DENVER — It took a little extra time to knock off the champs.
But in a prime-time showdown against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos used an overtime takeaway to capture a dramatic 17-14 win.
In the extra period — which came after Seattle rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit — Ja'Quan McMillian stepped in front of a Sam Darnold pass for the Broncos' third takeaway of the game. Four plays later, Wil Lutz knocked through a 53-yard game-winning field goal.
Denver's defense — which played 82 snaps in Thursday's win — sacked Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold five times and recorded 17 quarterback hits while also forcing the three takeaways. The unit recorded six consecutive stops during one stretch of the game.
Offensively, the Broncos got off to a fast start against a defense that ranked No. 1 in yards allowed entering Week 6. Denver scored 14 points in the first half on back-to-back touchdown drives that spanned 16 plays and nine plays, respectively. After a second half in which the team was held scoreless, the Broncos added the deciding three points in overtime.
The Broncos (4-2) have now won four of their last five games and earned victories in all three of their home matchups this season.
The "look good, feel good, play good" trend also continued: Denver improved to 6-0 in its throwback uniforms.
These are the players and plays that made the difference in the Broncos' prime-time win.
GAME-CHANGING MOMENT
In a win of this magnitude, there are any number of moments that could earn this spot.
The Broncos' fourth-down conversion on their first touchdown drive. A first-half forced fumble and ensuing recovery that ended a promising Seattle drive. Any one of Denver's second-half stops, including after a 42-yard completion to Rasheed Shaheed to Denver's 27-yard line that ultimately resulted in a missed field goal. A Kris Abrams-Draine interception late in regulation.
But in this game, the biggest moment didn't come until the end. With Seattle facing a third-and-7 in overtime, McMillian's interception set the Broncos up in position to knock through the game-winning field goal.
It may be simplistic to point to the takeaway in a game that featured a number of critical moments, but the outcome was in doubt until that moment.
DEFINING STATISTIC
11 & 17.
The Broncos led by 11 points at halftime, courtesy of a pair of first-half touchdowns and impressive defensive play. The 11-point halftime lead was the Broncos' largest since a Week 8 win over the Cowboys in 2025, and it ultimately was enough to get Denver to overtime. The Broncos' 14 first-half points were a season high as they got out to the early advantage.
The defensive performance was so spectacular that it deserves a nod here, too. The Broncos recorded 17 hits on Darnold and pressured him more than 20 times.
MEMORABLE HIGHLIGHT
The Broncos kept the Seahawks out of the red zone until the fourth quarter of Thursday's game. But in the second quarter, the Seahawks obtained possession at their own 40-yard line and picked up two first downs to move the ball to the Denver 35-yard line. The team appeared well-positioned to make their first trip of the night to the red zone, but Denver's defense made one of the unit's several game-changing plays to prevent that from happening. After Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed caught a pass from quarterback Sam Darnold, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto punched the ball out of his arms and inside linebacker Justin Strnad jumped on it. Rather than allowing the Seahawks to continue their drive and potentially cut into their first-half deficit, Denver took over.
BOX-SCORE STANDOUTS
…. The Broncos matched their season-high sack mark with five takedowns of Darnold. Seven different players — Zach Allen, Ja'Quan McMillian, Nik Bonitto, Justin Strnad, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson and Malcolm Roach —contributed at least half a sack in the win. Roach led the team with four quarterback hits.
… The Broncos also matched their season-high takeaway mark, generating three turnovers. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine's interception was the second of his NFL career and his first since the 2024 season, while cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian secured his first interception of the 2026 season in overtime.
… Running back J.K. Dobbins found the end zone for the second consecutive week, while running back RJ Harvey scored his first touchdown of the 2026 season.
... Punter Jeremy Crawshaw helped flip the field in several key moments, averaging 49.4 yards per punt. Safety JL Skinner recorded multiple special teams tackles.
