The Denver Broncos escaped with a 17-14 overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, but the win did little to conceal an offense that managed only 168 total yards. Denver improved to 4-2 over its six-game stretch, leaning on its defense and Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold’s turnovers while Bo Nix and the passing game again struggled to find rhythm.
Nix said the immediate focus was on the result rather than the shortcomings that accompanied it. He said the Broncos were pleased to emerge from the six-game run with a 4-2 record and would use the coming week to address the areas that need improvement.
Denver had not won while producing fewer than 175 yards of offense since John Elway’s first NFL start in 1983. The Broncos did put together two effective touchdown drives, both aided by Sean Payton’s play-calling after the head coach assumed those duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb last week.
The first scoring possession covered 79 yards in 16 plays, included six first downs and wore down the Seahawks with a series of short gains. Denver later added a nine-play, 44-yard touchdown series. Screen passes were a major part of the successful stretches, with Payton finding favorable moments to use them for sizable gains.
Outside of those two touchdown drives, however, the Broncos could barely move the chains. Leaving out their end-of-half possessions, Denver had nine other series and collected only two first downs while gaining 45 yards.
Nix completed 17 of 27 attempts for 107 yards, took two sacks and finished with a 71.1 passer rating. He did not throw a touchdown pass, marking his sixth career victory without one since entering the league in 2024. That total is tied for the most NFL wins in that span by a quarterback without a passing touchdown.
Fitzpatrick questions Nix’s competitiveness
Prime Video analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick delivered a sharp assessment of Nix after the game, saying the quarterback was not playing with enough competitiveness. The former NFL quarterback pointed to Denver’s reliance on throws to the flat and passes behind the line of scrimmage, arguing that Payton’s calls reflected a lack of trust in his quarterback.
Fitzpatrick specifically cited a third-and-8 screen call and Nix’s overtime opportunities, including a designed quarterback run in which he believed Nix needed to make a defender miss and get the first down. Fitzpatrick said he did not know whether injury was a factor, but characterized the issue as one of effort and said the performance was not acceptable.
Payton acknowledged that Denver has plenty to correct despite the victory. Calling himself a realist, he said the Broncos could just as easily be 2-4 rather than 4-2 if a few close outcomes had gone the other way.
The coach said wins against quality opponents are difficult to secure and stressed that the Broncos can keep improving. He added that correcting problems is easier after a victory, while making clear the offense has substantial work ahead.
