NFL Preview | October 15, 2026
Week 6 opens with a rematch of the Super Bowl a lot of people expected last season, before Bo Nix's ankle injury changed the AFC. Seattle and Denver are both 3-2, both on a short week, and both coming off very different Sundays. Kickoff is 8:15 PM ET (5:15 PM PT) on Prime Video from Empower Field at Mile High.
The NFL's Top Receiver Meets a Thin Denver Secondary
Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos | 8:15 PM ET | Prime Video
KEY STAT
35.2%
Jaxon Smith-Njigba's target share, the highest in the NFL, per Sharp Football Analysis. He faces a Denver secondary without Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga.
Seattle is coming off a 32-29 home loss to San Francisco in which Sam Darnold was sacked five times, his most since joining the Seahawks, and threw two interceptions. Jaxon Smith-Njigba did his part with five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown, his seventh of the season. He has 37 catches for 583 yards, and he tweaked his ankle Sunday, was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday, and is expected to play. Linebacker Drake Thomas looks doubtful, and Seattle is thin in the backfield with Zach Charbonnet out for the year.
Denver is 3-2 after a 23-17 win over a winless Chargers team that was uglier than the score. The Broncos play without cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga (both ankle), and Riley Moss (ribs) was limited in practice after missing Week 5. That matters against Smith-Njigba, but Denver's pass rush ranks seventh in pressure rate (40.5%), which matters just as much against a quarterback Seattle has had trouble protecting. Bo Nix is under pressure on a career-high 39% of his dropbacks, and the offense ranks 24th in EPA per play.
Both teams played Sunday, so it's a short week for each. Forecasts call for a chance of rain and wind at Mile High, and the market has moved with the weather in mind: Seattle opened -2.5 at DraftKings and is still at -2.5, while the total has dropped from 42.5 to 40.5. Denver is 2-0 against the spread at home this season, and this is the first time the Broncos are a home underdog in 2026.
Seattle wins if Smith-Njigba is healthy enough to exploit Denver's secondary and Darnold keeps the ball safe against pressure.
Denver wins if its pass rush rattles Darnold again and Nix avoids the bad downs on a short week.
Lean Seattle -2.5 (Toss-up), and lean the under 40.5 (Lean).
THE CARD · SEA @ DEN
The line SEA -2.5 (-112) · DEN +2.5 (-108) · total 40.5 (O -112, U -108) · opened SEA -2.5 and 42.5 · DraftKings
This season SEA 1-2-2 ATS, 3-2 O/U · DEN 3-2 ATS, 1-4 O/U
Rest & availability SEA short week, Smith-Njigba (ankle) expected to play, Drake Thomas doubtful, Charbonnet out · DEN short week, Surtain II and Hufanga out, Moss (ribs) limited
Lean SEA -2.5 (Toss-up) · Under ↓ 40.5 (Lean)
Driven by the injury report. Denver's secondary is thin against the league's busiest receiver, but Seattle is 1-2-2 against the spread and Denver's pass rush matches up well with Darnold's protection problems, so the side is close to even. Denver's games are 4-1 to the under, the total has already come down two points, and rain and wind are in the forecast.
What to Watch For Thursday Night.
Watch Smith-Njigba's snaps on the ankle, whether Surtain or Hufanga return, and how Denver's pass rush does against Seattle's line. We'll have the recap Friday, with every card graded and the season record updated.