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The Kansas City Chiefs notched their third straight win after a big win over the Seattle Seahawks, 24-10, at home in Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season. It was the Chiefs' eighth win in their last nine games. Kansas City had fewer total yards than the Seahawks, but the Chiefs were more efficient. They were 3-of-3 from the red zone and had zero turnovers. Right now, Kansas City carries a 12-3 record, which is good enough for first place in the AFC West. They are currently in second place in the entire AFC, right behind the Buffalo Bills. Here we'll discuss the studs and duds from the Chiefs' big Week 16 win versus the Seahawks.
In Week 16, it was clear that the Chiefs were the superior team. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes just pounced on a particularly weak defense. The Chiefs' dynamic duo of Mahomes and Travis Kelce posed a formidable challenge for Seattle's defense. The Chiefs successfully scored touchdowns on all three of their trips to the red zone.
The Kansas City defense also performed well, holding the Seahawks scoreless until the final seconds of the second quarter when Seattle kicked a field goal. The defense provided the Chiefs with good field position on multiple occasions and kept Seattle out of the end zone for most of the game.
In Week 17, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Denver Broncos. Despite struggling throughout the season, quarterback Russell Wilson returned to start for Denver in their Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
For now, let us look at the studs and duds from the Chiefs' Week 16 win over the Seahawks.
Chiefs Studs
TE Travis Kelce
Star Kansas City TE Travis Kelce consistently performs well each week, often totaling over 100 receiving yards. In this win over the Seahawks, Kelce had two crucial catches that set up a touchdown for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kelce finished with six receptions for 113 yards. While Kelce has not scored a touchdown in the past four weeks, he has already contributed a total of 12 touchdowns in 15 games this season. It is expected that Kelce will continue to be a key part of the Chiefs' offensive game plan in their upcoming matchup against the Denver Broncos. He was just historically awesome in this game.
Another week, another record 🏹
Fastest tight end to 800 receptions. Congrats, @tkelce! pic.twitter.com/UCLJdLxDPL
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 27, 2022
QB Patrick Mahomes
Having star QB and leading MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes gives the Chiefs a significant advantage. That was starkly noticeable, particularly against a mediocre Seahawks defense in Week 16. Mahomes completed 16 out of 28 pass attempts for 224 yards and two touchdowns in this win.
In addition to his passing abilities, Mahomes is also skilled at extending plays with his mobility. In this game, he managed to scramble and reach the end zone, extending the Chiefs' lead to 24-3 with under five minutes left. The crowd at Arrowhead Stadium chanted “MVP” in recognition of his performance. Mahomes is expected to continue his dominant and productive ways next week against the Broncos.
Chiefs Defense
The Kansas City defense, under the leadership of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, had a strong performance in this victory over Seattle. They held the Seahawks scoreless until the final seconds of the second quarter when Seattle kicked a field goal.
Defensive lineman Chris Jones stood out with four quarterback hits and a crucial sack in the fourth quarter. Chiefs LB Nick Bolton also had a notable game with 17 total tackles. These included several open-field tackles that helped shut down Seattle's opening drive. Rookie George Karlaftis also did well, contributing to the defense with a batted pass and a sack. Overall, the Chiefs defense was successful in getting the Seahawks off the field and shutting them down.
Chiefs Duds
Chiefs Receivers
Kansas City wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson struggled with multiple drops, resulting in a no-catch game for the duo. Watson failed to catch any of his four targets, which is unusual for him. Each of Watson's incompletions occurred during drives that ended in a punt or turnover on downs. While Watson has been a valuable depth player this season, his performance in this game left a lot to be desired. However, it is expected that he will bounce back in future games.
Valdes-Scantling, for his part, was also unable to catch any passes and was largely shut down by Seattle's secondary. Despite these challenges, both players have the potential to make big plays for the Chiefs, particularly with the return of Mecole Hardman. This should create a healthy receiving rotation and provide opportunities for these receivers to find favorable matchups. Valdes-Scantling, in particular, has been a valuable player for the Chiefs and could potentially be the first player in NFL history to be on the same team as the MVP-winning quarterback for three consecutive seasons (if Mahomes wins the award again).
CB Joshua Williams
Rookie cornerback Joshua Williams had mistakes on both of the Seahawks' scoring drives. At the end of the first half, Williams committed two penalties that extended the drive. His holding call nullified a sack by Mike Danna on third down, and his pass interference put the Seahawks in range for a field goal.
Williams also gave up a fourth-down pass to Treadwell that set up the Seahawks' only touchdown. While Williams has generally been solid in coverage, these mistakes highlight the need for him to improve and avoid costly penalties and completions. If he can learn from this experience and clean up these errors, he has the potential for a successful future in the NFL.
