Overview
- In Thursday night’s overtime loss at Empower Field at Mile High, Sam Darnold threw two interceptions, including the overtime pick that led to a 53-yard Wil Lutz field goal and a 17-14 defeat.
- Darnold publicly held himself accountable in the visiting locker room, saying “I think it’s BS for me to keep turning the ball over,” and his seventh interception of the season ties him for the NFL lead.
- Seattle’s problems are team-wide: the Seahawks have committed 12 turnovers through six games and have allowed 47 points off turnovers, and opposing pressure finished with Darnold being hit 17 times in Denver.
- Coach Mike Macdonald and veteran Cooper Kupp urged better protection, a stronger run game and cleaner ball security after the loss, pointing to pass protection, run-game inconsistency and special-teams fumbles as key failures.
- The mistakes have real stakes: The Athletic’s simulator cut Seattle’s NFC West and playoff odds and trimmed their chance to repeat as champions, and the team must fix execution quickly to stop narrow losses from defining the season.