The undefeated (5-0) Kansas City Chiefs will take on the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks (3-3) on “Sunday Night Football” this week. The game kicks off at 7:20 Arrowhead time and will be broadcast on NBC.
The Chiefs are off to a hot start and sit atop the AFC. Last week, they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 22-6 at home in a dominating defensive effort. The story of Kansas City so far has been running back Kenneth Walker —128 rushing yards and two touchdowns last Sunday — who leads
the NFL with 665 rushing yards in just five games.
The Seahawks have had a bumpy start as the defending champions. They have lost back-to-back games and have failed to create offensive consistency. Quarterback Sam Darnold has been picked off four times in the back-to-back losses, and no Seattle player has rushed for over 100 yards this season.
Even with the offensive inconsistency, they still boast one of the best defensive units in the NFL, capable of keeping them in any game.
Here are five things to watch.
1. Walker’s return
The reigning Super Bowl MVP will make his return to the team that drafted him. Walker put up decent numbers during his first three seasons in Seattle, but midway through last season and into the postseason, he showed off his ability at the highest level.
Seattle elected to bring back other players, and now Walker will have a chance to play for his former team.
The Seahawks’ run defense is rugged, and they have not allowed a 100-yard rusher in almost two seasons, ranking 10th in the NFL, giving up around 96 yards on the ground per game this season.
Two weeks ago, they held San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey under 100 yards, but he averaged 6.8 yards per carry on eleven touches. The cracks are there, and it will be a battle of minds between head coaches Andy Reid and Mike Macdonald.
It will also be interesting to see if Walker recalls his former general manager’s remarks at their Super Bowl parade.
2. Right tackle
Once again, the Chiefs offensive line will be under heavy scrutiny as yet another backup will earn a shot to start the game. Jaylon Moore suffered a concussion in last week’s win and missed the entire week of practice. This will mean that reserve tackle Josh Ezeudu is projected to make the start on the right side.
A five-year veteran in the NFL, Sunday night will mark Ezeudu’s 11th career start and first with the Chiefs. After spending the offseason as a member of the New York Giants, who drafted him in 2022, Ezeudu was traded to Kansas City following the conclusion of the preseason, and around the time that news of Josh Simmons’ back injury started to circulate.
Ezeudu was fine in the snaps he played on Sunday, but the Seattle defensive front will be a tough task. The Seahawks have eight players with at least one sack, and three players with three.
In a hostile environment, I would expect Andy Reid to use a well-timed quick game and screens to help lighten the load.
3. Stopping Smith-Njigba
Through the early portions of the season, Smith-Njigba has solidified himself as the league’s top receiver and leads the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns. He has eclipsed the century mark in five of six games so far this season, but this week he faces a different kind of test.
As Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo has found ways to keep the game’s top receivers under wraps. Last season, the Chiefs allowed one receiver to go over 100 yards — Nico Collins of the Houston Texans in Week 14 — and this season they have yet to allow a 100-yard receiver.
Cornerbacks Nohl Williams and Mansoor Delane have been fantastic so far this season, but Smith-Njigba presents a much larger challenge.
I expect the Chiefs to use a combination of Williams and Delane to double-cover Smith-Njigba and not allow him to get going.
4. Harrison Butker
The Chiefs kicker is off to a rough start to the season, but against a high-level defense such as Seattle’s, the Chiefs will need a big night from their kicker.
Butker is 10-for-13 on field goals this season and 14-for-15 on extra points, but he struggles when kicking beyond 50 yards.
He is just 1-for-4 on 50+ yard field-goal attempts, and this has put the defense on short fields. While he’s been automatic inside the 50, these misses from distance have fueled speculation about his future with the team after this season.
The team appears to remain internally confident, and with a catalog of historic kicks, it would take a series of unexpected blunders to force the Chiefs’ hand in season.
5. WRs and return man
With the Chiefs’ receiver room depleted by injury, multiple players saw an uptick in snaps this past week, which should put internal pressure on return man Nikko Remigio.
Last week Remigio struggled, fumbling a punt that was recovered by the kicking team, and his lack of snaps in the offense raises questions about his value on the team when the Chiefs need as many bodies as possible ready to go at receiver.
Backup returner Brashard Smith is out this week with a hamstring injury, so Remigio will get the reins this week, but I would imagine the pressure to perform will be elevated.
The Chiefs signed Andrew Armstrong to the active roster on Friday after elevating him a week ago, and this should mean more snaps for him in the offense alongside Xavier Worthy, Jalen Royals, and Cyrus Allen.
Remigio will need to quickly lock back in on what has kept him on the roster, but the clock is running, and if the Chiefs look to outside help at wide receiver, he will likely be the odd man out.
