After Broncos defense runs out of gas in second half vs. Seahawks, it’s time to “go back to the drawing board”

SEATTLE — Old habits die hard. That was the case for the Broncos’ defense on Sunday.

Denver played inspiring defense in the first half, recording an interception and two safeties, only to see that effort come crashing down on the Seahawks’ first drive of the third quarter.

In six plays, Seattle ripped off 66 yards, culminating with running back Kenneth Walker cutting right, shedding tackles from inside linebacker Alex Singleton and cornerback Riley Moss and leaping into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.

The Broncos vowed to improve their run defense this offseason after being among the worst in the league last season. But once again, Denver’s inability to stop the run was its downfall in a 26-20 loss at Lumen Field, with 90 of the Seahawks’ 202 total yards in the second half coming on the ground.

“We can’t give up (rushing yards) as much as we did,” said outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who finished with two sacks. “That has to be a big emphasis for us next week.”

The defense came out on fire to start the game.

On Seattle’s first play of the quarter, Cooper got home to sack veteran quarterback Geno Smith for a 7-yard loss. On the following play, defensive tackle D.J. Jones created pressure on Smith, forcing him to throw an interception to Singleton.

In the second quarter when Denver’s offense struggled to put points on the board, the defense delivered two safeties. It marked the third time in NFL history a team recorded multiple safeties in a season-opening game. The first came on a holding penalty in the end zone and the second saw Cooper and defensive end Zach Allen tackle running back Zach Charbonnet behind the goal line on first-and-10.

The Denver defense also found a way to contain Walker. With eight minutes left in the second quarter, outside linebacker Baron Browning wrapped around Walker before doing a backflip as he brought him to the ground for a 4-yard loss. Walker went into halftime with 17 of Seattle’s 56 rushing yards.

“I loved how we came out,” Broncos safety P.J. Locke said. “Our purpose was to stop the run game and the defensive line was attacking.”

The second half, however, was a different story. The Seahawks scored on three straight drives, as Seattle picked up its tempo.

Denver’s struggles against Seattle’s ground game opened the door for Smith to make plays with his arm. After a 12-yard run from Walker, Smith completed three straight passes, including two to wide receiver Tyler Lockett that set up a 30-yard touchdown reception from Charbonnet at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks outscored Denver 17-7 in the second half while Walker finished with 20 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game in the fourth quarter due to abdominal pain.

“They found something to dictate the packages we were in,” Locke said. “I’m not using that as an excuse, but we are gonna go back to the drawing board to figure out what exactly did they find.”

Allen insisted the sky was not falling after the game. Despite the Broncos’ defense faltering down the stretch, their performance in the first half provided optimism that they can be a better unit than last season.

“We just got to be better about making those adjustments, and learn how to play a full four-quarter game,” Allen said. “We definitely don’t want a start like last year. I’m sure we will be able to turn it around.”

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