Kansas City’s undefeated run is over. The Chiefs lost 20-3 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, dropping to 5-1 on the season in what was easily their worst offensive showing of the year.
For a team that had found ways to win close, scrappy games all season, this one didn’t have the same late-game magic. Kansas City managed just three points all night, a single Harrison Butker field goal, in a game where the offense never really got out of first gear.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing attack looked uncharacteristically stuck for most of the night. The offense moved the ball in fits and starts, an 18-yard completion to Travis Kelce here, a drive into Seahawks territory there, but nothing that translated into consistent scoring. Butker’s lone field goal was the only points Kansas City could muster, and even his night had its own hiccup, missing a 45-yard attempt in the fourth quarter that would have at least kept things interesting.
Seattle’s defense deserves real credit for that performance. Cornerback Mansoor Delane, the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft, had a strong showing, including a pass breakup on Travis Kelce in the red zone and another on Tory Horton, reminders of why he was considered one of the more NFL-ready corners in his draft class.
The game’s biggest defensive moment came from Seattle, not Kansas City. Nohl Williams picked off a Sam Darnold pass in the end zone, wait, actually it looks like this needs a correction, the interception return belonged to Seattle’s defense off a Chiefs quarterback, with Williams taking it 64 yards. That kind of game-defining defensive play, the sort Kansas City’s own defense has been responsible for all season, instead went the other way Sunday night, which tells you a lot about how this particular game unfolded.
Even in a loss, there was a small piece of history for Kansas City. Travis Kelce moved past Marvin Harrison Sr. into fifth place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list during the game, a notable marker in a career that’s already cemented Kelce as one of the greatest tight ends to ever play. It’s the kind of achievement that would normally get a lot more attention, but on a night Kansas City managed just three points, it understandably got buried under the final score.
Head coach Andy Reid gave a brief update after the game, saying the Chiefs mostly avoided further significant injury despite the tough night. Running back Isiah Pacheco reportedly dealt with neck spasms during the game and will be worked through that this week, while Butker left briefly between the third and fourth quarters before returning to the field.
The bigger injury story heading into this game had already been offensive tackle Josh Simmons, who landed on short-term injured reserve, forcing Kansas City to lean on backup tackle Joshua Ezeudu against a Seattle defense that made the most of the opportunity. Kansas City had expressed confidence in that backup plan heading into Sunday; the final score suggests the results were mixed at best.
Kansas City entered Week 7 as one of just three remaining undefeated teams in the league, alongside Minnesota and San Francisco, all chasing perfect seasons deep into October. That streak is now over, and losing it in a game where the offense was shut down so thoroughly, just three points, their lowest output of the season by a wide margin, adds a different kind of sting compared to a competitive, down-to-the-wire defeat.
Patrick Mahomes offered a fairly even-keeled response after the game, telling reporters, “Every week’s a new week,” the kind of line that suggests the locker room isn’t panicking after one rough outing. For a team that’s now dealt with questions at left tackle, had its perfect season end, and watched its offense go quiet on national television, the next couple of games will say a lot about whether Sunday was a blip or the start of a tougher stretch. Kansas City will look to regroup and get back in the win column as the season moves into its second half.
