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Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior WriterSep 8, 2024, 06:16 PM ET
- Jeff Legwold is a senior writer who covers the Denver Broncos and the NFL at ESPN. Jeff has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, joining ESPN in 2013. He also assists with NFL draft coverage, including his annual top 100 prospects. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He has attended every scouting combine since 1987.
SEATTLE — For the first time since before John Elway was a Denver Broncos quarterback, the Broncos defense had two safeties in a game.
With 11:22 remaining in the first half with the Seattle Seahawks in a first-and-10 at their own 1-yard line, Seahawks Anthony Bradford guard was flagged for a holding penalty in the end zone as Bradford tried to block Broncos’ defensive end D.J. Jones.
The play gave the Broncos a 5-3 lead at the time.
Roughly seven minutes later — with 4:24 left in the first half — the Broncos got the second safety when Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet, on first-and-10 from the Seahawks’ 1-yard line, was tackled in the end zone by Zach Allen and Jonathon Cooper.
The @Broncos have their SECOND safety of the day!
: #DENvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/mrGWVMrO72— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
That gave the Broncos a 10-9 lead. The Broncos came within two yards of a third safety later in the first half when they tackled Seahawks’ running back Kenneth Walker III for a 2-yard loss. Walker ended up in the end zone as players tumbled to the ground and many Broncos defenders signaled safety after the play, but officials ruled Walker’s forward progress stopped at the 2-yard line.
The Broncos are the first team since the 2017 Dolphins to record two safeties in a game. It was the first time since 1982, the year before Elway was acquired in a trade, the Broncos had two safeties in a game. That game was also in Seattle.
