The Kansas City Chiefs were outmatched in every phase of the game.
They kept it close for most of the night, but there was never a time when you felt like they were the better team on the field. The Seattle Seahawks came out determined to shut down Kenneth Walker III, and did just that. As a result, the Chiefs offense turned into a pumpkin as the Seahawks dealt Kansas City their first loss of the season, beating Patrick Mahomes and company 20-3.
Here are five things we learned from the Chiefs getting
humbled in Washington.
1. K9 is mortal
He is still the best running back in the NFL. But Seattle came into this game with one job in mind: don’t let this turn into a revenge game. Their No. 1 priority was to shut Kenneth Walker III down.
With Seattle playing so many heavy boxes, you would think it would open up downfield passing for the Chiefs, but that wasn’t the case.
With Kenneth Walker kept in check, the Chiefs did not have an answer as to how to move the ball down the field.
Walker’s 36 rushing yards were his lowest output of the season, and this game was the worst offensive performance in the Patrick Mahomes era.
2. Harrison Butker looks cooked
I mentioned last week that it didn’t matter if Harrison Butker can kick 70 yards if he can’t kick it straight. Well, now it appears that he can’t even kick it 58 anymore. Butker missed another field goal from beyond 50 yards, as well as one from 45 yards out.
Whether he has the yips and it is temporary, or this marks the beginning of Butker’s physical decline and the end of his best days.
Regardless, the Chiefs can’t keep leaving points out on the field, especially in a hard-fought game like this, where points are a premium. If Butker keeps missing these kicks, the Chiefs need to start bringing in available kickers for tryouts.
3. Pass rush continues to be a problem
Last week, when the Chiefs played against the Los Angeles Chargers, I wrote that a bad team can make your mediocre pass rush look awesome. Now I’m writing the flip side of that equation—a good team can make your mediocre pass rush look horrible.
The Chiefs did a good job early in this game getting Seattle into unfavorable downs and distances, but then someone overpursued the quarterback, and Sam Darnold pulled the ball down and ran for the first down, or found a receiver downfield.
If you can’t get to the quarterback, you at least have to contain him.
4. Chiefs need to make a move for a wide receiver at the deadline
With Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton both out with injuries, the wide receiver position remains a concern.
Heck, even with Rice back, this receiving group just isn’t good enough.
The Chiefs need a legit wide receiver who can give them even a fraction of what Jaxon Smith-Njigba offers the Seahawks. Even if it’s half of what he offers, it’s light-years better than what we have now.
We need a wide receiver who can get open, not one we scheme open.
5. Spags’ game plan was flawed
The Seahawks picked on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed early in this game—moving Jaxon Smith-Njigba around until he found himself lined up across from Sneed. Smith-Njigba then dismantled Sneed on multiple consecutive snaps. Now listen, Smith-Njigba is the best receiver in the NFL. He made two amazing plays against Manoor Delane, including one of the better touchdown catches of the season.
My question is: if Smith-Njigba is basically their only offensive weapon, why weren’t you bracketing him from the get-go?
Second, if you aren’t going to double-team him, why weren’t you at least having your best cornerback shadow him?
I love Sneed, but like Chris Jones, at this point in his career, he’s just not the same guy he once was.
