Lumen Field (SEATTLE) – The defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks finally looked like the dominant team that ran through the playoffs last season, manhandling the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs 20-3 in a nationally televised game on Sunday night. The win moved Seattle to 4-3 on the year, two games behind the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West (6-1), who like the Chiefs (5-1) also fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 29-20 road loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Seahawks snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory and now get an extra day to prepare for another tough game at home against the Chicago Bears (5-2).
The Chiefs will try to rebound on the road against their AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos (5-2) in Week 8. Here are my takeaways: With running back Kenneth Walker III serving as the engine of the offense, Patrick Mahomes has been playing good ball in his return from a season-ending knee injury. Entering Sunday’s contest, Mahomes had a 103.1 passer rating, which was his highest passer rating since his MVP season of 2022 (105.2).
However, with Seattle shutting down Walker and the running game, Mahomes struggled. He finished 19-of-33 for 165 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. Mahomes also had a fumble that Kansas City managed to recover in the second half.
The Chiefs averaged 414 total yards a contest entering Sunday’s game but finished with just 213 total yards. Kansas City did not get the ball into the red zone. The Seahawks lead the NFL in total defense (237.3 total yards allowed), pass defense (141.3), yards per play allowed (4.0) and takeaways (11).
Mahomes fell to 4-4 in his career in games against the top total defense entering the week (including postseason). In his return to Lumen Field, Walker became the first Super Bowl MVP in league history to face the team he won the award with the following year. But in his homecoming, the Seahawks seemed to benefit from their familiarity with their former running back.
Walker entered Sunday’s contest leading the league in rushing with 665 yards. He had more rushing yards than 19 NFL teams through six weeks of the NFL season and rushed for 100 yards in four of his first five games this year. But Seattle swarmed to the football when Walker got the ball, making sure to cover up the cutback lanes and not allowing the Michigan State product to bounce outside.
The result was Seattle limiting Walker to 36 yards on 14 carries, forcing other players on offense to beat them. Walker’s replacement for the Seahawks, Emanuel Wilson, rushed for 100 yards. The Ohio State product entered Sunday’s contest leading the league in receptions (49), receiving yards (717) and receiving touchdowns (7).
But for some odd reason, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo decided to cover Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the perimeter in press coverage with rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane. It was predictably not a successful strategy to slow down Smith-Njigba, who finished with a game-high nine receptions for 150 receiving yards and a score. According to Next Gen Stats, Delane allowed four receptions for 85 yards and a score as the nearest defender on JSN in coverage on six targets.
The last player to win the receiving triple crown was Ja’Marr Chase in 2024, and the defending NFL Offensive Player of the Year has a chance to achieve that lofty mark if teams continue to cover him like the Chiefs. Like last season, Darnold had struggled at the start of this season. Since returning from a glute injury, Darnold has seven interceptions, tied for second-most in the league.
Darnold had as many touchdowns (seven) as interceptions (seven) entering Sunday’s contest. And Seattle’s 12 giveaways was tied for the third-most in the league. But against the Chiefs, Darnold focused on not taking sacks, being decisive and getting the ball out quick, with good results.
Darnold completed 20-of-28 passes for 257 yards, including a touchdown to Smith-Njigba. However, Darnold also had an awful decision at the end of the first half, when he forced a pass into the back of the end zone into coverage to Rashid Shaheed that was intercepted by Nohl Williams, who almost took it back for a touchdown. Fortunately for Darnold, left tackle Charles Cross got Williams on the ground, and Harrison Butker missed a 58-yard field goal.
Butker also missed from 45 yards. With Drew Lock nursing a right elbow injury, the Seahawks have little choice but to stick with Darnold, and hope that his solid performance against the Chiefs is a sign of things to come.
