Seahawks fall to Broncos after Sam Darnold’s interception in OT

DENVER — One of the most improbable comebacks in Seahawks history was sitting right there.

And then, as has happened all too often this season, Sam Darnold threw it away.

A Darnold pass intended for Rashid Shaheed on a third-down play on the Seahawks’ first possession of overtime was intercepted — their third turnover in the game and Darnold’s second interception in fourth quarter and overtime — and allowed the Broncos to pull out a 17-14 overtime win.

That was despite a heroic effort from the Seahawks’ defense, which allowed just 30 yards in the second half to allow them to overcome a 14-3 third-quarter deficit and force overtime on a Jason Myers 34-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in regulation.

The Seahawks scored 11 points in the final 5:41 to force overtime, and with the way the defense was playing, a win suddenly went from unlikely to seeming like a good bet as long as the Seahawks could hold on to the ball.

The Seahawks got the ball first to start overtime and got a first down.

But on a third-and-and-seven at the 28, Darnold’s pass was picked off by Ja’Quan McMillian at the Seattle 43.

The Broncos gained only eight yards on three plays, but that was enough to set up Wil Lutz for a 53-yard field goal with 4:53 in overtime to allow the Broncos to hold on.

Darnold has thrown seven interceptions in the last four games after throwing only 14 all of last season.

“We’ve got to take care of the ball,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “Sam knows that, told the team that. We’ve got to take care of the ball.”

The Seahawks fell to 3-3 with the loss and has had three or more turnovers in all three, including four last Sunday in a 32-29 loss to the 49ers.

The Seahawks outgained the Broncos 353-168 because of the defense getting the offense the ball back time and time again.

But Darnold made one mistake too many and the Seahawks couldn’t overcome it.

It’s the third time this season the Seahawks have rallied from a double-digit deficit to tie or take the lead in the game.

But they have been able to overcome only one of those, a 13-10 win over New England on opening night.

The Seahawks’ season faces an early crisis point with the Seahawks potentially falling behind by three games to the 49ers, who host the Commanders on Monday night. The Seahawks host Kansas City on Oct. 25.

“We have conflicting emotions,” Macdonald said, saying he was proud of the way the team rallied from its early deficit. “There’s no moral victories in this league; it’s a bottom-line business, a production business.

“… There’s things we need to get better at quickly. We know those things and they are within our control and that’s what we do.”

The Seahawks trailed 14-3 at halftime, a score that accurately reflected how the game evolved on the field.

The Broncos outgained Seattle 130-91 and had scoring drives of 79 and 74 yards, while the Seahawks did not have a drive of longer than 27 on five possessions.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had 15 pass attempts in the first half and was hit just once, by Leonard Williams.

The Seahawks talked this week about refining their offensive game plan to emphasize plays they’ve used often and with success.

That appeared to result in a plan early to throw a lot of quick passes, specifically out routes to their receivers.

Darnold completed 4 of his first 6 passes, but for just 27 yards and was just 7 of 15 of 52 yards for a long of 12 in the first half.

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The Seahawks shook up their running back situation, giving Velus Jones Jr., work early on as the backup to starter Emanuel Wilson with George Holani used almost solely on passing downs.

The Seahawks took over at their own 45 on their second series after the defense forced a three-and-out and got one first down to set up a 55-yard field goal by Jason Myers that put the Seahawks ahead 3-0.

But the Broncos moved inside the Seattle 20 as the first quarter ended and outgained the Seahawks 63-33 in the first 15 minutes.

Three plays into the quarter, Dobbins put the Broncos ahead with a 4 -yard touchdown in which the right side of the Broncos offensive line pushed back Seahawks vets Jarran Reed and DeMarcus Lawrence.

That capped a 16-play, 74-yard drive that took up a whopping 8:39 and put the Broncos head 7-3.

The Seahawks moved just 11 yards in six plays after getting good field position on a 39-yard Rashid Shaheed kickoff return.

The Broncos moved 79 yards in nine plays, helped by two defensive penalties good for 35 yards — a face mask by Byron Murphy II on third down and a pass interference by Devon Witherspoon in the end zone — to score on a 1-yard run by R.J. Harvey.

That put the Broncos up 14-3 with 5:15 to play in the first half and the Seahawks looked like a tired team playing a road game on a Thursday.

But the defense stiffened, and Denver didn’t get past its own 44 in the second half.

Still trailing 14-3, the Seahawks drove from its own 33 for a TD to get back in the game.

Facing a third-and-10, Darnod dropped and saw an opening to the left and sprinted 18 yards to the Denver 14.

Holani used a big push from the offensive line to take it to the 1.

On the next play, Holani burst over the right side and broke through the tackle attempt of safety Brandon Jones and into the end zone for a Seahawks TD with 5:41 left.

The Seahawks cut it to 14-11 on a successful two-point conversion when Darnold’s pass to Rashid Shaheed was tipped under double coverage but fell into the hands of Shaheed as he tiptoed in the back of the end zone.

The Seahawks got the ball back and Darnold made his first big error.

On third-and-one at the 39, Darnold was pressured and took a couple steps to his left and tried to hit Tory Horton. The ball floated and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine cut in front of it for an interception at the 31 with 1:25 remaining.

The Seahawks had all three of their time outs, and they not only got a three-and-out but compelled the Broncos to throw a pass on third down that fell incomplete, stopping the clock.

Rashid Shaheed returned the punt 31 yards to the Seattle 46 with 57 seconds remaining.

A 4-yard pass on second down to AJ Barner took the ball to midfield with 41 seconds left when the Seahawks called their final time out

A pass to Shaheed took it to the 40, but with the clock running the Seahawks had to spike the ball on first down, stopping the clock with 25 seconds remaining.

A pass to Kupp took the ball to the 23 where Seattle spiked it with 10 seconds remaining.

A pass to the sideline to Smith-Njigba took it to the 16 with seven seconds remaining.

Myers made a 34-yard field goal to tie the game at 14 with three seconds remaining.