The victory allowed the Seahawks to improve their record to 4-3 and snap a two-week losing skid. Meanwhile, the Chiefs suffered their first defeat of the 2026 NFL campaign, dropping their record to 5-1 after a frustrating evening in the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle's offense showed notable progress under coordinator Brian Fleury, accumulating 410 total yards and converting 11 of 16 third-down opportunities. Sam Darnold guided the unit efficiently, completing 20 of 28 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown.

Smith-Njigba proved to be the focal point of the passing game throughout the contest, racking up 150 receiving yards. His exceptional route-running and reliable hands repeatedly solved the blitz packages designed by veteran Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

The standout receiver made NFL history during the encounter by crossing significant seasonal milestones. Per league records, he became the first player in the Super Bowl era to record at least 850 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through seven games.

Reflecting on the crucial divisional and inter-conference battle, Smith-Njigba emphasized the collective spirit of the locker room. He noted that the squad faced immense pressure following recent setbacks and responded with immense resilience as a brotherhood.

Darnold enjoyed a stellar first half, completing 13 of his initial 17 attempts for 178 yards and an early touchdown. However, a glaring mistake occurred in the final seconds before intermission when he forced a pass into traffic that was intercepted.

That miscue marked Darnold's eighth interception over his last five appearances, keeping a minor blemish on an otherwise disciplined evening. Crucially, the quarterback avoided taking a single sack behind an improved offensive line performance.

Kansas City's offense encountered a brick wall in the form of Seattle's defensive scheme, failing to reach the red zone all night. Their deepest penetration reached only the Seattle 27-yard line before stalling completely.

Kicker Harrison Butker compounded the offensive misery by missing a field goal attempt during a thoroughly unfulfilling performance. The defending champions sorely missed injured personnel, including key tackles and wide receivers.

The absence of wideouts Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton severely depleted Patrick Mahomes' receiving options on the perimeter. Rice sat out with a strained hamstring, while Thornton remained sidelined on the injured reserve list following ankle surgery.

Consequently, Kansas City's supporting cast of wide receivers managed a meager total of six receptions for 39 yards. Mahomes faced intense pressure on more than half of his first-half dropbacks, severely limiting his downfield effectiveness.

Much of the pre-match narrative focused on running back Kenneth Walker III facing his former team for the first time. Walker entered the weekend leading the National Football League in rushing yards following a productive start to the season.

However, Macdonald's defense maintained an incredible franchise streak by neutralizing the ground threat entirely. Seattle has now gone 36 consecutive games without surrendering a 100-yard rusher, representing the longest active streak across the NFL.

The Seahawks deployed two deep safeties for the majority of the evening to contain Walker's explosive rushing capabilities. The strategy worked to perfection as the star running back was restricted to just 36 yards on 14 carries.

Kansas City's lone defensive highlight arrived in the closing seconds of the second quarter when cornerback Nohl Williams intercepted Darnold. Williams returned the turnover 65 yards to give his team a brief opportunity for points before halftime.

Despite dropping their first game of the season, the Chiefs remain near the summit of the AFC West standings. General manager Brett Veach faces mounting pressure to explore trade options before the upcoming November deadline to bolster the wide receiver corps.

The Seahawks climbed closer in the competitive NFC West picture, benefiting from earlier results involving divisional rivals. Mike Macdonald's tactical adjustments proved vital in stifling a Kansas City squad that had looked virtually unstoppable previously.

Looking ahead to the upcoming schedule, the Seahawks will prepare to host the Chicago Bears at Lumen Field. That fixture is scheduled for November 2 under the prime-time lights as Seattle attempts to build sustained momentum.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs must quickly regroup before hitting the road for a critical AFC West showdown. They travel to face the Denver Broncos next Sunday afternoon in a fixture carrying significant divisional implications.

Kicker Chad Ryland proved to be the unlikely hero for Arizona, scoring every single point for his side to pull off what has been described as the biggest upset of the campaign so far.

The victory lifted the Cardinals to a 2-4 record, drawing level with their opponents and moving them above the Rams in the competitive NFC West standings.

Los Angeles began the season as heavy favourites for the Super Bowl but have endured a difficult stretch, culminating in this latest home defeat.

The Rams experienced kicking turmoil ahead of the match, cutting Harrison Mevis and signing Blake Grupe, only for Grupe to suffer a knee injury while making a tackle on the opening kickoff.

With punter Ethan Evans forced into kicking duties to add an extra point following Colby Parkinson's touchdown, the Rams briefly claimed the lead late in the contest.

However, Ryland held his nerve under intense pressure to slot home a career-high sixth field goal as time expired, sealing an 18-16 triumph for the visitors.

Following the defeat, Rams head coach Sean McVay acknowledged the need for immediate improvements, admitting that the team must quickly figure out their ongoing issues.

Elsewhere in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs maintained their perfect start to the season with a commanding 22-6 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes reached a significant personal milestone during the encounter, securing his 100th regular-season win in just his 131st career start.

Mahomes equalled Tom Brady's historic benchmark for the fastest quarterback to reach the century mark in victories within the modern era.

The Chiefs were further bolstered by running back Kenneth Walker, who rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns against his former franchise.

Walker now leads the entire NFL with 665 rushing yards, establishing a new record for the most productive opening five games with a new team.

Kansas City and the Minnesota Vikings stand as the remaining undefeated teams in the league with flawless 5-0 records heading into the next round of fixtures.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles suffered a disastrous weekend both on and off the field, compounding a miserable four-match losing streak under head coach Nick Sirianni.

The Eagles revealed that star quarterback Jalen Hurts played through a superficial blood clot in his calf during their previous match in London against Jacksonville.

Subsequent medical examinations confirmed that Hurts has now been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli in his lungs.

The 2025 Super Bowl Most Valuable Player has begun treatment and faces an expected recovery period of approximately three months on the sidelines.

To make matters worse for Philadelphia, backup quarterback Tanner McKee started their latest fixture against the Carolina Panthers, which ended in a 25-14 defeat.

Tight end Tommy Tremble scored two touchdowns for Carolina as the struggling Eagles dropped to a concerning 2-4 record for the season.

In London, the Jacksonville Jaguars concluded the international series by hosting the Houston Texans in a high-scoring divisional thriller at Wembley Stadium.

Houston emerged with a 34-31 victory thanks to a decisive field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn in the highest-scoring London fixture since the 2015 season.

Despite the defeat, Jacksonville's Travis Hunter etched his name into the NFL history books with a remarkable two-way performance.

The 2025 second overall draft pick became the first player to record both a touchdown reception and an interception in the same game since 2002.

Hunter's fourth-quarter heroics initially helped the Jaguars claw back to level terms before Houston ultimately sealed their second win of the campaign.

In the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns emerged as surprise division leaders following a hard-fought 13-10 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.

Running back Audric Estime capitalized on a crucial fourth-quarter fumble by Derrick Henry to punch in a vital touchdown for the hosts.

Andre Szmyt subsequently converted his second game-winning field goal in the space of three weeks to secure Cleveland's fourth victory of the season.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson has overseen a positive 4-2 start for the Browns, who currently sit at the summit of their division on tie-breakers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers also share a 4-2 record after staging an impressive comeback from a 16-3 deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-19 in overtime.