• Sam Darnold · Seattle Seahawks
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba · Seattle Seahawks

Look for: After locating Smith-Njigba, watch where Darnold throws when a second defender moves toward him.

If you see it: If the ball goes promptly to another receiver in open space, Seattle has found a useful answer to that extra attention.

Here's what it means: Denver cannot solve the possession merely by taking away the first option. If Darnold keeps waiting on a covered receiver instead, the defense has more time to reach him.

• Bo Nix · Denver Broncos
• J.K. Dobbins · Denver Broncos

Look for: Check the yards needed on third down, and remember whether a run, sack or penalty created that situation.

If you see it: Repeated short third downs give Denver several plausible ways to move the chains. Repeated long ones let Seattle anticipate a pass.

Here's what it means: A third-down conversion rate is partly a report on the two plays that came before it. Do not put every failed series on the final throw.

Look for: After a takeaway, note the new offense’s starting yard line and whether the possession ends in a touchdown, a field goal or no points.

If you see it: A team scoring after a short drive may be cashing in a defensive gift rather than consistently moving the ball.

Here's what it means: Separate creating an extra possession from using it well. That distinction helps explain a close score even when one offense appears to be moving more freely.

Seattle Seahawks · Quarterback (QB)

Watch whether he finds another receiver when Denver crowds Smith-Njigba, or keeps waiting for his favorite option to open.

Denver Broncos · Quarterback (QB)

Denver leans on his short throws. Watch whether his receivers gain ground after the catch or get tackled immediately.

Seattle Seahawks · Wide Receiver (WR)

He leads the NFL in receiving yards entering Week 6. He practiced fully Wednesday and has no game designation after an ankle concern earlier in the week.

Seattle Seahawks · Linebacker (LB)

Seattle says Knight will start for the injured Drake Thomas alongside Ernest Jones IV. Watch how quickly he reacts when Denver shows a handoff before throwing.

Denver Broncos · Wide Receiver (WR)

Sutton caught his first touchdown of the season in Week 5. On important downs, watch where he lines up and whether Seattle leaves a defender alone with him or brings help.

Denver Broncos · Running Back (RB)

Dobbins also scored his first touchdown of the season last week. His early runs matter beyond their yardage: productive carries let Denver keep a handoff and a pass believable on the next snap.

A weakened secondary is an invitation to explore a matchup, not a guarantee that the first read is open. The more revealing success would be Darnold taking a modest gain when Denver protects the deep ball, then returning to a larger opportunity when the coverage changes. That would make Seattle’s attack harder to steer into a mistake.

Seattle’s preview reports that Nix averages 6.0 air yards per attempt through five games, the league’s lowest figure. That measures how far the ball travels downfield, not the yardage gained after a catch. Denver can make short throws productive if receivers escape the first tackle. If Seattle tackles promptly, the same completions may leave Nix needing another difficult third-down conversion. Watch the receiver’s first two steps after securing the ball.

If Seattle scores after taking over near Denver’s end zone, the touchdown alone tells us little about how well the Broncos defended a full field. The same is true in reverse. Track the starting point of scoring drives before concluding that either defense has lost control of the matchup.

Is Denver keeping Smith-Njigba quiet, or is the help coverage simply making someone else available?

Are Nix’s third downs difficult because of the final play, or because Denver lost ground earlier in the series?

Which team is earning its scoring chances over a full field, and which is being handed a short one?