Chiefs reach 12-win mark for 5th straight year with Christmas Eve victory vs. Seahawks
The Chiefs’ performance in the first half proved more than sufficient to thwart the Seattle Seahawks.
After jumping out to a double-digit lead, the Chiefs’ defense made sure the Seahawks’ capable offense wouldn’t find any momentum Saturday afternoon.
The Chiefs’ defensive effort, which limited Seattle to 332 total yards, helped the home team secure a 24-10 win at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Seattle’s offense entered Saturday’s matchup ranked seventh in scoring (25.4 points per game), ninth in passing (241.5 yards per game), fifth in yards per play (5.9) and 12th in third-down percentage (42.2%).
But the Seahawks ran into a buzzsaw. Quarterback Geno Smith managed just 215 yards passing, and the Seahawks averaged a meager 4.5 yards per play and converted a scant two of 14 third-down attempts (14%).
“I thought, overall, our defense had just a great day,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes agreed.
“That’s a really good offense,” Mahomes said. “They’ve put up points on a lot of teams this year, and so for our defense to stop them in so many critical moments, that’s what we need going forward.
“I mean, when they play like that, we’re going to be a hard team to beat. Offensively, we got to execute a little higher level, but we got what we needed done. And credit to the defense, man, for kind of holding us in there when we’re struggling.”
The teams traded punts to open the game, but the Chiefs’ offense came alive on their second possession.
Rookie running back Isiah Pacheco had three straight runs totaling 17 yards, and then Mahomes found running back Jerick McKinnon on the left sideline for a 16-yard play to move the Chiefs to the Seahawks’ 25.
Five plays later, Mahomes connected with wide receiver Kadarius Toney for an 8-yard touchdown that gave the Chiefs a 7-0 lead. Right guard Trey Smith helped clear the path by working his way from the right side of the line of scrimmage to deliver a crushing block on Seahawks cornerback Cobe Bryant.
The Chiefs’ nine-play, 58-yard scoring drive featured a balanced attack: five runs and four passes. Pacheco led the way on the drive with 20 yards on four carries, finishing the contest with 90 total yards (58 rushing).
The Chiefs added to the scoreboard on their first possession of the second quarter thanks to a seven-play, 53-yard drive.
Mahomes connected with tight end Travis Kelce on a 27-yard strike that moved the Chiefs to the Seahawks’ 9-yard line. Two plays later, Mahomes threw a short pass to McKinnon, who ran it in for a 9-yard score.
Harrison Butker’s 47-yard field goal made it 17-0 before the Seahawks answered with their final possession of the first half — thanks to an assist from the Chiefs’ defense.
Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna sacked Seahawks quarterback Smith on third down, but the play was wiped out by rookie cornerback Joshua Williams’ defensive holding infraction.
Three plays later, Williams was flagged for defensive pass interference, which moved the Seahawks to the Chiefs’ 18-yard line. Then cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was penalized for illegal use of hands, putting the Seahawks inside the Chiefs’ 10-yard line.
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton saved a potential touchdown by bringing down Seahawks running back Deejay Dallas near the right sideline and the Seahawks settled for a 22-yard field goal.
Neither team got anything going in the second half until midway through the fourth quarter, when Mahomes connected with Kelce on two straight passes totaling 72 yards. That moved the Chiefs to the Seahawks’ 8-yard line.
The Chiefs’ signal-caller capped the drive with a diving 3-yard run at the right pylon that gave the Chiefs a 24-3 lead. The Seahawks finally got into the end zone late in the game.
For the day, Mahomes completed 16 of 28 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, adding 8 yards rushing and a touchdown on two carries. Kelce had six catches for 113 yards.
Defensively, Bolton paced the Chiefs defense with 17 tackles, while linebacker Willie Gay chipped in with nine tackles and two passes defensed. Safety Juan Thornhill recorded five tackles, an interception, and a pass defensed. Defensive tackle Chris Jones recorded four tackles, a sack and four quarterback hits.
“Bolton, another big day with 17 tackles,” Reid said. “The D-line, I thought, was extraordinary.”
Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark, who finished the game with two tackles, credited the coaching staff and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for having the defense prepared for the Seahawks.
“Coach Spags did a hell of a job getting us the game plan, and it’s just on us executing,” Clark said. “You’ve seen some execution out there today.”
The Chiefs improved to 12-3, becoming the third team in NFL history to record at least 12 regular-season wins in five consecutive seasons. The other two teams to accomplish the feat are the New England Patriots (eight consecutive seasons from 2010-17) and Indianapolis Colts (seven from 2003-09).
The win enabled the Chiefs to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills, who defeated the Chicago Bears on Saturday, in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Buffalo does hold the head-to-head tiebreaker should the Bills and Chiefs finish the season tied.
Here’s what else stood out Saturday afternoon:
ROOKIE SHOWING
Chiefs rookie defensive end George Karlaftis had himself quite the first half, recording a sack of Smith for a 9-yard loss and a batting down a pass at the line of scrimmage.
Karlaftis finished with a tackle for loss, a sack, a quarterback hit and a pass defensed. The Chiefs’ second of two first-round picks this year has now recorded a sack in four of the past five games, much to the delight of one of his teammates.
“I love it,” said Clark, who took Karlaftis under his wing during the offseason. “I want to see more.”
SCORCHING HOT JET
McKinnon, nicknamed “Jet,” has been on a scoring binge over the past four games: He’s now found the end zone six times (one rushing TD, five receiving) in that span.
McKinnon finished Saturday’s game with 38 total yards (31 receiving) and the touchdown.
TRAVELING MAN
The Chiefs knew Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf could be a problem, but they had a plan for him.
Pretty much wherever the 6-foot-4, 236-pound Metcalf lined up, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was on him like glue.
This represented a change in defensive philosophy for the Chiefs, who often move Sneed inside whenever the defense goes to a nickel package. But it made perfect sense for Sneed to travel with Metcalf because of Sneed’s size and experience.
Reid gave kudos to Spagnuolo for coming up with the defensive plan to deal with Metcalf.
“That was the scheme that Spags had set up going in,” Reid said. “I thought he (Sneed) did a nice job. That’s a good football player there, and, so Sneed is a good football player, too. Matching them up, I thought, was a smart thing by Spags.”
Metcalf totaled seven catches for 81 yards, but the 6-foot-1, 192-pound Sneed held his ground and didn’t allow Metcalf to take over the game.
STREAK SNAPPED
The Chiefs entered Saturday with eight turnovers over their past four games. Against the Seahawks, the Chiefs played a clean football game with zero interceptions and zero lost fumbles.
INJURIES
None of note.
NOT SUITED UP
Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (illness), quarterback Shane Buechele, tackle Geron Christian, rookie offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, defensive end Joshua Kaindoh and defensive lineman Malik Herring were inactive.
UP NEXT
The Chiefs stay home in Week 17 and welcome the Denver Broncos to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 1.
This story was originally published December 24, 2022 at 3:20 PM.
