5 Bold Predictions for Broncos-Seahawks That Might Surprise Fans

The Denver Broncos face the unenviable challenge of hosting the Seattle Seahawks on a short week. On top of that, injuries continue to pile up, and the Broncos' offensive struggles appear to have no end in sight.

That's a tough prospect to face against a team like the Seahawks, whose defense is one of the NFL's best. The Broncos will have to turn in an inspired performance if they're going to overcome all the factors working against them this week.

As for my bold predictions for this game, not all of them are favorable toward the Broncos. I can only call it like I see it, so let's get to it.

The Seahawks' defense is tough, disciplined, and the players trust each other to do their job. It's also a style of defense the Broncos' offense has typically struggled against since 2023, almost like Sean Payton can't fully figure it out.

That doesn't mean the Broncos won't have some moments, but it'll be another ugly showing as they end the game with their second-lowest yards total, barely beating out their offensive showing from the season opener in Kansas City.

The Broncos fail to reach the red zone as an offense, except for at least one possession that starts inside Seattle's 20-yard line thanks to a takeaway on defense.

Outside of the defense turning the ball over, the Broncos' offense has too many issues to overcome and fix in such a short-week turnaround. A few days and one true practice aren't enough time to turn the ship around, especially against a quality defense like Seattle's.

Ball security has been a major issue for the Seahawks' offense, especially their running backs, and that opens the door for some takeaways. Denver is able to force two fumbles and falls on them both.

One of those fumble recoveries puts Bo Nix and the offense in their one-and-only red-zone possession.

Sam Darnold can be tough to get to, with nine sacks in four games, but five of them came against the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday.

Denver has the horses up front and the different looks to generate pressure, which can result in multiple sacks on Darnold, but the Broncos will need their secondary to hold up long enough to allow Bonitto, Allen, and company to get home.

Darnold will look to counter Denver's pass rush with the quick-pass game, but the secondary has to hold up.

Everything points to a high-volume game for the kicker. The Seahawks are allowing an average of 21 points per game, which is the eighth-fewest in the NFL this season.

The Seahawks do well in the red zone and have allowed only 10 touchdowns this season. With the Broncos' offensive woes, they turn to Lutz often in this game, and while he's not perfect, he mostly comes through.