By the time Denver lined up for the winning field goal in overtime, Seattle’s defense had already done more than enough to earn a victory. The Broncos had gained just 168 yards all night. Bo Nix hadn’t even reached 110 passing yards. And yet there was Wil Lutz, lining up from 53 yards after another Sam Darnold interception, getting ready to hand the Seahawks their second straight loss.
That’s what makes Thursday night’s 17-14 defeat so irritating. Denver didn’t exactly put on an offensive clinic. The Seahawks just couldn’t stop making mistakes when it mattered most. Five sacks, three turnovers, and an offense that repeatedly wasted the opportunities its defense gave it. Now Seattle sits at 3-3, and some of the problems that seemed manageable a couple of weeks ago are starting to look like legitimate concerns.
There were still positives to take away from this game, especially on defense. But the bad and the ugly are becoming harder to overlook. Here’s what stood out from a game Seattle had absolutely no business losing.
The Good: Seattle’s Defense Still Looks Like A Championship Unit
Let’s give credit where it’s due. After a shaky first half, Seattle’s defense was outstanding. Denver scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, one on a 16-play, 74-yard drive and another on a nine-play, 79-yard possession. At that point, it looked like the Broncos were finding holes in a defense that had been one of Seattle’s biggest strengths.
Then the Seahawks slammed the door.
Denver failed to score another offensive touchdown for the remainder of the game. The Broncos repeatedly went three-and-out, with Nix struggling to move the football against Mike Macdonald’s defense. Seattle allowed just two Denver first downs after those early touchdown drives through the end of regulation. Even in overtime, the defense forced another punt before the offense handed Denver a golden opportunity.
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV deserves plenty of credit. He finished with nine tackles and a sack, continuing his impressive season. Seattle’s defense also played without injured linebacker Drake Thomas, making the overall performance even more encouraging.
This unit wasn’t perfect, especially considering those two long scoring drives in the first half. But holding an NFL team to 168 total yards should be enough to win nearly every time. If Seattle could get even average offensive production in its biggest moments, this defense would give the Seahawks a chance against just about anyone.
And then there’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who apparently refuses to have a bad game.
Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 134 yards, his fifth 100-yard receiving performance in six games this season. What’s especially impressive is that he had only two catches for 11 yards in the first half. Even when Seattle’s offense looked completely lost, Smith-Njigba kept finding ways to make plays. He’s become the one offensive player Seattle can consistently rely on, and it’s hard to imagine where this team would be without him.
Rashid Shaheed also gave Seattle some much-needed life. He caught five passes for 66 yards, including a beautiful 42-yard reception, and added a 31-yard punt return that helped set up the game-tying field goal. His two-point conversion catch in the fourth quarter was another highlight.
Those performances are worth celebrating. Unfortunately, they couldn’t erase everything else.
The Bad: An Offensive Line That Can’t Keep Darnold Upright
Remember when Seattle’s offensive line looked like it was finally turning a corner? Those days feel pretty distant right now.
Denver sacked Sam Darnold five times and recorded 17 quarterback hits. That comes just four days after San Francisco also sacked Darnold five times. Ten sacks in two games isn’t exactly a winning formula, especially for a team trying to defend its Super Bowl title.
Not every sack belongs to the offensive line. Darnold sometimes holds the football too long, and the offense hasn’t consistently done enough to create quick, manageable passing opportunities. But Seattle’s protection problems have become impossible to ignore. When a defense knows it can generate pressure without sacrificing coverage, the quarterback has almost nowhere to go.
Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury deserves some scrutiny here, too. If the protection continues to struggle, adjustments have to come. More quick passes, better protection schemes, and an offense that doesn’t constantly put Darnold in difficult third-down situations would be a welcome start.
The running game isn’t providing much relief, either. Emanuel Wilson finished with 52 rushing yards on 14 carries. That isn’t terrible on its own, but Seattle still lacks a dependable rushing attack that can dictate the pace of a game. With Zach Charbonnet sidelined and the backfield dealing with injuries, the Seahawks have struggled to establish any real consistency.
The result? Darnold threw a career-high 51 passes Thursday night. That’s a lot to ask of any quarterback, particularly one who’s struggling with turnovers and playing behind inconsistent protection.
Then there’s Jason Myers. He connected on a 55-yard field goal in the first quarter and made the 34-yarder that sent the game into overtime, but his missed 47-yard attempt in the third quarter proved costly. In a game decided by three points, those missed opportunities matter.
Still, blaming this loss on one missed kick would be ridiculous. Seattle had more than enough chances to win without needing Myers to be perfect.
The Ugly: Sam Darnold’s Turnovers Are Becoming A Major Problem
This is where things get uncomfortable.
Darnold finished 27-of-51 for 278 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. His second interception came in overtime and essentially handed Denver the victory. Ja’Quan McMillian picked off the pass at Seattle’s 43-yard line, and Wil Lutz eventually drilled a 53-yard field goal to end the game.
That wasn’t even Darnold’s first costly mistake down the stretch. With less than two minutes remaining in regulation and Seattle threatening to take the lead, he threw an interception to Kris Abrams-Draine. Denver couldn’t capitalize, giving the Seahawks another chance, but the damage was already a warning sign.
The ugly truth is that Darnold has now thrown seven interceptions this season, and Seattle has committed 12 total turnovers through six games. That’s an alarming trend for a quarterback and a team that just won the Super Bowl.
We saw how important Darnold was to Seattle’s championship run last season. He proved he could deliver in the biggest moments, and one ugly stretch shouldn’t erase that. But the Seahawks can’t keep treating these mistakes like isolated incidents. When turnovers become a weekly storyline, there’s a much larger problem to address.
Shaheed’s first-half fumble added to the frustration, giving Seattle three turnovers on the night. And while Denver’s offense couldn’t take advantage of every gift, the Broncos eventually got the one they needed.
What makes this loss especially maddening is that Seattle fought back from an 11-point deficit. George Holani scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and Darnold connected with Shaheed for the two-point conversion. Myers later tied the game with three seconds remaining, giving the Seahawks a fresh start in overtime.
All that work, only for another interception to end everything.
Seattle didn’t lose because Denver dominated the game. The Seahawks lost because they repeatedly made mistakes at the worst possible moments. That’s a much harder pill to swallow, especially when the same problems keep showing up.
Where Do The Seahawks Go From Here?
At 3-3, there’s certainly no reason to declare the season over. Seattle still has an excellent defense, one of the NFL’s best receivers, and a head coach who knows how to win. But the Seahawks have already matched their loss total from the entire 2025 regular season, and the schedule isn’t about to get easier.
Next up is a Sunday night matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 25 at Lumen Field. That’s not exactly the opponent you’d choose when trying to fix an offense that can’t protect its quarterback or consistently take care of the football.
The good news is that Seattle has some extra time to regroup following Thursday’s game. Macdonald and his coaching staff need to use every bit of it. The offensive line needs help, the running game needs an identity, and Darnold needs to rediscover the decision-making that helped Seattle win a championship.
This defense is still capable of carrying the Seahawks a long way. Smith-Njigba is playing at an elite level. There are enough pieces here to turn things around.
But there comes a point when potential doesn’t mean much if the execution isn’t there.
Seattle’s defense held Denver to 168 yards and still lost. That should be a wake-up call for everyone in the organization.
Because if the Seahawks can’t win games when their defense plays this well, what happens when it doesn’t?
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