Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks Show Divergent Paths in 2026 Season

After a peculiar 2025 season, the Kansas City Chiefs have made a strong comeback in 2026, already setting their sights on another AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills.

In contrast, the Seattle Seahawks, last year’s Super Bowl winners, haven’t been as convincing. They kicked off the season with two wins over the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals, but with just one win in their last four games, they faced challenges. A surprising defeat to the Washington Commanders, followed by a victory against the struggling LA Chargers, was soon overshadowed by two overtime losses to the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos.

Following the weekend’s lackluster performance, rumors started swirling about Sam Darnold potentially losing his starting role to Drew Lock. Going from a Super Bowl champion to sitting on the bench sounds almost unbelievable, but the numbers—27 completions out of 51 attempts, with no touchdowns and two interceptions—tell a concerning story. Especially when that performance comes against a quarterback who racked up only 107 passing yards.

Despite the chatter, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald affirmed his support for Darnold. In a radio interview, he mentioned, “Sam’s played great football for us this year the majority of the time.” He acknowledged that there are areas for improvement but maintained confidence in Darnold as a crucial part of their offense.

And honestly, Seahawks fans might be relieved Macdonald is sticking with him. Still, Darnold’s ball security issues are undeniable. After a slow start, he did show some spark in the second quarter, making impressive completions, including a touchdown pass to Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Unfortunately, just before halftime, Darnold’s turnover problems reemerged, leading to an interception that created an opportunity for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs, however, ended the half with kicker Harrison Butker missing a long field goal attempt. As the game progressed, Darnold continued to make connections, adding more points to the scoreboard. But the Chiefs’ offense struggled to find its rhythm, with Patrick Mahomes facing relentless pressure and failing to convert opportunities into points.

Seattle managed to seal the game with a touchdown run from Emanuel Wilson, emphasizing their dominance throughout. The disparity in yardage and first downs was apparent; Seattle held a substantial advantage with 388 yards to Kansas City’s 210 and converted 11 of 15 third downs, while the Chiefs only managed 3 out of 11.

This defensive showcase from the Seahawks is a reminder of their strengths in recent seasons. Despite a couple of hiccups from Darnold, including that critical interception, his overall performance was encouraging.

Next, the Seahawks will face the Chicago Bears at home, while the Chiefs are set to take on the Denver Broncos on the road.