just Darnold’s struggles hurting this team; the Seahawks rank second-to-last in third-down efficiency, and the running game has been inconsistent since Kenneth Walker III left in the offseason. Things won’t get easier for the Seahawks, as they will face a Broncos defense that has been among the league’s best. Despite the challenge on Thursday Night Football, Macdonald will look for his team to respond to adversity and show improvement.
“We’re losing focus and we attack it and we find solutions, and we evolve and we move forward,” Macdonald said. “It’s really important that we focus on those things. I think our focus is on doubling down on what we do.”
Darnold understands the importance of learning from his mistakes and not putting his defense in a bad position. That’s why he wants the offense to establish an early-down rhythm so the unit doesn’t put itself in many third-down situations. Along with the offense, Macdonald knows his defense must execute against Nix, a quarterback who can capitalize on mistakes if Seattle fails to stay disciplined.
While it’s still not danger territory for the Seahawks, the team needs to play with urgency as the NFC West starts to slip away and a top NFC seed, which was crucial to last year’s run to the Super Bowl, is now in question. Darnold and the offense can put the struggles narrative to bed with a great performance against an elite Broncos defense, but they have to protect the ball if they want to leave Denver with a win.
Denver Broncos Looking for Offensive Spark
The Broncos offense has had an ugly start to the season despite their 3-2 record. The unit has been among the worst in the NFL, forcing head coach Sean Payton to share more play-calling duties with offensive coordinator Davis Webb last week. Despite that change, the offense still struggles.
In their win over the Chargers, Denver’s offense managed only 224 yards and struggled on third down, going 1-for-12. They scored 13 points off turnovers and generated only three points from a drive that didn’t come off a turnover. Now, they average 18.5 points per game, ranking 27th in the league, and 280.2 yards, ranking 28th in the NFL. Their running game has also struggled, ranking 27th in yards per carry, and they have continued to struggle to get off to fast starts, scoring only two first-half touchdowns.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Payton emphasized the importance of fast starts and ball security, as the Broncos have committed at least one turnover in every game.
“It’d be nice to play well earlier and not constantly put ourselves in that position,” Payton said. “We’re constantly grinding to calm it down and create some matchups in some call it first or second in the progression throws that make it less risky.”
Nix has struggled since returning from injury, ranking 24th in the league in quarterback rating and 26th in completion percentage. He has had five fumbles in the first five weeks and has thrown for more than 200 yards in only two games this season. Ahead of Thursday Night Football, Nix said at Tuesday’s press conference that he needs to make better decisions as he faces one of the NFL’s best defenses.
“I can’t put my team in a situation where I’m turning the football over and putting our defense in a bad spot, giving them a short field,” Nix said. “If the play’s there, hit it. If it’s not there, check it down. Run, throw it away, punt. I do think I can make the game simpler and get back to, you know, one, two, checkdown, that sort of thing, and making sure my reads are on point.”
Despite offensive struggles, the defense has kept this team in games, even as its run defense struggles. They rank ninth in passing defense, allowing 202.2 passing yards per game, and 13th in scoring defense, allowing 22.2 points per game. They have also forced seven turnovers and scored 27 points off them. However, Denver will miss key defensive players, Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, on Thursday Night Football, putting added pressure on the offense to deliver against Seattle.
Payton has acknowledged how talented the Seahawks defense is, and Nix knows this offense has a lot to fix. This is a great opportunity for the Broncos to make a statement in a prime-time Thursday Night Football matchup against the defending Super Bowl champions. If they can put on a great offensive performance, including a fast start, they can put themselves back in Super Bowl contention. The defense must keep setting the tone by pressuring Darnold, forcing turnovers, and giving the offense favorable field position. If both units deliver, Denver can get a huge win on Thursday Night Football.
Prediction
Seahawks 27, Broncos 16
Main Image: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
