While the Seahawks and Broncos entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, neither has necessarily looked like a championship team yet. Both squads hope that changes tonight.
Glaring issues that have put a cloud over Denver and Seattle's 3-2 start. Seattle's offense -- which continues to feel the pain of Kenneth Walker III's departure -- is 31st in the league in third-down efficiency. The Seahawks' defense has been stellar on third down, but they are 26th in the NFL in the red zone, as teams have scored touchdowns on 75% of their trips inside the 20-yard line.
For Denver, there is even more focus than usual upon Bo Nix. Through five games, Nix is completing just 59.9% of his passes, which is one reason Denver's offense ranks 27th in the NFL on third down. Nix hasn't been great, but he hasn't gotten much help from a running game that is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry.
The Broncos' defense will have to carry on tonight without standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II (ankle) and starting safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle).
As you can see, there are questions that need to be answered tonight. To see how it all plays out, follow along in our live blog below, as we'll be providing updates, highlights and analysis throughout the game.
Mike Mcdonald was in the news recently after he revealead that Sean Payton accussed him of cheating two years ago. The issue was over the Seahawks preparing for a game against Denver by using fan videos of training camp.
Prime's James Palmer is reporting that Macdonald had a multi-hour conversation with Payton after that story broke three weeks ago.
The Broncos have won five straight games in the Orange Crush uniforms dating back to 2024.
Description of the Orange Crush, via the Broncos' website:
"The orange jerseys feature oversized white numbers with Legacy Blue trim, and the pants sport an orange-and-Legacy-Blue stripe along the side. The Broncos' iconic throwback helmet features the Denver 'D' logo on a Legacy Blue shell with an orange stripe and white facemask. The Broncos will also wear orange-and-blue striped socks inspired by the era."
JSN is suiting up tonight, but I'm curious to see how his ankle looks after he was hobbled during the end of Sunday's loss to the 49ers. Simply put, Seattle won't win this game if JSN doesn't make a significant impact tonight.
Denver's secondary will have to deal with the adversity of not having Surtain and Hufanga. Jahdae Barron and JL Skinner will replace Surtain and Hufanga, respectively. Barron has six career starts under his belt, Skinner has yet to log a regular season start.
Remember when the Broncos and Seahawks were division rivals? Tonight's game will bring fans of a certain age back to that time as both teams are rocking their throwback uniforms.
The Broncos are rocking the jerseys they wore when they appeared in the franchise's first four Super Bowl appearances. The 1977 Broncos made the uniforms a local favorite and were the inspiration behind the "Orange Crush" nickname that was bestowed on Denver's defense that season.
Seattle is wearing their original uniforms, which have aged unbelievably well.
Welcome to tonight's live coverage of Seahawks-Broncos. While it's a rare AFC-NFC showdown, this game will still have the feel of a playoff game because of both teams' current situations. Neither team wants to fall to .500 and further behind their division leaders. The winner will have a new lease on the season through six weeks; the loser will have some considerable ground to make up.
