NFL Thursday Night Football preview: Broncos and Seahawks trying to rediscover last season's success

Had it not been for a surprising quarterback injury, one terrible turnover in the AFC championship game and a blizzard after that, Thursday night might be a Super Bowl rematch.

The Denver Broncos were 14-3 last season but had to play the AFC title game in the snow without quarterback Bo Nix, who broke his ankle at the end of a divisional-round playoff win over the Buffalo Bills. They lost to the New England Patriots, with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham having a bad fumble deep in his own territory that flipped the game, and not much has gone right since.

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, but, like the Broncos, the start to this season has been tougher.

Those teams combined to go 32-7 last season. This season they're a combined 6-4 and given Denver's struggles, it's fortunate that record is above .500. And one of these two teams, barring a tie, will dip to 3-3 after they face off Thursday night.

Seattle's issues aren't as bad. Its defense is still elite. But the Seahawks' offense has flaws . The running game has been poor with Kenneth Walker III leaving in free agency to Kansas City, and the passing game is getting almost nothing from anyone other than Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Sam Darnold is turning it over at a troubling rate, with five interceptions over his last three games since returning from injury. Still, it seems likely the Seahawks will get it together.

The Broncos are really struggling. They've managed a 3-2 record and they had a tough schedule to start the season, so maybe there are better days ahead. But they had a hard time against an injury-ravaged Chargers team last week, needing a fourth-quarter rally to win. The offense switched play-callers from coordinator Davis Webb to head coach Sean Payton after four weeks, and the results last week weren't much different. Bo Nix had just 123 passing yards against the Chargers, and his passer rating is a career worst 80.8. Denver is 26th in points scored and 30th in yards gained. The Broncos had promising second-half rallies to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams, and those are two high quality wins, but the other eight halves this season haven't been pretty.

Last season was a surprising success for the Seahawks and Broncos. The beginning of this season hasn't been as kind, but a win Thursday night would help.

For Seattle, falling three losses behind the 49ers in the NFC West this early in the season would not be great. But nobody would be too worried about the Seahawks, even if they're 3-3. There are some concerns over how they've looked this season but they have a solid foundation.

A loss by the Broncos should bring about some worry. They'd also fall three losses behind the undefeated first-place team in their division (Kansas City), and Denver has yet to have one good 60-minute performance this season. A win over Seattle would ease plenty of worries about their long-term viability, but a loss would hurt.

The Broncos should feel urgency to get a win.

The Broncos' secondary is banged up. Star cornerback Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga are out . Surtain's absence in particular puts Moss on the spot, assuming he's able to play through a rib injury that limited him in practice. If Moss plays, he's likely to draw Jaxon Smith-Njigba in coverage on many snaps. Smith-Njigba is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year and this season leads the NFL with 583 receiving yards. JSN has been limited in practice as well, with an ankle injury. If Smith-Njigba plays, whoever draws him in coverage on the Broncos' side has the most important assignment of the night.

The Broncos (+2.5) are a rare home underdog against the defending champion Seahawks on Thursday night. Seattle lost a heavyweight battle against San Francisco on Sunday, while Denver was far from impressive in a win over the Chargers. Bo Nix and Denver's offense isn't playing well enough to beat Seattle, and without Patrick Surtain, I'm not sure how the Broncos slow down JSN. The public likes Seattle to cover, and I agree.

Check out more of Ben's work at the Yahoo Sports betting hub .

Fantasy football storylines, by Scott Pianowski

Points could be hard to come by Thursday, with the Seahawks and Broncos both sitting top 10 in defense, per DVOA (as a result, the total is a modest 40.5). Here are three fantasy themes to track as you watch the game.

1. Can Sean Payton get Bo Nix going? Payton took over the play sheet last week but Denver's offense stayed grounded. Nix charted as the QB5 in the win over the Rams three weeks ago, otherwise he's been a mess all year. Nix is dragging down his teammates; WR Jaylen Waddle has been one of the biggest busts of the season so far.

2. What's the second pitch in the Seattle passing game? Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still an elite wideout, but the Seahawks have struggled to find a second consistent option when they pass. Nobody else on the team is averaging even 30 receiving yards per week, and only JSN has multiple touchdown catches.

3. Can volume save running backs Emanuel Wilson and J.K. Dobbins? Wilson is averaging a marginal 3.4 yards per carry, while Dobbins sits at 3.6. Alas, Wilson has made it to 21 or more touches three times, and Dobbins saw 20 chances last week. Opportunity often trumps talent level as we hunt for running back fantasy value.

Check out more of Scott's work at the Yahoo Sports fantasy hub .