Broncos-Seahawks 'TNF' takeaways: Denver's defense smothers Seattle in battle of struggling offenses

In a sloppy game led by one team most of the night, the Denver Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks, 17-14, in overtime on "Thursday Night Football." 

After struggling to get anything going through three-plus quarters, the Seahawks did wake up with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion in the final minutes. Then, Sam Darnold would lead his team on a game-tying drive that sent the matchup to an extra session thanks to a field goal. 

But the Broncos pulled out the win nonetheless, claiming another victory without being at their best — Denver lost most team categories, most notably total yards.  

Key takeaway: How much longer can Denver's defense put the team on its back? 

As predicted by Broncos head coach Sean Payton, the game wasn't pretty. Bo Nix only managed to complete 17 passes for 107 yards. J.K. Dobbins, who the Broncos often rely on when they fail to move the ball through the air, only ran for 41 yards for an average of just 2.4 yards per attempt. 

But Denver's physicality proved to be enough, registering five sacks and creating two big turnovers, one when Nik Bonitto forced a second-quarter fumble and another when Ja'Quan McMillian picked off Darnold to ruin Seattle's first possession in overtime. The Broncos defense bended at times, allowing 353 yards, but it didn't fully break.