By Jeremy
The Chiefs’ first loss of 2026 was more than a bad night on the scoreboard. Seattle’s 20–3 win on October 25 left Kansas City with 213 yards and no trip to the red zone. For an offense led by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, the unsettling part wasn’t one failed drive. It was how little changed from one possession to the next.
Too many difficult downs
Seattle’s postgame account credited its defense with holding Kansas City to 11 first downs and three conversions in 11 third-down attempts. Those numbers describe an offense that rarely got comfortable. The Chiefs couldn’t sustain drives, and they couldn’t rely on a timely explosive play to make up for it.
The ground game offered no escape. Kenneth Walker III, who had topped 100 rushing yards in four of Kansas City’s first five games, finished with 36 yards on 14 carries against his former team, according to the Seahawks’ recap. Seattle deserves credit for that. Kansas City also has to ask whether its early-down calls gave Walker enough useful looks—or left Mahomes repeatedly facing situations the defense could anticipate.
Mahomes can’t be the whole adjustment
When an offense stalls, it’s tempting to expect Mahomes to create something outside the structure. Seattle showed the limits of that approach. Its recap described safety Nick Emmanwori staying with Xavier Worthy on deep routes; Emmanwori also pressured Mahomes on a throw that Ty Okada intercepted. Kansas City cannot treat a scramble and a contested downfield shot as its dependable answer when the first read isn’t there.
Reid’s priority before the next game should be easier completions and manageable third downs: quick throws, movement, and formations that make defenders declare their intentions. He should also examine how to get Travis Kelce and Worthy opportunities without asking every possession to hinge on a difficult play. None of those ideas guarantees a fix against a defense playing as well as Seattle’s did. They give the offense a way to build a drive instead of waiting for Mahomes to rescue one.
A loss worth studying
Seattle won the matchup decisively, and one defeat does not erase Kansas City’s 5–0 start. But the Chiefs should resist dismissing this as an off night. Three points and zero red-zone snaps point to a problem that began well before the goal line. Reid’s task now is to make the ordinary plays work again. The extraordinary ones can follow.