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Magical defensive performance earns Broncos key victory over Seahawks in primetime

The Denver Broncos defeated the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 in overtime at Empower Field at Mile High on October 15, 2026, securing a victory in the NFL’s Thursday Night Football schedule. The win improved Denver’s record to 4-2, while Seattle fell to 3-3.

The Broncos led 14-3 at halftime before the Seahawks scored 11 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Despite the late push, Denver’s defense remained resilient, allowing only a field goal in the second half.

The defensive unit forced three punts and recovered a fumble, limiting Seattle’s scoring opportunities throughout the contest. Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted Sam Darnold at the Denver 31-yard line with 1:25 remaining in regulation, a play that helped preserve the lead heading into overtime.

The overtime period began with a critical defensive stop. Sam Darnold threw an interception on Seattle’s first possession, which was recovered by Ja’Quan McMillian at the Seattle 43-yard line.

The Broncos subsequently gained only eight yards on their game-winning drive, but Wil Lutz kicked a 53-yard field goal to seal the victory. The defensive performance was highlighted by the team’s ability to contain Seattle’s offense, which had outgained Denver 353 to 168 yards in total offense for the game.

Offensively, the Broncos struggled in the final 30 minutes of regulation, managing only 30 yards and two first downs while going 0-for-6 on third down. Bo Nix was 7-of-12 for 29 yards during that stretch, finishing the game 17-of-27 for 107 yards.

RJ Harvey caught three passes for 31 yards and scored a touchdown on a short run, joining J.K. Dobbins, who also found the end zone on a short run.

The team’s first-half performance was more balanced, with Sean Payton calling 17 runs and 15 passes to generate 130 yards. This approach contrasted with the Broncos’ previous five games, in which they had scored only 23 first-half points combined.

Seattle’s offense was led by Sam Darnold, who finished 27-of-51 for 278 yards with two interceptions and was sacked five times. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 134 yards, though he was limited to two catches for 11 yards in the first half.

The Seahawks’ first-half production was modest, totaling 91 yards and three points, with only 40 net passing yards. Jason Myers missed a 47-yard field goal off the right upright in the third quarter, and Rashid Shaheed lost a fumble for Seattle in the first half.

The Broncos’ defense held Seattle to 2-for-6 on third down in the first half.

Sean Payton acknowledged the areas for improvement following the win, stating, ‘There’s still obviously a lot of things that we can improve on — we have to.’

This report also draws on coverage from Pro Football Talk, Fox Sports.

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