The Denver Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 in overtime on Thursday night, with kicker Wil Lutz making a 53-yard field goal after cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold.
Seattle received the ball first in overtime and faced third-and-7 from its own 28. Darnold threw into double coverage along the sideline, and McMillian, who tracked the pass the whole way, stepped in front of it for the interception, giving Denver the ball at Seattle’s 43-yard line.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton called three straight running plays to run clock and set up the kick, and Lutz converted the 53-yarder for the win.
A strong start, then a stall
Denver controlled the first half, building a 14-3 lead on short touchdown runs by J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. But the offense went cold after the break. Quarterback Bo Nix finished with just 107 passing yards, and Denver managed only 36 total yards across eight second-half possessions.
Seattle rallied in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 14-11 on a George Holani touchdown and a two-point conversion pass from Darnold to Rashid Shaheed. With time running out, Seahawks kicker Jason Myers hit a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left to send the game to overtime.
Defense carries the day
Playing without star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, Denver’s defense, led by coordinator Vance Joseph, pressured Darnold throughout the game, sacking him five times and forcing turnovers at key moments. Nik Bonitto stripped Shaheed near the goal line, Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted Darnold in the fourth quarter, and McMillian’s overtime pick sealed the win.
Seattle outgained Denver 353 total yards to the Broncos’ far more modest output, and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 134 yards. But the three turnovers proved too costly for the Seahawks to overcome.
The win moves Denver to 4-2 on the season, behind the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos now get a 10-day break before hosting the Arizona Cardinals.
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