Jaxon Smith-Njigba put on a dominant offensive display on Sunday night at Lumen Field, recording 150 yards and a touchdown to power the Seattle Seahawks to a 20-3 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Seattle’s defense clamped down on Patrick Mahomes and former Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, limiting the visitors to just three points—tied for the lowest offensive output by a Chiefs team in the Mahomes era.
Smith-Njigba hauled in nine passes, added two rushing attempts for 13 yards, and secured his league-leading eighth receiving touchdown of the season. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year nearly outpaced the entire Kansas City offense in the first half alone, accumulating eight touches for 142 yards and a score before intermission. His stellar opening two quarters featured six catches for 129 yards, helping Seattle control the tempo while going 5-of-9 on third down and accumulating 251 yards of total offense in the first half.
The game’s first breakthrough came midway through the second quarter after the Seahawks orchestrated an 86-yard, 15-play drive capped by a 35-yard Jason Myers field goal. The sequence was bolstered by key third-down conversions, including a 33-yard catch-and-run by Smith-Njigba on third-and-7. With 1:44 remaining in the half, Smith-Njigba beat rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane for a 28-yard touchdown. He struck again shortly after with another 28-yard reception, putting Seattle at the 2-yard line with 30 seconds left.
However, a missed opportunity prevented a larger halftime lead when a forced throw into the end zone resulted in an interception by Nohl Williams. Williams returned the pick deep into Seattle territory before Charles Cross made a saving tackle at the Seahawks’ 44-yard line with help from Cooper Kupp and George Holani. Harrison Butker’s 58-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the first half came up short, leaving the score at 10-0.
Seattle received the second-half kickoff and chewed up nearly half the quarter on a 13-play, 57-yard drive. Although it stalled inside the 10-yard line following a penalty and a blown-up run, Myers converted another 35-yard field goal to extend the lead to 13-0 with 6:51 left in the third quarter. Key conversions on the drive included a 10-yard scramble by Darnold and a 12-yard completion to Holani.
Kansas City finally got on the board late in the third quarter following a fourth-down conversion in their own territory and a crucial fumble recovery. Derick Hall sacked Mahomes as he scrambled on third down, jarring the ball loose. After multiple Seattle defenders missed a chance to pounce on the loose ball, the Chiefs recovered and Butker converted a 50-yard field goal to make it 13-3.
The Chiefs squandered their best chance to narrow the deficit further in the fourth quarter. Following a Seattle three-and-out, Kansas City marched downfield only to stall when Leonard Williams broke up a third-down pass at the line of scrimmage. Butker subsequently missed a 45-yard field goal wide right.
Emanuel Wilson put the game out of reach on the ensuing possession, bursting free for a 21-yard touchdown run. Wilson finished the night with 100 yards on 24 carries, outshining Walker, who was limited to just 36 yards on 14 carries in his return to Seattle after signing with the Chiefs in free agency.
Defensively, Seattle held the Chiefs to 213 total yards while converting 11 of 16 third-down attempts. Nick Emmanwori played a standout role in the secondary, breaking up a third-down pass intended for Walker, pressuring Mahomes into an ill-advised throw intercepted by Ty Okada, and blanketing wide receiver Worthy on deep routes and crossing patterns.
