Broncos vs Seahawks Two Great Quarters, Two Missing Ones, and a Defense That Saved Everybody

Broncos vs Seahawks: Two Great Quarters, Two Missing Ones, and a Defense That Saved Everybody

ByHarry Balz
Broncos vs Seahawks Two Great Quarters, Two Missing Ones, and a Defense That Saved Everybody
Broncos vs Seahawks Two Great Quarters, Two Missing Ones, and a Defense That Saved Everybody

Broncos vs Seattle in Broncos Country, I need you to sit down, pour something cold, and look at what Broncos vs Seahawks did to us Thursday night. It was the best first half this offense has played all year, followed by a second half so bad I’d like it removed from the record. Jim texted me “WE’RE BACK” at halftime. Jim, buddy, we were back for about 30 minutes of game clock. Then we left again. Denver won, though. The final was Broncos 17, Seahawks 14, and Denver squeaks by with a win in overtime thanks to another dominant defensive performance.

The First Half: They Finally Found the End Zone Before Halftime

Let’s start with the good part, because there’s only half a game of it. The Broncos pulled out to a 14-3 halftime lead over the defending Super Bowl champions. If that doesn’t sound like much, here’s the context: the Broncos had scored only 23 first-half points in their first five games combined. Twenty-three points in five first halves, and then 14 in one. Call it a miracle.

Sean Payton deserves real credit here. He took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb a game ago, and in the first half he called a more balanced game with 17 runs and 15 passes for 130 yards. RJ Harvey scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:15 remaining in the first half, and Bo Nix went in at the break 10-of-15 for 78 yards. That’s not pretty, but it worked. I told Jim this is what it looks like when the head coach takes the play sheet back. He told me it was “a small sample size.” Jim’s never met a sample size he couldn’t complain about.

The Second Half: A Statistical Crime Scene

Then the third quarter started, and I’m sorry, but these numbers are tough to look at. Mile High Report says Denver’s offense had eight drives for about 38 yards in the second half. Eight drives, 38 yards. That’s under five yards a drive. I’ve seen more forward progress from a Mile High beer line.

In the third quarter, neither team scored. Nix was 3 of 7 for 15 yards in the quarter, and at one point the Broncos have run for just two yards this quarter. Mile High Report pinned a lot of it on the offensive line, saying the problem seemed to be some pretty bad offensive line play by Ben Powers and others. That’s their read on the tape, and from my couch it looked about right.

To be fair, the trouble after halftime didn’t start Thursday. Yahoo noted that the offense bogging down in the second half has been the case many times this season. This is a pattern now, and Payton has to fix it before it turns into who this team is.

Nix Couldn’t Kill a Minute and a Half

This is the part that has me yelling at my TV. Seattle finally got going in the fourth: a fourth-down conversion to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and that led to a touchdown run by George Holani and a juggling two-point conversion catch by Rashid Shaheed. Suddenly Denver needed to protect a 14-11 lead.

Then the defense came through. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine steps in front of the pass and secures the interception in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks. Game over, right? Nope. With a minute and a half left, Denver just needed to shave some time off the clock and get the first down in order to seal the three-point win. What they got was Nix ran for a loss, a run play gained little and then Nix took a sack for a quick three-and-out. That series used up all of 15 seconds. Depending on whose count you go by, it was the sixth three-and-out of the game (Yahoo) or the seventh (Mile High Report). Either way, way too many.

Seattle got a long return by Shaheed that gives the Seahawks a first down near midfield with 57 seconds left, and then they streaked down the field to setup the game-tying field goal to send the game into overtime.

One small correction for Broncos Country: the two picks weren’t both in the fourth quarter. The defense forced two interceptions against Sam Darnold, including one in overtime. The second belonged to Ja’Quan McMillian, who was the hero in overtime, picking off Darnold at Seattle’s 43-yard line. Wil Lutz hit a 53-yard field goal to win it 17-14. One pick in the fourth, one in OT, and both of them saved the game.

And yes, thank goodness Seattle’s offense was worse than ours. The reigning champs fall to 3-3 after losing three of their last four games. That makes Denver 4-2, with wins that, according to Yahoo, look like the best set of three quality wins of anyone in the NFL. They have beat the Rams, Jaguars and on Thursday night they added the Seattle Seahawks to their list.

The Heart of It

This is the part Jim always skips. A team with an offense this stuck at 4-2 shouldn’t feel this good, but the defense makes it feel good. Before the game, the Broncos knew they’d be without cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga, and the secondary still held Seattle to 14 points. Those were backups and depth guys making plays in prime time in front of the home crowd. A defense like that keeps a town believing even when the offense looks lost. That’s why we watch.

Broncos Schedule Next Week: Week 7 at Arizona

GameDetails
Opponentat Arizona Cardinals
DateSunday, Oct. 25
Kickoff2:05 p.m. MT
TVCBS
VenueState Farm Stadium, Glendale

The schedule comes from the team’s game-by-game breakdown, and the stadium from Fox Sports. The Broncos’ site points out that Denver’s trip to Arizona will mark the third road game in a four-week span. Early odds on Fox Sports list Denver as DEN -4.5.

The Cardinals are 1-4-0, 4th in NFC West, and they rank 32nd of 32 in points allowed at 32.4 per game. Arizona’s allowed 30+ points in four straight weeks. They visit the Rams this Sunday before hosting Denver.

Harry’s Bold Prediction

Here’s my take, and I’m sticking to it: this is the game where the Broncos offense plays a full four quarters. The extra rest helps, Payton gets another week with the play sheet, and they face the worst scoring defense in the league. Broncos 27, Cardinals 13, and Nix leads a fourth-quarter drive that actually eats the clock. Jim will say the second-half problem comes with them to the desert. Jim also said “WE’RE BACK” at halftime Thursday, so take his opinion for what it’s worth.

So, Broncos Country: do the Broncos score a single second-half touchdown in Arizona on Oct. 25, yes or no? Put your answer in the comments, and if you’re siding with Jim, at least have the decency to explain yourself.

Your turn: Think Jim or Harry got it wrong? Make your case in the comments (join the Balz Fan Club free to comment and like the best takes). Want the bigger picture beyond the box score? Read The Hairy Times, our sister paper.

Sources we checked (11)

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