Broncos Beat Seahawks 17-14 in OT on McMillian Interception and Lutz Field Goal/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Sam Darnold in overtime before Wil Lutz kicked a 53-yard field goal to give Denver a 17-14 victory over Seattle. The Broncos improved to 4-2 despite producing only 168 yards of offense, while their defense recorded five sacks. Seattle rallied from a 14-3 halftime deficit but suffered its second loss in five days, falling to 3-3.
Quick Look
- Winning kick: Lutz converted from 53 yards after McMillian’s overtime interception.
- Defensive pressure: Denver hit Darnold 17 times and collected five sacks.
- Offensive struggles: Bo Nix passed for 107 yards as Denver managed three first downs.
- Seattle comeback: The Seahawks scored 11 unanswered points late in regulation to force overtime.
- Turnover impact: Darnold threw two interceptions, and Seattle also lost a first-half fumble.
- Next games: Seattle hosts Kansas City and Denver hosts Arizona on Oct. 25.
Deep Look
McMillian and Lutz Deliver Broncos’ Overtime Victory
DENVER — The Broncos overcame another difficult offensive performance Thursday night, leaning on defensive pressure and a decisive overtime takeaway to defeat the Seattle Seahawks 17-14.
Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Sam Darnold on Seattle’s opening overtime possession, and Wil Lutz finished the game with a 53-yard field goal.
Denver improved to 4-2 after a challenging six-game opening stretch despite injuries and continued uncertainty on offense.
Seattle dropped to 3-3 with its second defeat in five days, already matching its loss total from last season’s Super Bowl championship campaign.
Denver Wins Despite Just 168 Offensive Yards
The Broncos finished with 168 yards of total offense and only three first downs. Seattle gained 353 yards.
Bo Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards, following a 123-yard passing performance in the previous week’s narrow victory over the Chargers.
J.K. Dobbins led Denver’s rushing attack with 41 yards.
“I don’t know why we can’t really push the ball vertically right now,” Nix said. “But defenses are just sitting back and hanging out. … Hopefully we find a way to get more out of it.”
Nix acknowledged that Denver had not found the explosive plays needed to make its offense more effective.
“We’re definitely capable, we’ve shown it,” he said. “And, you know I don’t know where the disconnect is right now, to be honest with you. … I just think we’re really, for some reason, struggling to find those explosive plays, and that’s what makes an offense really spectacular: Is finding explosive plays. And right now, we don’t have those.”
Broncos Defense Keeps Pressure on Darnold
Denver’s injury-depleted defense compensated with five sacks and 17 hits on Darnold.
“The quarterback’s getting hit way too much,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “Everybody sees that.”
Darnold credited the Broncos and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
“You’ve got to give credit to those guys,” Darnold said. “They’ve got a really tough defense, really good defense coordinator in Vance (Joseph).”
Darnold completed 27 of 51 passes for 278 yards without a touchdown and threw two interceptions.
His second interception came in overtime, when McMillian picked off a pass intended for Rashid Shaheed at Denver’s 43-yard line.
Seahawks Rally Late to Force Overtime
Seattle scored just three points on its first eight possessions before mounting a late comeback.
An 11-play, 67-yard drive ended with George Holani’s 1-yard touchdown run. Darnold then connected with Shaheed for a two-point conversion, cutting Denver’s lead to 14-11 with 5:41 remaining.
The Broncos appeared close to securing the win when Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted Darnold at Denver’s 30 with 1:25 left.
But Denver used only 15 seconds before punting.
Shaheed returned the punt 31 yards, giving Seattle the ball at midfield. Jason Myers then kicked a 34-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to tie the game at 14.
The Seahawks had scored 11 unanswered points over the final 5½ minutes of regulation.
Macdonald Praises Effort but Calls for Improvement
Macdonald said Seattle’s comeback demonstrated resilience, even though it did not produce a victory.
“No moral victories in the league,” Macdonald said. “It’s a bottom-line business, production business. But I’m proud of our effort. I’m proud of the resolve of the team. I’m proud of our connectedness of our team.
“However, there’s things that we need to get better at quickly, and we know those things; they’re within our control, and that’s what we do. We find solutions, and we get things figured out, we move forward, and we evolve.”
Denver coach Sean Payton offered a similarly measured assessment despite the result.
“Defensively, we were magnificent,” said Payton, who acknowledged, “I’m a little bit of a realist to know that 4-2 could easily be 2-4.”
Dobbins and Harvey Build First-Half Lead
Denver established a 14-3 halftime advantage with touchdowns from two running backs.
Dobbins scored on a 4-yard run. On the Broncos’ next possession, R.J. Harvey took a direct snap and scored from a yard out.
Seattle’s most promising first-half drive ended at Denver’s 34 when Nik Bonitto knocked the ball out of Shaheed’s hands and linebacker Justin Strnad recovered.
Denver Extends Strong Overtime Record
The victory improved Denver’s franchise overtime record to 33-23-2, the NFL’s second-best mark.
Seattle fell to 19-30-1 in overtime.
“It was a good win,” Payton said, “but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Injuries and Upcoming Schedule
Seattle tight end Elijah Arroyo left late in the first half with an apparent right shoulder injury suffered while diving for a fumble.
Denver played without cornerback Patrick Surtain II and starting safety Talanoa Hufanga, both sidelined by ankle injuries.
Broncos running back Tyler Badie injured a thumb in the second quarter.
Both teams next play Oct. 25. Seattle hosts the Kansas City Chiefs, while Denver welcomes the Arizona Cardinals.
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