McMillian’s overtime pick sets up Lutz as Broncos beat Seahawks 17-14

Ja’Quan McMillian intercepted Sam Darnold in overtime, and Wil Lutz converted the short field into a 53-yard field goal as the Broncos beat the Seahawks 17-14 on Thursday night in Denver.

The Broncos improved to 4-2 despite finishing with 168 yards of offense. Seattle gained 353 yards but committed three turnovers, including Darnold’s two interceptions. Denver did not turn the ball over, according to the final box score.

Seattle received the overtime kickoff and moved from its own 13 to the 28 before McMillian jumped Darnold’s pass intended for Rashid Shaheed. The cornerback stepped out at the Seattle 43 with 7:17 left.

RJ Harvey gained five yards on the next play, and Bo Nix added three yards on two runs to put Lutz in range. The winning kick came with 4:53 left in overtime.

Denver had led 14-3 at halftime after scoring on consecutive second-quarter possessions. J.K. Dobbins finished a 16-play, 74-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run. The Broncos held the ball for 8:39 on that possession, recovering from an early Jason Myers field goal that had put Seattle ahead.

Harvey scored Denver’s second touchdown on a direct snap, running one yard behind right guard with 5:15 left before halftime. That nine-play, 79-yard drive gave the Broncos an 11-point lead. They did not score again until Lutz’s overtime kick.

Seattle worked its way back in the fourth quarter. Darnold kept its touchdown drive alive with a seven-yard throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on fourth-and-4 and an 18-yard scramble on third-and-10, as NBC Sports’ Charean Williams reported. George Holani gained 13 yards to the Denver 1, then scored on the next play with 5:41 remaining. Darnold found Shaheed for the two-point conversion, cutting Denver’s lead to 14-11.

Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted Darnold with 1:31 left, but the Seahawks forced a punt and got another chance. Darnold moved Seattle into field-goal range, completing a 17-yard pass to Cooper Kupp and a seven-yard throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the final drive. Myers made a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left to tie the game.

Darnold finished 27 of 51 for 278 yards with no touchdown passes. Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 134 yards, while Shaheed added five catches for 66. Denver sacked Darnold five times, and Shaheed lost a fumble to account for Seattle’s other turnover.

Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards without a touchdown or interception. Dobbins rushed for 41 yards on 17 carries. Harvey had 25 rushing yards and another 31 receiving, leading Denver in receiving yards.

Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. The team listed him as doubtful to return. Seattle fell to 3-3 with its second consecutive loss.

Postgame reactions

Nix said after the game that he did not understand Denver’s lack of vertical passes and explosive plays, Nick Kosmider reported. Darnold said he got “greedy” on his overtime interception, Brady Henderson reported.

Prime Video analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick criticized Nix’s effort on the postgame show, pointing to a third-and-8 screen pass, Mike Florio reported for NBC Sports. Denver’s official game report credited its defense with 17 quarterback hits across 82 snaps.

Sources

ESPN: Seattle-Denver final box score · NBC Sports: Seattle’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive · Arroyo shoulder injury update