Smith-Njigba Leads Seahawks Past Chiefs 20-3 in Seattle

Seattle's defense held Kansas City to just three points, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba delivered 150 receiving yards to lead the Seahawks to a 20-3 victory over the previously unbeaten Chiefs at Lumen Field on Sunday night. The win ended Seattle's two-game losing streak and improved its position in the NFC West after the San Francisco 49ers lost earlier Sunday.

Smith-Njigba, the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year, led an offense that accumulated 410 total yards and converted 11 of 16 third-down opportunities, according to ESPN. Seattle improved to 4-3, while Kansas City fell to 5-1 in its first loss of 2026.

The Seahawks' defensive unit, coached by Mike Macdonald, limited Kansas City to 213 total yards and prevented the Chiefs from reaching the red zone. Kenneth Walker III, who entered the game leading the NFL in rushing yards despite Kansas City having already had its bye, managed just 36 yards on 14 carries.

Seattle extended its streak to 36 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, the longest such run in the NFL. Walker had recorded at least 117 rushing yards in four of his previous five games but never gained 10 or more yards on a single carry against his former team.

Smith-Njigba's production also established a significant statistical milestone. He leads the NFL with 867 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns, according to ESPN Research, becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era, dating to 1966, to reach at least 850 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns through his team's first seven games of a season.

He recorded 129 receiving yards in the first half, the most in any half of his NFL career and the highest first-half total by a Seahawks player since Tyler Lockett recorded 133 yards against Arizona in 2020.

Smith-Njigba said the team responded to its difficult position with collective determination.

"Our backs were against the wall," Smith-Njigba said. "How we came out here as a brotherhood and fought ... the resiliency of our team is something special, and we're going to keep going."

Sam Darnold completed 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards and avoided being sacked, providing a steadier performance despite another costly interception. He completed 13 of his first 17 attempts for 178 yards and a touchdown before Kansas City cornerback Nohl Williams intercepted his pass in the end zone late in the first half.

Williams returned the interception 65 yards, giving Kansas City an opportunity to score before halftime. However, Harrison Butker missed his second field goal, and the Chiefs failed to turn the possession into points.

Darnold's interception was his eighth over the previous five games. Nevertheless, Seattle's offense improved its third-down efficiency and avoided the sack problems that had plagued the quarterback in the previous two games, when he was sacked five times in each contest.

Kansas City's offensive struggles were compounded by the absences of offensive tackles Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore and wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton. Patrick Mahomes faced pressure on eight of his 15 dropbacks before halftime, a rate of 53%, and managed only 37 passing yards in the first half.

The Chiefs also struggled to contain Seattle's passing attack. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo used blitzes, but Darnold repeatedly found Smith-Njigba, while Kansas City failed to record a sack. Seattle controlled possession and had run 51 plays to Kansas City's 24 by the middle of the third quarter.

Kansas City now faces an AFC West matchup against Denver next week. Seattle is scheduled to host the Chicago Bears on November 2 at 8:15 p.m. ET.