Sunday overtime loss to the Denver Broncos left the Seahawks at 3-3 and with many questions. The all-too-familiar storyline of crucial turnovers, two interceptions by Sam Darnold, and a key fumble by Rashid Shaheed dominated the narrative. Stellar defense was also a recurring theme. Thursday Night’s Prime Time match at Mile High’s Empower Field was an epic defensive battle. A Jason Myers 55-yard field goal gave the Seahawks the early lead after the defense forced a Broncos three-and-out on its first offensive possession.
The Broncos took the lead on their second possession, converting two of three third downs and one conversion. Running back JK Dobbins’ four-yard run gave the Broncos the 7-3 lead three minutes into the third quarter. The Seahawks couldn’t move the ball on their next offensive series and punted to the Broncos.
BRONCOS EXTEND LEAD
The Broncos extended their lead to 14-3 on their next drive after two costly defensive penalties extended it.
A facemask penalty by Bryron Murphy on third down after Marvin Mims Jr.’s third-yard reception fell two yards short of the down marker extended the drive; after the penalty was enforced, the ball moved 15 yards downfield. On the same drive, Devon Witherspoon was flagged for a pass interference penalty on second down at the Seahawks’ 21-yard line after a collision with Mims. The penalty moved the ball to the Seahawks at the one-yard line.
The Broncos scored on the next play with a direct snap to RJ Harvey for the score. A defensive battle ensued, with neither team able to move the ball, and the two teams went into halftime with a 14-3 scoreline.
SEAHAWKS DEFENSE MAKES A STAND
A defiant Seahawks defense forces a Broncos three-and-out to start the second half. The Seahawks’ offense couldn’t capitalize as Myers’ 47-yard field goal sailed wide right. On the drive, the Seahawks sacked Darnold for a 5-yard loss on third down. The Seahawks sacked Darnold five times, four on third down. The next two possessions were a matter of rinse and repeat. The Seahawks defense forced a three-and-out; the offense had a penalty on its first play of the drive, and Darnold was sacked on third down.
Gray Zabel was called for a false start on first down, which pushed the ball to the Seahawks’ 15-yard line and set up a first-and-15.
TOO MANY SACKS ON THIRD DOWN AND A LACK OF PROTECTION
The drive stalled at the Seahawks’ 47-yard line when the Broncos’ Kris Abrams-Draine and Alex Singleton sacked Darnold for a 14-yard loss on third and five. The laundry cycle continued on the next series. The Seahawks defense forced another three-and-out, and Darnold took another sack on third down during the Seahawks’ offensive possession. On third and 11 from the Broncos’ 39-yard line, Darnold did the unthinkable but predictable.
The Broncos’ Justin Strand and Malcom Roach sacked him for a seven-yard loss. While the sacks were attributed to Darnold and some bad decisions, he was under duress and took shots all night from the Denver defense. While turnovers are non-negotiable, head coach Mike Macdonald believed Darnold took too many hits.
“Well, we got… our quarterback got hit too much today, so we got to do a better job protecting him, and we got to be more decisive with the football to know that we don’t want to take those hits, but they rush and cover well. You got to give credit where it’s due, but I think we could do a better job on our end of the bargain,” said Macdonald. The Seahawks defense forced another punt, which finally gave a spark to the offense.
OFFENSE FINDS ITS RHYTHM
The offense came out with urgency and determination and moved the ball downfield. One big reason was Darnold’s ability to escape the Broncos’ rush on 3rd and 15 at midfield. Darnold rifled the ball to AJ Barner for 11 yards. With 7:50 left, Macdonald went for it on 4th and 4 from the Broncos’ 39-yard line. Darnold threw a dart to Jaxson Smith- Njigba for a seven-yard completion that moved the chains. On the next play, Brandon Jones intercepted Darnold’s intended pass to Tory Horton. A fumble flipped the field position, and the Seahawks offense got new life. The Seahawks converted on 3rd and 10 when Darnold scrambled for 18 yards to the Broncos’ 14-yard line. George Holani’s 13-yard run brought the ball to the one-yard line.
The third-year back scored on the next play. Macdonald and OC Brian Fleury rolled the dice and went for the two-point conversion. Darnold’s pass to Shaheed in the back of the end zone cut the lead to 14-11 with 5:41 left.
A CRAZY AND UNBELIEVABLE FINISH
The Seahawks defense continued its stellar play. Ernest Jones sacked Bo Nix for a 3-yard loss on the Broncos’ first offensive play. Another Broncos punt gave the ball back to the Seahawks with 3:24. The offense overcame a Grey Zabel holding penalty on first down. But the offense couldn’t overcome another ferocious rush by the Broncos defense. On 3rd and 1 at the Broncos ‘ 39-yard line with 1:31, Darnold’s intended pass for Horton was intercepted by Abrams-Draine. With 1:25 left in the game, the Seahawks defense made its biggest stand of the game.
DEFENSE FORCES ANOTHER THREE AND OUT
It forced another Broncos three-and-out. A 31-yard punt return by Shaheed put the ball at the Seahawks’ 46-yard line with 57 seconds left to play. A focused Darnold rifled passes to Barner, Cooper Kupp, and Smith-Njigba, and more impressively, a ten-yard completion to Shaheed on 3rd and 6. The pass to Smith-Njigba put the ball on the Broncos’ 23-yard line with 10 seconds to play. Myers’ 34-yard field goal split the uprights and tied the game 14 -14.
THE UNTHINKABLE
The Broncos won the overtime toss and elected to kick the ball to the Seahawks who chose to defend the North goal. After a holding penalty on the kick, the Seahawks started the first overtime possession on their own 13-yard line. Two Emanuel Wilson runs were followed by another third-down conversion. Donald to Smith-Njigba on third and three resulted in a five-yard completion.
A Holani three-yard run was followed by an incomplete pass, which brought up a third-and-seven from the 28-yard line. The third-down curse bit the Seahawks one last time, and the Broncos’ Ja’Quan McMillan intercepted Darnold’s intended pass to Shaheed. The Broncos offense ran three plays, and placekicker Will Lutz booted a 57-yard field goal to win the game.
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