Seahawks Beat Chiefs 20-3 as Jaxon Smith-Njigba Delivers 150 Receiving Yards/ NEWSLOOKS/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown as Seattle defeated Kansas City 20-3 Sunday night. The Seahawks snapped a two-game losing streak and handed the Chiefs their first defeat, limiting Patrick Mahomes and Kenneth Walker III. Emanuel Wilson added 100 rushing yards and a late touchdown, while Travis Kelce moved into fifth place on the NFL’s career receptions list.
Quick Look
- Final score: Seahawks 20, Chiefs 3.
- Seattle improves: The defending Super Bowl champions moved to 4-3; Kansas City fell to 5-1.
- Leading receiver: Smith-Njigba finished with nine catches, 150 yards and a touchdown.
- Quarterback production: Sam Darnold passed for 257 yards and one touchdown.
- Ground game: Wilson carried 24 times for 100 yards and a score.
- Defensive control: Seattle held Kansas City to 213 total yards and 50 rushing yards.
- Walker contained: The former Seahawks star managed 36 yards on 14 carries.
- Kelce milestone: His 1,104 career receptions moved him past Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter.
Deep Look
Seahawks Respond to Losing Streak With Statement Victory
The Seattle Seahawks approached Sunday night’s matchup with postseason urgency and delivered a 20-3 victory over the previously unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the offense with nine receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown as Seattle ended a two-game skid.
Sam Darnold threw for 257 yards and a touchdown, while Emanuel Wilson contributed 100 rushing yards and a score on 24 carries.
The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks improved to 4-3. Kansas City dropped to 5-1.
“Playing a team like Kansas City and all the killers that they got on that side, we knew how big this game was, and we wanted this one badly,” said Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s leading receiver and reigning Offensive Player of the Year. “You know, we saw it as a playoff game.”
Seattle Defense Shuts Down Mahomes and Walker
Patrick Mahomes finished with 165 passing yards and an interception as the Chiefs struggled to generate sustained offense.
Seattle also contained former teammate Kenneth Walker III, who earned Super Bowl MVP honors with the Seahawks last season before joining Kansas City in the offseason.
Walker entered the game averaging an NFL-best 133 rushing yards per contest. Against Seattle, he gained just 36 yards on 14 attempts.
The Chiefs finished with 213 total yards, including 50 on the ground.
“Listen, all three phases we struggled, so we’ve got to do better, and that’s my responsibility,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “So I take full responsibility for this. We’ve got to play better as a team.”
Seattle extended its league-leading active streak to 36 games without allowing an individual 100-yard rusher.
“We know what kind of running back was coming in here, but we don’t allow people to run through our defense,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “That’s just us.”
Smith-Njigba Helps Seattle Build First-Half Lead
A 33-yard connection between Darnold and Smith-Njigba early in the second quarter moved Seattle into the red zone. Jason Myers finished the possession with a 25-yard field goal for a 3-0 advantage.
On Kansas City’s next series, Ty Okada intercepted a Mahomes pass intended for Jalen Royals.
Darnold kept Seattle’s ensuing drive alive with a 7-yard scramble before finding Smith-Njigba for a 28-yard touchdown. The score made it 10-0 with 1:44 remaining before halftime.
Another 28-yard completion to Smith-Njigba brought the Seahawks to the Chiefs’ 1-yard line late in the half.
But Nohl Williams intercepted Darnold in the back of the end zone and returned the ball 64 yards. Kansas City could not capitalize, as Harrison Butker’s 58-yard field goal attempt fell short when the half expired.
Chiefs Miss Opportunities as Seahawks Extend Advantage
Myers added a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter to increase Seattle’s lead to 13-0.
Kansas City later reached the Seahawks’ 30-yard line, but a Mahomes fumble on third down left the Chiefs settling for Butker’s 50-yard field goal.
Early in the fourth quarter, Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce for 19 yards. The drive produced no points when Butker missed a 45-yard attempt wide right.
Butker has missed 10 field goals since the beginning of last season.
“He’s off a bit. Got to fix it,” Reid said.
Wilson put the game further out of reach with a 21-yard touchdown run with 3:47 remaining, extending Seattle’s advantage to 20-3.
Kelce Climbs NFL Career Receptions Rankings
Kelce provided one of Kansas City’s few offensive highlights, catching four passes to reach 1,104 career receptions.
That total moved him past Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter into fifth place in NFL history.
The milestone came during an otherwise difficult night for an offense that managed only one field goal.
Macdonald Sees More Room for Improvement
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald welcomed the victory while emphasizing that Seattle still has areas to address.
“I think this game reminds the guys what we’re capable of,” Macdonald said. “I think our guys understand that there’s more levels to where we can go, and so I hope they feel the sense of urgency that we can get there because it is stuff that we can control. You know, talking about procedural stuff, red-zone stuff, negative plays, how we rush our red-zone defense, all those things we’ve been attacking.”
Notable Absences and Injuries
Seattle activated running back Zach Charbonnet during the week, but he was ruled out for Sunday’s game.
Charbonnet rushed for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns last season before tearing an ACL.
Kansas City played without receiver Rashee Rice, who missed his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury, and starting tackle Jaylon Moore, who remains in the concussion protocol.
Seahawks receiver Rashid Shaheed left early in the second half with a knee injury and did not return. Tackle Charles Cross departed in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
What Comes Next
The Chiefs travel to face the Denver Broncos next Sunday.
The Seahawks remain home to host the Chicago Bears on Monday, Nov. 2.
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