Following an unconventional 2025 season, the Kansas City Chiefs have re-established themselves as a top contender in the NFL for 2026, appearing to be on a clear path towards another AFC Championship game, potentially against the Buffalo Bills.
However, the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, had faced a more inconsistent start to their season. After opening with victories over the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, Seattle entered the weekend with a 1-3 record in their subsequent four games. Their surprising defeat to the Commanders was followed by a win against the struggling LA Chargers, then two frustrating overtime losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
The poor showing in the previous weekend's loss immediately sparked discussions about whether quarterback Sam Darnold might be at risk of losing his starting position to Drew Lock. The idea of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback becoming a backup in just six games might seem drastic, but Darnold's performance of 27 completions on 51 attempts with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a losing effort against a quarterback who only managed 107 passing yards certainly fueled the speculation within the league.
Coach Macdonald Backs Quarterback Darnold
Despite the mounting pressure, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald remained steadfast in his commitment to Darnold.
"Sam's played great football for us this year the majority of the time," Macdonald stated during an October 16 radio interview. "There's other times he needs to take care of the football, but I think these are solutions we can find with Sam as our QB. I believe that."
He reiterated his confidence in a news conference held the same day.
"I think we have a lot of faith in Sam," Macdonald added. "Sam’s played great football for us. He’s done a lot of great things this year. We’ve obviously turned the ball over more than we want to. I feel like there’s things on our end that can help him play better football. And I think he’s definitely part of the solution, rather than the opposite."
Both Macdonald and the Seahawks fan base are likely relieved he maintained his conviction, even as Darnold continued to grapple with ball security issues at crucial moments.
Game Flow: Seattle Takes Control
After a first quarter dominated by punts, the second period brought significantly more action. While Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes uncharacteristically struggled, throwing an interception that halted a Chiefs' drive, Darnold was in exceptional form for Seattle. On the Seahawks' initial scoring drive, he amassed 71 passing yards, including a 33-yard connection with Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Immediately following Mahomes' interception, Darnold again found Smith-Njigba for a 28-yard touchdown pass, a play made possible by the 24-year-old wide receiver's impressive strength to remain in bounds.
However, in the final moments of the second quarter, Darnold's recurring issue with ball security resurfaced. After another significant 28-yard completion to Smith-Njigba, placing the ball at the Kansas City 2-yard line with 30 seconds left in the half, the Seahawks attempted a George Holani run that resulted in a loss of yardage. Under pressure, Darnold then tried to connect with Rasheed Shaheed in the end zone but was intercepted by Noah Williams. Williams' lengthy return initially positioned the Chiefs for an improbable last-second score, but Harrison Butker, who had not been at his best this season, missed the 58-yard field goal attempt as the half concluded.
In the third quarter, Darnold maintained his rhythm, completing passes of 17, 12, and 19 yards to contribute to Seattle's three-point addition, extending their lead to 13-0. The typically formidable Chiefs offense failed to find its stride; Mahomes was frequently hurried, and with Rashee Rice once again sidelined, the Kansas City receiving corps struggled to create separation. Running back Kenneth Walker also found little success on the ground.
Statistical Dominance and Future Outlook
Mahomes was far from his peak performance, nearly fumbling in the third quarter and largely resorting to short, conservative passes. Even when the Chiefs finally engineered a solid drive in the fourth quarter, Butker missed his second kick of the game, a 45-yard attempt that would have narrowed the score to 13-6. Seattle capitalized on this missed opportunity, effectively sealing the game with a 21-yard touchdown run by Emanuel Wilson on a critical third-and-4 play.
While Lumen Field is known for being a challenging venue for visiting teams, the extent of Seattle's dominance in Sunday night's contest was still surprising. Prior to garbage time, the Seahawks held a significant 388 to 210 yardage advantage and recorded 22 first downs compared to Kansas City's 11. Seattle also converted an impressive 11 of 15 third-down attempts, while Kansas City managed only 3 of 11. Kenneth Walker (KC), who had rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in his previous game, was limited to just 36 yards on 14 carries against Seattle. The Chiefs' three points entering the fourth quarter marked one of the lowest scoring outputs in Mahomes' celebrated career.
This performance exemplified the suffocating defensive identity that has characterized the Seahawks' success in recent seasons. Perhaps even more encouraging was Darnold's significantly improved outing, despite the ill-timed second-quarter interception.
The Seahawks are set to remain at home to host the Chicago Bears on Monday night, while the Chiefs will travel to Denver to face the Broncos at Empower Field.
