Chiefs-Seahawks scouting report

When the Chiefs run

Jamaal Charles continues to churn out yards, and the Chiefs rank fifth in the league in rushing. Charles still hasn’t hit a home run, though his season-long 39-yard TD on fourth-and-1 at Buffalo was a biggie. Seattle has allowed a league-low 3.2 yards a carry, but the last time the Seahawks faced a decent offense, they allowed a season-most 162 yards rushing in a loss to Dallas. And now they’re without starting DT Brandon Mebane.

When the Chiefs pass

The Chiefs rank 30th in the NFL in passing, and on a cold day and missing both A.J. Jenkins and Donnie Avery, expect the short slants and outs to Dwayne Bowe and shallow crossing patterns off play action to the one healthy tight end, Travis Kelce. Alex Smith continues to take care of the ball, throwing one interception since opening day, but the Seahawks can be ballhawks. A year ago, Seattle intercepted a league-most 28 passes, including eight by Richard Sherman. This year, they’ve intercepted six, one by Sherman.

When the Seahawks run

The Seahawks, led by Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch (689 yards) and quarterback Russell Wilson (500), rank first in the NFL in rushing at 170.9 yards per game and tied a franchise record with five rushing touchdowns last week against the Giants. The Chiefs rank 20th against the run, but they have yet to allow a rushing touchdown this season. Other than perhaps San Francisco’s Frank Gore, who rushed for 107 yards in 18 attempts, the Chiefs haven’t faced anyone like Lynch this season.

When the Seahawks pass

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson hasn’t been dazzling this season, largely because he hasn’t had a receiver step up, and he’s lost tight end Zach Miller to a season-ending injury. The Chiefs are ranked No. 1 in pass defense, allowing just 205.3 yards per game and have not allowed a 300-yard passing day, while Seattle ranks 31st in passing at 194.4. Chiefs OLB Justin Houston, who leads the NFL with 12 sacks, will be going against rookie tackle Justin Britt of Missouri.

Special teams

Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos, who has made 10 consecutive field goals, grew up in Brazil, attended high school in Florida and played college football for Tulane in the Superdome. This will be the coldest game in which he’s ever kicked. Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka has made 17 of 19 this season, and the game could come down to which kicker can handle the elements. St. Louis exploited the Seahawks’ special teams with some trick plays, so expect the Chiefs’ Dave Toub to have something up his sleeve.

Coaching

Chiefs coach Andy Reid is as consistent as they come. He’s 73-51 in home games; 75-50-1 in road games. He was at his best in last week’s game at Buffalo, pulling out two counter runs in crucial situations. But Seattle’s Pete Carroll is 30-11 since 2012 with a Super Bowl victory. That trumps all.

X-factor

This game figures to be low scoring and mistakes will be critical. The Chiefs are the least-penalized team in the NFL while Seattle is 27th. That can make a big difference in Arrowhead, where opponents frequently false start and take delay-of-game penalties.

Bottom line: Chiefs 17-16

The Chiefs are on a roll, having won four straight and six of seven since an 0-2 start and are oozing with confidence. The Seahawks have won three straight against Carolina, Oakland and the Giants, who are a combined 6-21-1. The Seahawks are not the same team away from their 12th Man in Seattle.

Randy Covitz, rcovitz@kcstar.com

This story was originally published November 15, 2014 at 11:25 PM with the headline "Chiefs-Seahawks scouting report."