The Kenneth Walker III revenge game didn’t go as planned.
The Seattle Seahawks’ defense dominated in a 20-3 win over the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in a Sunday nightcap, holding Patrick Mahomes and Walker, who won Super Bowl MVP for the Seahawks in February — to their lowest passing and rushing totals of the season, respectively.
After having lost two straight games, Seattle got its best win of the season and is now only two games behind the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West.
“Really proud of our team,” Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald said postgame. “To stand steadfast in some adversity, that’s what we do. We find solutions.”
The Seahawks’ defense was the story. Mahomes was limited to only 165 yards through the air. He threw for no touchdowns and one interception. Meanwhile, Walker was limited even further.
He entered Sunday’s game leading the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry (minimum 30 carries) and tied for the third-most rushing touchdowns. Against his former team, Walker ran only 14 times for 36 yards and no scores. He had run for at least 115 yards in four of the Chiefs’ first five games, and his previous lowest rushing total of the season was 70.
Walker walked off the field after the loss without greeting his former teammates.
The Seahawks ultimately held Kansas City to its fewest total yards, first downs and red-zone drives in any Mahomes start, while the Chiefs’ three points were also tied for their lowest output in any Mahomes start, per NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno.
“Our guys played great, man,” MacDonald said when he was asked about his defense. “They’re just a bunch of warriors.”
He added: “How do you not just tip your cap to those guys?”
Said Chiefs coach Andy Reid about his offense: “We’ll go back to the drawing board.”
The win was a much-needed breakthrough for Seattle, which has had an up-and-down season in defense of its Super Bowl win. The Seahawks won their first two games before they dropped three out of their last four. Their losses have been close, though, as all three came by a combined eight points.
Kansas City’s three points were the fewest by a Seattle opponent this season. And on the other side of the ball, quarterback Sam Darnold had one of his better performances of the year.
After having thrown two interceptions in three out of the last four weeks — all in losses — Darnold threw for 257 yards, one touchdown and only one pick Sunday night. He was aided greatly by receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had nine catches for 150 yards and a score.
And in an ironic twist, the Seahawks had one of their best rushing performances of the season. Seattle ran the ball 41 times for 153 yards, its second-highest total on the ground this season. Running back Emanuel Wilson ran for 100 yards, the first time a Seahawks player has reached the century mark since Walker did it in the Super Bowl.
Seattle is now 4-3 with two straight home games over the next two weeks.
The Chiefs fell to 5-1, scoring fewer than 22 points for the first time this year. Mahomes never looked in sync, while his receivers failed to create separation against one of the league’s best secondaries. Of Mahomes’ 19 completions, 11 went to Walker and tight ends.
“You gotta feel it. This sucks,” Mahomes said of the overall performance.
Kicker Harrison Butker didn’t help the cause, missing two field-goal attempts, one of which would have made it a 13-6 game in the fourth quarter.
“All three phases, we gotta do better,” Reid said. “I take full responsibility for this.”
Kansas City’s offense will need to bounce back quickly, as it will face another great defense in the Denver Broncos in Week 8.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, will be tested again on Nov. 2 when they host the 5-2 Chicago Bears, who’ve averaged 30.8 points in quarterback Caleb Williams’ four starts.