Kenneth Walker III’s return to Seattle turned into a nightmare on Sunday night. The Kansas City Chiefs running back was held to a season-low 36 rushing yards as the Seattle Seahawks handed the previously unbeaten Chiefs a 20-3 defeat.
Kenneth Walker III (Credits: ESPN)
Chiefs’ Walker Held to Season-Low 36 Yards in Seattle Return
Walker, who played his first four seasons for Seattle before signing a four-year, $43 million contract with Kansas City in the offseason, entered the game as the NFL’s rushing leader with 665 yards and a league-best 6.3 yards per carry. Against his former team, he managed just 36 yards on 14 carries, adding four catches for 21 yards, with his longest run going for only seven yards.
Seattle’s league-best defence made stopping Walker its primary emphasis, and it delivered. The Seahawks had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 25 games, a streak stretching back to midway through the 2024 season. Head coach Mike Macdonald said afterwards that his side had to play in waves and get bodies to the football against a back who always breaks tackles.
Seahawks Dominate Chiefs 20-3 on Sunday Night Football
The domination extended beyond Walker. Seattle led 10-0 at half-time, held Kansas City to just 96 total yards in the first half, and kept Patrick Mahomes out of the end zone all night, with the Chiefs quarterback finishing 19-of-33 for 165 yards. Sam Darnold threw for 257 yards and a touchdown for Seattle, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba piled up 150 receiving yards and a score.
Walker’s 36 yards pushed him to 701 on the season, dropping him from first to third in the NFL rushing race. The 5-1 Chiefs now travel to face the 5-2 Denver Broncos on Sunday in a battle for top spot in the AFC West, where Walker will look to bounce back from his worst game of the season.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
