The Broncos left Seattle with another one-score win, but this one took overtime and an interception to finish the job on Thursday Night Football. After Ja'Quan McMillian picked off Sam Darnold in overtime, Denver moved into Seahawks territory, picked up a few yards on three plays, and then sent Wil Lutz out to put the game away.
That victory pushed the Broncos to 4-2, and it came in a game where the defense set the tone from the start. Denver smothered Seattle in the first half, and even though the Seahawks put up 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Broncos kept coming. The pass rush bothered Darnold all night, the secondary held up despite being short-handed, and the Seahawks ended up with five punts, two turnovers, and five sacks against them.
Kris Abrams-Draine also came through with a big interception in the fourth quarter, while Jahdae Barron earned his share of credit for helping the defense survive a long night. Jaxon Smith-Njigba did damage in the second half, but Denver made enough plays to keep control when it mattered most.
The offense, on the other hand, had a split personality. In the first half, the Broncos put together two impressive touchdown drives and looked sharp enough to build a cushion.
After that, though, the production dried up. They couldn’t get the run game going, and even the overtime possession began with the ball already in plus territory.
That run-game issue keeps hanging over this team. The offensive line still isn’t creating much push, and there’s clearly uncertainty about whether Bo Nix is missing open receivers. The first half suggested something better might be there, but the second half told a very different story, and the offense faded hard after those early scores.
Even with those issues, Denver walked out of a brutal six-game opening stretch at 4-2. Before the season, plenty of people would have signed up for 3-3 against that schedule. Instead, the Broncos beat Jacksonville, both Los Angeles teams, and the defending Super Bowl champions to get here.
For all the winning, though, Nix remains the biggest question mark. His mobility, in particular, stands out.
He doesn’t look as dynamic as he did before the ankle injury, and that lack of burst has become impossible to ignore. There’s a real chance he’s still working through a mental hurdle tied to that injury, but either way, he hasn’t played his best football.
If Denver wants to make a deep playoff run, that has to change.
For now, though, the Broncos keep finding a way to win.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Is Taking Heat For A Broncos Concern Fans Know Too Well
Bo Nixs afternoon against the Seahawks only sharpened a conversation that has been building around the Broncos quarterback, even as Denver remains 4-2 and in a solid early-season position. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards with no touchdown passes, the lowest passing total of his young season and his first game without finding the end zone through the air.
The issue isnt just one rough stat line, either. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Colin Cowherd both took aim at Nixs playing style, pointing to the frequent checkdowns and the lack of downfield production that can make the offense feel narrower than it should be. For a Broncos team trying to prove it can win with more than just efficiency and defense, the concern is familiar enough to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Secondary Is Creating A Contract Question Denver Can't Ignore
The Broncos are 4-2 after their overtime win against the Seahawks, and the defense keeps making a strong case for why this early surge deserves more than a quick glance. In the secondary, Brandon Jones, Talanoa Hufanga and Ja'Quan McMillian have all had moments that have changed games, with each player standing out in different ways as Denvers back end has become one of the clearer strengths on the roster.
Jones, in particular, has turned his contract year into a bigger conversation than Denver probably wanted this soon, while Hufanga and McMillian have also done enough to make extensions feel like a real front-office issue rather than a future formality. The Broncos have found themselves with a secondary that is producing on the field and raising questions off it, and the longer this continues, the harder it gets to imagine the team letting those discussions wait until later. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Is Already Fueling A Brutal Broncos Debate
Bo Nixs Sunday against the Seahawks did not help quiet the conversation around how the Broncos want their young quarterback to operate. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards, and the lack of push downfield stood out in a game where Denver needed more from the passing attack. The Broncos are still 4-2, but this was Nixs quietest outing through the air so far and the first time this season he did not throw a touchdown pass.
The reaction around the performance came quickly, with media voices like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Colin Cowherd zeroing in on his tendency to settle for checkdowns instead of challenging defenses deeper. For a Broncos team trying to build around him, that kind of critique is more than background noise because it speaks directly to the style they think can work long term. The bigger question now is whether this was just a rough afternoon or a sign of a debate that is only going to get louder. [Read more 🡒]