The Broncos vs. Seahawks Thursday Night game pits two 3-2 teams against each other. A loss doesn’t necessarily doom either side, but a win would do wonders. What are the biggest storylines to look for?
This Broncos vs. Seahawks matchup is intriguing because both quarterbacks have had a shaky start to the season. Let’s begin with Denver quarterback Bo Nix. His biggest criticism has been his inability to see the field well.
The third-year quarterback has struggled to process the field, occasionally overlooking open receivers. Nix is averaging less than 200 yards per game and has an 80.8 passer rating this season, which ranks toward the bottom third of the league.
Seattle’s quarterback, Sam Darnold, is on the other end of the spectrum. He has been reckless with the football, committing turnovers at an alarming rate since returning from injury in Week Three. In three full games, he has thrown for five interceptions, which is nearly two a game.
Turnovers were the major criticism early in Darnold’s career when he struggled with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. It’s important that the ninth-year quarterback reminds the public that his early struggles are behind him and the current stretch is a blip.
It’s not set up well for either of these quarterbacks to play well. The Seahawks have the best pass defense while the Broncos have the ninth-best in terms of yards. A strong performance from either quarterback could be the difference in a matchup featuring two excellent defenses.
This is the biggest question for this Broncos vs. Seahawks game. Can Denver keep Jaxon Smith-Njigba in check without Patrick Surtain, Talanoa Hufanga, and possibly Riley Moss? The secondary did an admirable job against the Los Angeles Chargers, holding Justin Herbert to just 121 yards.
The Broncos’ secondary performance, however, could also be a product of how broken the Chargers’ offense is at the moment. Seattle is a much more polished offense, and it’s because of JSN. Through five games, he already has 583 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Healthy secondaries have struggled to contain Smith-Njigba. It’s going to be a tough matchup for Denver, but if any unit can overcome adversity, it’s that defense. That side of the ball has been the gold standard of this franchise for the last decade and change.
The Broncos also have quality corners in Ja’Quan McMillian and Jahdee Barron, who have a chance to prove themselves this week against Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. How do you think Denver’s secondary will hold up?
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The most fascinating aspect of this Broncos vs. Seahawks matchup is how similar they have been since the beginning of 2024. Both teams finished 10-7 in the 2024 season. They both then went 14-3 in 2025 and won their conference.
Had Nix not broken his ankle, that very well may have been the Super Bowl 60 matchup. Now, in 2026, both teams are 3-2 to start the season. It’s incredible to think that both teams are 27-12 since the beginning of 2024 and have mirrored each other every step of the way.
Seattle and Denver have developed a fascinating connection despite playing in different conferences. It began in the 2010s. There was always debate about which defense was better: The 2013 Seahawks or the 2015 Broncos? Legion Of Boom or No Fly Zone?
The Russell Wilson trade then happened. The world thought the Broncos fleeced the Seahawks, and the very first game after the trade was Wilson’s return to Seattle on Monday Night Football in Week One.
The Seahawks shocked everyone, won 17-16, and went on to have a great season while Denver stumbled greatly. It was later realized that Seattle fleeced the Broncos.
A few years later, Nix made his debut against the Seahawks in Mike MacDonald’s debut as Seattle’s head coach. Seattle won 26-20. About a month ago, MacDonald said he and the team gathered film from fan recordings to prepare for that game.
McDonald’s comment didn’t sit well with Sean Payton, which led to some tension between the two briefly. These two teams have been connected to one another for more than a decade. Thursday Night will feature the latest battle between the two as they will both suit up in their throwback uniforms.
Who wins it?
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