Week 6 opens with a short-week meeting in Denver between two teams that entered 2026 with huge expectations and identical 3-2 records through five games. The Broncos and Seahawks both won 14-3 last season, and by Thursday night, one of them will already be sitting on a third loss.
That’s the kind of early-season turn that makes this stretch matter so much. With less than a month left before the NFL trade deadline, the league is starting to sort itself out, but it still feels wide open in plenty of places.
Seattle comes in as a 3-point favorite on the road, and the reasons are pretty clear. The Seahawks have had problems protecting the ball, piling up 8 giveaways over their last three games. Even so, they’ve still found a way to average 30 points per game, thanks in large part to 7 takeaways from the defense.
Denver’s situation has been even rougher on offense. The Broncos have leaned on the defense for 5 takeaways over their last three games because the attack, and Bo Nix in particular, has been inept at times this season. Facing the Mike Macdonald defense on a short week is not exactly the best cure for that.
Both teams still want to be in the Super Bowl conversation, and Seattle is obviously trying to defend its title. But with the Chiefs and 49ers both unbeaten and already ahead of them in the AFC West and NFC West, this game is carrying more weight than it looked like it might a month ago.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Tough Christian Haynes Decision After Latest Loss
After the loss to the 49ers, the Seahawks are again staring at the kind of midseason roster question that can reshape a stretch run. Turnovers helped sink them, and with the trade deadline approaching, Seattle is weighing whether to make a move that could help at running back while also affecting a part of the roster that has quietly stabilized.
Christian Haynes has been one of the better recent stories on the offensive line, which is exactly why his name has surfaced as a possible trade candidate. Moving him could give Seattle a chance to address another need, but it would also create a hole up front unless the return is strong enough to justify it, leaving the Seahawks with a decision that is as much about protecting what they have as it is about adding something new. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have Real Hope For A Backfield Boost
The Seahawks may finally be closing in on a much-needed boost in the backfield, with Zach Charbonnet now trending toward a possible season debut in Week 7. The second-year running back has been sidelined since tearing his ACL late last season, and Seattle has gone the first six games without him as it has tried to sort through its rushing workload.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that Charbonnet has a legitimate chance to get back on the field next week, which would give the Seahawks another physical option at a position that has felt thin at times. Even before he was hurt, Charbonnet looked like a player Seattle wanted to feature, so his return would carry real weight for a team trying to stabilize its ground game heading into the heart of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Josh Jobe Problem They Can't Ignore
Josh Jobe entered this stretch with a real opportunity to settle into a larger role after signing a three-year deal with Seattle, but the latest outing against San Francisco did not help his case. He was targeted often enough to become a focal point, and the damage in receptions and yards was hard to miss for a Seahawks secondary still trying to find its best mix.
The cornerback room already looks different after the offseason shuffle and the addition of Trevon Diggs, which only raises the pressure on Jobe to hold his spot. If Seattle decides the competition needs another jolt, more changes are possible, and the next few decisions around the position will say plenty about how much faith the team really has in Jobe's long-term fit. [Read more 🡒]