Mike Macdonald Blunt About Sam Darnold’s Performance vs. Broncos

The Seattle Seahawks found themselves absorbing a bitter 17-14 overtime defeat against the Denver Broncos after kicker Wil Lutz booted a 53-yard field goal in sudden death. The loss dropped the defending Super Bowl champions to 3-3 on the season, marking their second defeat in five days and their third loss overall by a combined margin of just eight points. While Denver’s offense struggled to generate rhythm, the game turned on late mistakes and relentless defensive pressure from the home side.

Mike Macdonald and Teammates Address Sam Darnold’s Critical Turnovers

Sam Darnold finished the night completing 51 passes for 278 yards with no touchdown passes and two costly interceptions. The turnovers arrived at the worst possible moments for Seattle. His first interception stopped a potential scoring drive late in the fourth quarter, while his second pick in overtime handed Denver a short field to set up the game-winning kick.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald offered a blunt assessment of his quarterback’s outing during his postgame press conference.

It wasn’t a performance that was good enough to win the game, you know, by our team, but the quarterback leads the team and I bet you Sam will be the first one to tell you that. We love him. It’s just that’s what it is. We have to take care of the ball. Sam knows that, he told the team that. We’ve got to take care of the ball.

Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks head coach

Darnold himself took ownership of the errors when speaking to reporters after the contest.

Just got greedy. That play specifically, I should have just gotten it down to Coop [Cooper Kupp]. Coop ran a really good route right under the sticks, and I feel like he would have caught it and got the first down. I’ve just got to continue to go through my progressions and trust it. It’s B.S. for me to keep turning the ball over. It’s not fair for our defense. It’s not fair for our special teams. It’s not far, really, to our entire team.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks quarterback

Veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who shares a history with Darnold dating back to their time at USC, expressed continued backing for his teammate in the locker room. I have a personal relationship with Sam, Williams told reporters, according to Heavy. I’ve been around him since college. We’ve been on multiple teams together. Luckily, I have that relationship where I can approach him and talk about whatever. But I feel like, we all trust him, I feel like he trusts in himself. I feel like he will get out of it.

Broncos Defense Dominates as Offense Stalls

While Seattle’s offense stumbled, Denver’s victory relied almost entirely on Vance Joseph’s defensive unit. Playing without injured defensive backs Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, the Broncos front seven hit Darnold 17 times and registered five sacks. According to Next Gen Stats cited by FOX Sports, Darnold went 6 of 19 for 47 yards with two interceptions when operating under pressure.

Despite building a 14-3 halftime lead behind short touchdown runs from J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, Sean Payton’s offense stalled completely after the break. The Broncos managed a meager 168 yards of total offense and earned only two first downs in the second half. Quarterback Bo Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards with two sacks and a 71.1 passer rating, failing to generate any vertical passing threat.

Former NFL quarterback and analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick delivered a harsh critique of Nix’s play on the Prime Video postgame broadcast. Bo Nix is not playing competitively, Fitzpatrick said. It’s almost disrespectful to the quarterback position how he’s playing football right now.

How Richard Sherman and Dave Wyman View the Defeat

Seattle’s defense surrendered just 168 total yards and shut out Denver in the second half, putting up a performance that analysts argued deserved a victory. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba hauled in 12 catches for 134 yards, but the offense could not overcome its giveaways.

Former Seahawks cornerback and analyst Richard Sherman did not mince words on the Prime Video postgame show regarding the defense’s frustration over the team’s recurring turnovers.

If you’re the defense, you start to get frustrated. You start to say, ‘What else can you do?’ Sure, they didn’t have the perfect game, but you’re not always going to have the perfect game. They held them to 14 points [in regulation] and you gave your offense chances. At some point, you expect them to get things done. Just not turn the ball over. Protect the ball.

Richard Sherman, former NFL player and analyst

Former NFL linebacker Dave Wyman, speaking on his radio takeaways for Seattle Sports, noted that the Seattle offensive line took it on the chin against Denver’s blitz packages while waiting for reinforcements in the backfield. Wyman observed that when you hold a team to like 168 yards, you should win that game, adding that the defense ultimately played well enough despite second-quarter lapses.

Denver Moves to 4-2 Behind Kansas City

The win moves Sean Payton’s Broncos to a 4-2 record, keeping them right behind the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC standings. Payton acknowledged the fine margins defining Denver’s season, as Payton remarked about his team’s gritty start through a difficult opening schedule, I’m a little bit of a realist to know that 4-2 could easily be 2-4.

For Seattle, the 3-3 record places them in a tightly contested NFC landscape where margins for error are razor-thin. The Seahawks will use their extra days off to address ball-security issues and look toward the impending return of running back Zach Charbonnet before hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on October 25, 2026. Meanwhile, the Broncos enter a brief break before hosting the Arizona Cardinals also on October 25, 2026.

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