Honey, Pack the Heels and the Helmet: Seahawks Storm Denver on Thursday Night

Seattle Seahawks Denver Broncos

Darling, put down the wine and pick up the remote — the defending Super Bowl champions are on a short week, in the mountains, under the Amazon lights, and your girl Jessy is already vibrating.

The Seattle Seahawks (3-2) visit the Denver Broncos (3-2) tonight at 5:15 p.m. PT at Empower Field at Mile High. It’s Week 6, it’s Thursday Night Football, and it’s on Prime Video / Amazon, with Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on the call. Local radio: Seattle Sports 710 AM and KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM, Steve Raible and Dave Wyman doing the Lord’s work. Need it on your phone? Seahawks app. Need it nationally? Westwood One’s got you. This is not a “maybe later” situation. This is primetime, baby.

Both clubs roll in at .600, and both just mauled their way through a brutal early stretch. Denver closes a run of five straight games against 2025 playoff teams by hosting the champs. Seattle hits the road after a Sunday loss to San Francisco with barely enough time to ice ankles and rehearse the choreography.

And oh, the plot twists. According to the Seattle Times, Jaxon Smith-Njigba — reigning Offensive Player of the Year, NFL receiving yardage leader with 583 through five games, seven touchdown catches — is expected to play despite a sore ankle. Linebacker Drake Thomas is out (ankle); Tyrice Knight is slated to start. Running back Zach Charbonnet is not playing this week as Seattle manages his recovery timeline. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams was cleared of the injury report. Facts, not fanfic.

The Broncos’ own preview frames this as a turnover war: Denver has forced seven takeaways in five weeks; Seattle has turned it over eight times in the last three, including five Sam Darnold interceptions. Seattle’s defense, meanwhile, has ripped seven takeaways in the last two weeks alone. Somebody’s football is going to change hands, and I refuse to look away.

JSN is still the gravity well of this offense — Broncos coverage notes he’s accounted for about 49 percent of Seattle’s receiving yards. Denver is dealing with secondary absences (Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga out of the mix per Denver’s preview; Riley Moss questionable). Two of the league’s better defenses, a short week, thin air, and a champion that still hasn’t shaken every cobweb. Honey. Light the candles. Kickoff is 5:15. Be fabulous. Be loud. Be ready.