DENVER Another turnover-scarred performance placed additional pressure on Sam Darnold, prompting him to address his teammates directly in the postgame locker room.
The Seahawks quarterback, typically more inclined to lead through deed than declaration since arriving in Seattle over a year ago, acknowledged his growing responsibility for costly mistakes. His second pick of the night, thrown in overtime, helped enable a 53-yard field goal by Denver’s Wil Lutz that clinched a 17–14 victory for the Broncos.
Darnold’s seventh interception of the season tied him for the league lead. Following the loss at Empower Field at Mile High, he spoke candidly in the visiting locker room, expressing frustration with his recurring ball-security issues.
“It’s BS for me to keep turning the ball over,” he told teammates. “It’s not fair to our defense. Not fair to special teams. Honestly, not fair to anyone on this roster.”
Last season, Seattle captured its second Super Bowl title despite Darnold’s frequent miscues. He led the NFL in total turnovers during the regular season, 20 in all, including 14 picks and six fumbles, then tightened his play in the postseason, delivering three straight games without a turnover.
Thursday’s contest, however, saw Darnold nearly undo Seattle’s comeback twice over. With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter and trailing 14–11, he floated a pass toward Tory Horton near the left sideline; Broncos safety Kris Abrams-Draine read the throw perfectly and intercepted it for his second career pick.
Seattle’s defense held firm, limiting Denver’s struggling offense to 168 total yards, forced a quick three-and-out, and gave the offense one final chance. Quarterback Darnold and company responded with a methodical drive, capped by a 34-yard field goal from Jason Myers, whose earlier miss from 47 yards had been his first of the campaign.
The Seahawks’ fortunes shifted again early in overtime. On the sixth play of the extra period, Darnold launched another deep attempt down the left sideline, this time targeting Rashid Shaheed. The ball arrived short and slow, allowing JaQuan McMillian to intercept it cleanly. Four plays later, Lutz connected on the winning field goal.
Coach Mike Macdonald reinforced the need for improved ball security after the game. “We have to take care of the ball,” he said. “Sam knows that. He told the team that. We got to take care of the ball.”
With six games elapsed in their title defense and a 3–3 record, the Seahawks appear less equipped to absorb Darnold’s inconsistencies than they were a year ago. Offense-wide production has lagged under first-year coordinator and play-caller Brian Fleury.
Shaheed delivered one of his strongest performances in the passing game, five catches for 66 yards, but also contributed to the team’s turnover woes. He fumbled twice, recovering one on a kickoff return that opened overtime, though a penalty pushed the Seahawks back to their own 13-yard line. His second lost fumble in the second quarter halted one of Seattle’s few productive first-half drives.
That marked the team’s fifth fumble loss in six games. Through six contests, Seattle has coughed up the ball 12 times, second only to the winless Los Angeles Chargers, and has surrendered 47 points directly off turnovers, the most in the league.
The Seahawks' offense struggled to establish balance against the Broncos, relying heavily on individual efforts from their quarterback and top receiver. Despite some effective runs from reserve ball carriers, the team failed to generate consistent production on the ground.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, currently the league's leading receiver, delivered a standout performance with 12 catches for 134 yards. His contribution accounted for nearly half of the passing yardage recorded by the starting quarterback.
A veteran wide receiver posted his best numbers of the season, hauling in five passes for 50 yards. Despite the personal success, he expressed dissatisfaction with the collective offensive effort.
"We are not doing a good enough job offensively to allow [the quarterback] to play, really," the receiver stated. "We're not doing a good enough job allowing him to get into a flow, turning small plays into big plays. We're not doing a good enough job with the run game. We're not doing a good enough job of protecting him. There's a lot of things that need to improve."
The quarterback, who reported feeling physically sound following a glute injury sustained in the season opener against New England, was sacked five times in the contest. He acknowledged the need to release the ball more rapidly and make decisions with greater speed.
Head coach Mike Macdonald commented on the team's shortcomings. "It wasn't a performance that was good enough to win the game by our team. But your quarterback leads the team," Macdonald said. "I'd bet you [the quarterback] would be the first one to tell you that."
The quarterback accepted responsibility for the loss, stating that his repeated turnovers are unacceptable. His teammates rallied around him while acknowledging the missed opportunities.
A defensive lineman noted the team's inconsistency in securing close games. "I feel like we're doing well, we're showing what type of team we are at times," he said. "But we're not doing enough to close out these games that we should be."
The team has secured three victories this season by a combined 34 points but has suffered three losses by a total of eight points.
Consequently, the franchise's postseason outlook has dimmed. Projections indicate the likelihood of winning the NFC West has fallen from 32 percent at the start of the campaign to 11 percent. The San Francisco 49ers currently hold a 74 percent probability, while the Los Angeles Rams sit at 15 percent.
The probability of qualifying for the playoffs has decreased from 78 percent to 60 percent. The team's chance of repeating as champions stands at 6 percent, down from an initial projection of 10 percent.
"Three losses is not going to take us out of a run for the championship," the defensive lineman said. "But it's definitely time to really hone in and focus on what's stopping us from winning these games."
Ball security remains the primary obstacle hindering the team's success. Similar to the recent narrow defeats to Washington and San Francisco, turnovers have plagued the roster. The quarterback threw four interceptions in a loss to the Rams prior to the team's 10-game winning streak last season. At that time, a linebacker vigorously defended the quarterback's performance.
"A lot's going to get put on [the quarterback] for the result at the end of the day," the wide receiver said. "But we're all out there with him. And we all have a responsibility in this."
Macdonald emphasized the need for improved pass protection for Darnold, noting that the Denver defense recorded 17 hits on the quarterback during the contest. Regarding the offensive struggles, Darnold remarked that the team's ground attack has been inconsistent, alternating between effective stretches and periods of stagnation. Kupp characterized the current problems facing Seattle as widespread, affecting multiple facets of the game.
The most beneficial scenario for the organization moving forward would be to avoid any recurrence of the situation that necessitated Darnold's address to his teammates on Thursday.
Williams expressed confidence in the quarterback's leadership, stating that the group trusts him and that Darnold possesses faith in his own abilities. Williams added his belief that the quarterback will overcome the current difficulties.