The Kansas City Chiefs were beaten 20-3 by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, a game in which almost nothing went right for the visitors. Kansas City fell to 5-1 after being outplayed from start to finish against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
The Chiefs were outmatched in the trenches, Patrick Mahomes was pressured throughout, and Kenneth Walker was held in check in his return to Seattle. Even so, Kansas City trailed by only a field goal's worth of offense in the fourth quarter and remained in the game.
That changed when kicker Harrison Butker missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt, a relatively routine distance in today's NFL, that would have made it a one-possession game with 8 1/2 minutes left. It was his second miss of the night, and Seattle closed out the win from there.
Coach Andy Reid took the blame afterward, as he typically does after a poor showing. The kicking problems, however, are more of a lingering concern than the offensive struggles, which had been an aberration this season. Butker has missed 15 kicks since the start of last season, 10 field goals and five extra points, the most in the league. He has missed kicks in back-to-back games and four of the first six this season.
"Life of a kicker," Butker said. "It either goes in or it doesn't. Unfortunately, there's been some kicks that haven't gone in." Reid acknowledged the slump, saying, "He's been one of the most consistent kickers in football. He's off a bit, so got to fix it."
The frustration is heightened by the investment in Butker, who is the third-highest paid kicker in the league and carries the sixth-highest base salary on the team. That money could have gone to a receiving corps struggling without the injured Tyquan Thornton and Rashee Rice, or to an injury-riddled offensive line. The Chiefs could also leave his contract after this season with only a manageable amount of dead money on their salary cap.
The numbers reflected the one-sided nature of the night. Kansas City managed 50 rushing yards and 213 total yards, converted 3 of 11 third downs and held the ball nearly 11 minutes less than Seattle. The defense allowed 153 rushing yards and 410 total yards, and Sam Darnold's offense converted 11 of 16 third downs. The Chiefs committed just two penalties.
"You don't want to perform like this in primetime, in a big moment like this," Mahomes said. "You got to feel it on that plane ride home and understand that it sucks, but then how can you build off it? That's the biggest thing."
There were small bright spots. Nohl Williams intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it 65 yards, setting up a chance for a field goal before halftime, which Butker missed. The Seahawks targeted defensive back L'Jarius Sneed, who has struggled all season since returning to Kansas City after a short stint in Tennessee. It was only the second time the Chiefs have scored three points or fewer with Mahomes at quarterback, the first being a 27-3 loss to the Titans on October 24, 2021.
Kansas City next travels to face the Broncos, whom it beat 31-10 in the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium. Denver has won its last three games, including a 17-14 victory over Seattle. Rice remains out with a hamstring injury, and right tackle Jaylon Moore missed the game in the concussion protocol. Getting one or both back would help an offense that stagnated badly against the Seahawks.
