The Seattle Seahawks suffered a painful 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Thursday night, and head coach Mike Macdonald made it clear that his team must address its turnover problems. Sam Darnold threw two costly interceptions, including one in overtime that helped Denver set up the game-winning field goal, leaving Seattle with another frustrating defeat.
The first interception came in the final two minutes of regulation, when the Seahawks had an opportunity to take control of the game. Darnold’s pass was intercepted by Kris Abrams-Draine, ending a promising drive, although Seattle’s defense gave the offense another chance to tie the score and force overtime.
However, Darnold’s second interception proved decisive. On Seattle’s first possession of overtime, Ja’Quan McMillian picked off the quarterback’s pass, giving Denver favorable field position. The Broncos capitalized on the mistake with Wil Lutz’s 53-yard field goal, dropping Seattle to 3-3 after its second consecutive defeat.
Mike Macdonald sends clear message to Sam Darnold after loss vs Broncos
Mike Macdonald did not hide his frustration with Seattle’s inability to protect the football after the loss. The Seahawks had fought back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but the turnovers ultimately undermined their comeback effort.
The head coach wasn’t happy with Darnold’s decisions in crucial moments of the game. “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.”
The Seahawks coach also stressed that the quarterback cannot be held responsible for every offensive problem. Darnold faced consistent pressure throughout the game, and Macdonald acknowledged that the offensive line must do a better job protecting him while the offense makes quicker decisions with the football.
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“Our quarterback got hit too much today. We’ve got to do a better job protecting him and we’ve got to be more decisive with the football. We don’t want to take those hits, but they rushed and covered well.”
The message from Macdonald was clear: Seattle must improve both its ball security and its pass protection if it wants to turn its season around. Darnold has taken responsibility for his mistakes, but the Seahawks’ offensive struggles extend beyond the interceptions.
With extra time to prepare before their next game against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 25, Seattle will have an opportunity to address the issues that contributed to another narrow defeat.
Key takeaways
- Seattle lost 17-14 in overtime to the Denver Broncos after turning the ball over.
- Sam Darnold threw two fourth-quarter and overtime interceptions in the defeat.
- Coach Mike Macdonald demanded better ball security and protection for Sam Darnold.
