The Denver Broncos defeated the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 in an overtime game Thursday night. A late interception in overtime led to a game-winning 53-yard field goal from Wil Lutz to secure the victory at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. Denver has improved to 4-2 on the season, while the defending champions fall to 3-3 after losing their second game in a row.
The Broncos relied on their defense after giving up an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. Denver controlled the game in the first half after two touchdown drives. Running back J.K. Dobbins opened the scoring on a four-yard touchdown run to cap off the 74-yard drive. The Broncos extended their lead when RJ Harvey scored a rushing touchdown.
The Broncos entered halftime with a 14-3 lead, but their offense began to struggle.
Quarterback Bo Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for only 107 yards. Denver didn’t score during the second half. Seattle’s defense took advantage of the struggling Denver offense. They repeatedly forced punts and gave the Seattle offense opportunities to get back into the game. Meanwhile, Denver’s defense continued to pressure quarterback Sam Darnold.
Darnold finished with 278 passing yards on 27-of-51 passing, but his two interceptions were detrimental to the comeback.
Photo Cred: The Spun
Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a bright spot for Seattle, catching 12 balls for 134 yards. The Seahawks finally found the end zone late in the fourth quarter when George Holani scored a rushing touchdown. Seattle then converted the two-point conversion.
Seattle’s defense forced another stop, and the Seahawks received one final drive to tie the game.
A 31-yard punt return by Rashid Shaheed helped set up kicker Jason Myers for a 34-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. The momentum quickly shifted back to Denver in overtime when cornerback Ja’Quan McMillan intercepted Darnold at Seattle’s 43-yard line. Lutz then drilled the game-winning kick from 53 yards with 4:53 remaining in Denver’s overtime victory.
Photo Cred: NFL
Denver only had 168 total yards but found a way to get the victory. Seattle’s late comeback attempt showed the team’s resilience. However, the turnovers were too much to overcome.
Denver’s ability to find a way to win is a huge strength. Seattle will look to solve its offensive struggles heading into its next matchup.
