Broncos beat Seahawks 17-14 in overtime after late rally
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Denver beat Seattle 17-14 in overtime on Thursday Night Football in Week 6.
- Wil Lutz kicked a 53-yard field goal to win it after an interception gave Denver the ball.
- Denver moved to 4-2, while Seattle fell to 3-3 with a second straight loss.
Denver beat Seattle 17-14 in overtime on Thursday night. Wil Lutz kicked the winning field goal. The kick came late in the extra period.
Seattle tied the game with three seconds left in normal time. Denver still found a way to win. The game was a Week 6 Thursday Night Football game.
What happened
The game was played at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. A preview of the game had set up the prime-time clash. Both teams came in with winning records.
Seattle scored first. Jason Myers kicked a 55-yard field goal in the first quarter.
A field goal is worth 3 points. Seattle led 3-0.
Denver took charge in the second quarter. Running back Dobbins scored on a 4-yard run.
The drive covered 74 yards in 16 plays. Denver led 7-3.
Harvey scored next on a 1-yard run. He took a direct snap and ran behind the right guard. The drive covered 79 yards in nine plays.
Denver led 14-3 at half time.
Seattle got chances in the third quarter. Myers missed a 47-yard field goal off the right post. Denver's offense stalled after half time.
The Broncos punted on every full second-half drive.
Seattle fought back in the fourth quarter. George Holani scored on a 1-yard run with 5:41 left.
Then Darnold found Shaheed for a two-point play. A two-point play is worth 2 points. Seattle trailed only 14-11.
Denver looked safe with 1:25 left. Abrams-Draine picked off Darnold at the Denver 31-yard line.
An interception is when the defense catches the other team's pass. Denver got the ball back.
But Denver went three-and-out and punted fast. Shaheed returned the punt 31 yards to the Seattle 46-yard line.
Darnold drove Seattle into range. Myers kicked a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left.
The score was tied at 14 points each. It went to overtime.
In overtime, Seattle got the ball first. Darnold threw a pass down the left side. McMillian picked it off at the Seattle 43-yard line.
Denver needed only a field goal to win. Denver gained only 8 yards on the drive.
Lutz still kicked a 53-yard field goal. Denver won the game. The win moved Denver to 4-2.
Why it matters
Denver won with only 168 yards of offense. Seattle gained 353 yards. Yards show how far a team moves the ball.
Seattle moved it much farther and still lost.
Turnovers explain the gap. Seattle gave the ball away three times.
A turnover is when a team loses the ball to the other side. Two of them were Darnold interceptions.
Pressure was the other big factor. Denver sacked Darnold five times.
A sack is when the defense tackles the quarterback behind the line. Denver hit Darnold 17 times in all.
Seattle also wasted good field position. The Seahawks drove inside the Denver 40 six times.
Those drives produced only a field goal, a touchdown, and a two-point play. That is not enough in a close game.
Seattle had scored 29 or more points in each of its past four games. On this night, Seattle scored only 14 points. Seattle came in off a 32-29 loss to San Francisco.
Mike Evans starred in that game with 113 yards and a touchdown. Seattle needed a better night on offense.
Denver kept a long home streak alive. The Broncos led by 11 points in the fourth quarter. Denver has not lost a home game from that spot since the 2004 season.
That loss came against the Raiders.
Denver won without two key defenders. Cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga did not play, according to Athlon.
The defense still made the biggest plays of the night.
The key numbers
Bo Nix threw 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards. He threw no touchdowns and no interceptions. Nix and the passing game faded after half time.
Denver had only 30 yards in the second half.
Darnold threw 27 of 51 passes for 278 yards. He threw no touchdowns and two interceptions.
Denver sacked him five times. That is the second game in a row with five sacks against him.
Dobbins ran for 41 yards on 17 carries. That was the best mark on the Denver team. Harvey caught three passes for 31 yards.
He also scored a touchdown.
Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 134 yards. He had only two catches for 11 yards at half time.
It was his fifth game over 100 yards in six games this season. Only five other players have done that in the Super Bowl era.
Wilson ran for 52 yards on 14 carries for Seattle. Shaheed added five catches for 66 yards. Shaheed also returned kicks for 118 yards.
His late 31-yard punt return set up the tying field goal.
Denver converted 3 of 14 third downs. Third down is a key play to keep a drive alive. Denver averaged 2.9 yards per play.
The Broncos scored on both trips to the red zone. The red zone is the area near the goal line.
Seattle had 91 yards in the first half. The Seahawks scored only three points in that span. Then the defense held Denver down and the offense woke up.
It was not enough.
What happens next
Denver gets a long break before its next game. The Broncos visit the Arizona Cardinals on October 25, according to Athlon. The break gives Denver time to fix its offense.
The Broncos gained only 30 yards after half time.
Seattle must protect Darnold better. Denver sacked him five times on Thursday.
The 49ers sacked Darnold five times the week before. That is 10 sacks in two games.
Seattle must also turn long drives into points. Six trips inside the Denver 40 produced too little.
The Seahawks need more from those trips. They also need fewer turnovers.
Denver leaves with a 4-2 record and a long rest. Seattle leaves with clear fixes to make. The next games will show which team learned more from this night.
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