After last week’s overtime loss to the Denver Broncos, the Seattle Seahawks are trying to steady things in Week 7. The catch: they get no easing into the bounce-back effort. Kansas City comes to town at 5-0, sitting fifth in points and second in defensive scoring, and Seattle knows exactly what kind of challenge that creates.
That makes this a strength-on-strength kind of matchup, and it’s also why the Seahawks’ best path to a win runs through a few big swings. Seattle is the defending champs for a reason, and if things break right, the game can turn fast. Here are three bold calls for Sunday.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the first name to watch. Asking for 150 yards from a receiver against Kansas City sounds aggressive, but the Chiefs have been a brick wall through five games.
No pass catcher has cracked 100 yards against them yet. Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers came closest with 86 yards on six catches, while the high mark for a wideout belongs to Indianapolis’ Josh Downs at 72 yards on seven receptions.
Smith-Njigba, though, has been living in the 100-yard neighborhood all season. He has reached that mark in five of six games, and this is the spot where he breaks through in a bigger way. In this prediction, JSN gets the better of the matchup and goes over 150 yards for the second time this season.
The ground game brings another wild card. Kenneth Walker has been a problem all year, topping 100 rushing yards in four of five games. His quietest day came in Week 3, when he still managed 70 yards on 18 carries in the blowout over the Miami Dolphins.
Seattle’s defense has the profile to make life uncomfortable for him, though. The Seahawks rank 10th in the league against the run and have already held opponents under 100 total rushing yards three times. That sets up the possibility of one of those surprise defensive days, and in this forecast, Walker is kept in double digits.
Then there’s Zach Charbonnet. He could be back on Sunday after being moved to the active roster, and Seattle could use the lift. The team’s run game has been shaky since Jadarian Price was injured, but Charbonnet doesn’t need to be at full speed to matter.
The final prediction has him making an immediate impact in a familiar way. Charbonnet suits up, finds work near the goal line, and scores twice for Seattle.
In Other News...
Rams Offense Suddenly Has Another Injury Scare Seahawks Fans Will Notice
Puka Nacuas latest trip to the sideline is the kind of development the Seahawks have learned to watch closely whenever the Rams start stacking up injuries. The Los Angeles receiver left practice early because of a calf issue, and it comes at a rough time for a Rams offense that already lost Davante Adams to a hamstring injury. Nacua has still been a central piece of what Los Angeles wants to do this season, even with his own missed games and the stop-and-start health battle that has followed him.
For Seattle, the concern is less about one practice than what it could mean for a divisional opponent already trying to hold things together. The Rams have also been managing injuries on the defensive side, which has added to the uneven feel around their season. If Nacuas calf becomes another lingering problem, it would only deepen the uncertainty around a team the Seahawks will be paying attention to very closely. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Darnold Puts Seahawks Offense Under Pressure Before Chiefs Test
The Seahawks have spent the better part of 10 days trying to clean up an offense that has too often left too much to fix on the fly. With Kansas City up next, Sam Darnold said the focus has to be on consistency and preparation, the kind of basic work that becomes even more important when the schedule delivers a defense as demanding as the Chiefs.
Darnolds own play has made the urgency impossible to ignore, with seven interceptions in five games leaving Seattle searching for steadier execution at quarterback. The challenge only grows with Steve Spagnuolos defense waiting on the other side, a test that will show whether the Seahawks extra time off translated into real answers or just another week of concern. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Get Encouraging Injury News With A Few Sunday Concerns Left
The Seahawks got a healthier-looking practice report as the week wound down, with Anthony Bradford and Zach Charbonnet both taking full reps. For a team still trying to piece together its best lineup, that kind of participation matters, especially on the offensive line and in the backfield, where availability can change the feel of a game plan quickly.
There were still a few Sunday concerns left on the board, though, with Connor OToole and Drake Thomas missing practice because of injuries. Seattles own injury picture is improving, but the larger matchup also comes with its own questions, as the Chiefs enter with most of their core players practicing fully while a handful of others remain unavailable or unlikely to go. [Read more 🡒]