The Broncos vs. Seahawks Thursday night game was just how one would expect. A low-scoring meeting that ended up 17-14, with a late-game turnover being the nail in the coffin. Here are my major takeaways.
Everyone knew this Broncos vs. Seahawks game was going to be a defensive battle. Both defenses ranked top ten in pass defense coming into this game. There was one slight concern on Denver’s side of things.
Seattle’s defense was healthy while Vance Joseph’s squad was not. The Broncos were missing defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain, Talanoa Hufanga, and Riley Moss was in and out of the lineup. Yet Denver’s depleted secondary rose to the occasion.
That Denver defense pummeled Sam Darnold and that Seahawks offense. They recorded five sacks and forced three turnovers. It was a true display of next-man-up mentality. Players like Kris Abrams-Draine and Ja’Quan McMillian had crucial interceptions late in this game.
Seattle had scored 29+ points in three straight games coming into Thursday night’s game. Denver’s short-handed defensive unit held them to 14 in four and a half quarters of football. It may have been Joseph’s greatest performance since becoming the Broncos’ defensive coordinator in 2023.
After the first two games, it looked like the Seahawks were going to be viewed as the favorites again. They beat the New England Patriots on opening night with backup quarterback Drew Lock and pummeled the Arizona Cardinals 31-7 in Week Two. Sam Darnold was set to return from his injury in Week Three, and the vibes were high.
Then, things suddenly changed. Seattle all of a sudden has now lost three of four games since Darnold’s return. In that span, he has thrown for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. The run game has not been effective either. The Seahawks rank 17th in the league in rushing yards per game at 107.2 yards per game. That YPG average is lower than what Kenneth Walker is outputting in Kansas City.
The team clearly misses their former Super Bowl MVP. With injuries thinning the backfield, Seattle has been forced to lean on its depth at running back, placing even more pressure on Darnold. The defense is still elite, but the offense at the moment feels too reliant on Jaxon Smith- Njigba. Seattle needs to fix the issues fast, as the Kansas City Chiefs await them next week.
Make no mistake about it. Bo Nix struggled mightily in that Broncos vs. Seahawks game. He was 17/27 for 107 yards with no touchdowns. He has a 79.4 passer rating on the season with 4.9 yards per attempt, which ranks dead last. He’s been abysmal.
One can say that objectively without taking the criticism too far. An example was what Ryan Fitzpatrick said after this recent game. He stated, “Bo Nix is not playing competitively. It’s almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he’s playing football right now.”
The general crux of Fitzpatrick’s statements isn’t wrong. Nix hasn’t played good football this year and wasn’t good on Thursday night. To say, however, that he isn’t playing “competitively” and is “disrespectful” to the QB position is a bit too far.
There have been quarterbacks who have experienced slumps like Nix, and I’ve never heard them being described as “disrespectful” to the position. We can still criticize his play without pretending like we know his motives. Criticize the throws, the reads, and the results. But questioning his competitiveness is a different accusation entirely.
Make no mistake about this: the story of this Broncos vs Seahawks game should be how great Denver was on defense while shorthanded. They are now 4-2 after a tough six-game stretch to start the season. Up next, they have the Cardinals in about nine days.
The extra time could help Denver get healthier defensively and give its offense an opportunity to address some of its persistent problems. This Broncos team is legit, and don’t let the subpar quarterback fool you.
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