The Seattle Seahawks are going to be determined Thursday night when they go to the Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos. However, this is not the smooth, highly functioning offensive team that the Seahawks were last season, and it is not likely they are going to get to that level when they face the Broncos Thursday night.
Sam Darnold has gotten off to a difficult start this season, starting with the glute tendon he injured in the season opener against the New England Patriots. He has not been sharp since returning in Week 3, and he was unable to play decisively in the Week 5 32-29 home loss to the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. The normally accurate Darnold threw a pair of interceptions against San Francisco and those turnovers played a key role in the defeat. Even ace receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba missed a key fourth quarter reception in that game.
Darnold able to face the heat
Darnold did not make any excuses for his overall play and he said that he “had to be better at taking care of the football.”
Head coach Mike Macdonald praised his quarterback for taking responsibility for the team's offensive issues. “When your quarterback is one of those guys leading the charge saying, ‘Hey, I got to do X, Y and Z better,' ” Macdonald said, per The Athletic. “I think it sets the table for everybody else that played to have the same mentality. And, I think if you have that same mentality, you got a really good chance to improve.”
The Broncos have not been at their best through the early part of the season, either. They were not ready for a resurgent Kansas City Chiefs team in the season opener and they also lost a Week 4 test to the 49ers. After falling to .500, Bo Nix and his teammates had to go all-out to beat the winless Charges in Week 5.
Darnold throws for 225 yards, 2 TD passes, no interceptions
What is left unsaid is that the Seahawks have not meshed under new defensive coordinator Brian Fleury. He is stepping into Klint Kubiak's shoes and he has a way to go before he shows he can get the job done. Of course, the injury problems at running back where neither Zach Charbonnet nor rookie Jadarian Price are available is a huge problem.
If the Seahawks could give Darnold anything close to the ground game they anticipated, the offense would be in much better shape. Charbonnet has been out with a knee injury since January, and while he is getting closer, he is not expected to play against the Broncos. Price has a chest injury. Backup Emanuel Wilson has 73 rushing attempts for 251 yards and 2 TDs, but the running game is a deficiency for the Seahawks.
Darnold has clearly not reached peak form, but he does have Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. Smith-Njigba is arguably the best receiver in the league. At the least, he is in the conversation with Puka Nacua, Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.
Smith-Njigba has caught 37 of 49 targets for 583 yards with 7 TDs, and that includes a long of 82 yards. However, his inability to catch a late 4th quarter pass from Darnold as the Seahawks were attempting to get in position for a tying field goal was probably the decisive play in the game.
Look for Smith-Njigba to come back with his best effort in this game and make the Broncos pay.
The Seahawks need Kupp and tight end A.J. Barner to step up and take some of the heat off of Smith-Njigba. If either one or both can do that, it will be the difference in this game.
Nix limited to 1 TD pass against Seahawks defense
The Broncos have struggled quite a bit from an offensive perspective. This team that was a game away from going to the Super Bowl last year is averaging 269.0 yards per game, ranking 30th in the NFL. Head coach Sean Payton has already taken play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Davis Webb.
The Broncos got out of Los Angeles with a 23-17 win over the Chargers, but they could only manage 224 yards and Nix had a minimal passing day. He threw for 123 yards and a TD.
However, Nix believes it's just a matter of time before his new partnership with Jaylen Waddle bears fruit. Waddle is one of the best deep threats in the league. The numbers don't show it yet as he has caught just 18 passes for 204 yards and 1 TD. It may be just a matter of time before he puts a monster game on the board.
Article Continues BelowIt is not likely to happen against the Seahawks, a team that ranks first in both yards allowed and passing yards allowed.
Seahawks will come away with key road win
Neither team is playing at its best to this point in the season, but Macdonald still has the top-flight Seahawks defense that can dominate in this game. The Seahawks have already fallen a couple of games behind the 49ers, and they can't afford another loss.
The Broncos are chasing the Chiefs (4-0) and they also need the game badly. Denver came through with a come-from-behind effort to beat the Rams in Week 3, and they will delive a similar effort against the Seahawks. However, Seattle has the film of that game and they won't let up in the second half of that game the way the Rams did.
Seattle pulls off the key defensive plays at the end of the game and secures a close victory.