Kiwi scores TD, Aussie punters busy as Denver prevails

New Zealand-born running back George Holani scored a crucial touchdown, but it wasn't enough as the Seattle Seahawks suffered an overtime 17-14 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Holani stormed into the end zone from a yard out in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High on Thursday (Friday AEDT) to give the visitors a glimmer of hope.

It was his first touchdown this season and came off the back of an 11-play, 67-yard masterpiece.

From there, quarterback Sam Darnold threw a two-point conversion pass to Rashid Shaheed to pull Seattle within three points with 5:41 left.

After a woeful drive from Denver, the Seahawks had a golden opportunity to snatch the win, however, the ball was intercepted.

But in another twist, the Broncos produced a dismal reply and gifted a last-gasp opportunity to their opponents, and kicker Jason Myers slotted a 34-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.

That was the last moment of genuine celebration for Seattle, though, as cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian intercepted Darnold's pass before Wil Lutz kicked a 53-yard field goal to help the Broncos escape with the win.

Australian punter Jeremy Crawshaw was busy on a night where Denver's offence struggled to generate clear-cut chances, posting eight punts for an average of 49.4 yards.

Seattle's Sydney-born star Michael Dickson punted five times, averaging 43.4 yards.

Victory means the Broncos have emerged from a tough six-week season-opening stretch with a 4-2 record despite an injury-riddled roster and a shaky offence.

Ultimately, Denver's depleted defence won them the primetime tussle, sacking Darnold five times and hitting him 17 times.

The Broncos have also now recorded multiple sacks in 20 consecutive home games - the longest such streak in team history and the longest current streak in the NFL.

"Defensively, we were magnificent," said Broncos coach Sean Payton, who acknowledged, "I'm a little bit of a realist to know that 4-2 could easily be 2-4."

On the other hand, the reigning Super Bowl champions have matched their loss total from last season (3-3).