Seahawks stay perfect in preseason, beat Chiefs 26-13

No big injuries. Another strong performance by the franchise quarterback. And a third win in three preseason games.

Yeah, the Seahawks did alright in the preseason game where starters typically see more action than any other.

Russell Wilson completed 13 of 19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, Blair Walsh knocked down four field goals and Seattle’s depth players had a big hand in sealing a 26-13 win over Kansas City at CenturyLink Field on Friday night.

Photo gallery | Stats

Here’s a breakdown of each quarter:

First quarter

Offense: A pair of players needing big games to help themselves out in competitive positions battles did just that. First was rookie running back Chris Carson, who wasted no time making the most of a big opportunity to play with the first string while Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise were out of action. He added to his stellar preseason by hauling in a 37-yard reception from a scrambling Russell Wilson, setting up Blair Walsh’s 41-yard field goal to tie things up at 3, then added a 15-yard run on the next series. The other player to make a big impression was veteran wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, who picked up 39 yards on a long bomb from Wilson to get Seattle in KC territory shortly before the end of the quarter.

Defense: Seattle’s D had a hard time getting off the field on the first drive of the game, giving up three first downs – including one granted to the Chiefs when Bobby Wagner was flagged for roughing Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith on on a fourth and 4 – during a series that took 7:54 off the clock. The Seahawks showed physicality on the drive, though, especially when Richard Sherman lit up Albert Wilson on a short pass in the flat, but that aggressiveness also factored into a pair of penalties that helped out the Chiefs. The Seahawks stood up in the red zone, however, and Kansas City had to settle for a 30-yard Sam Ficken field goal. Seattle found its footing on the Chiefs’ second drive, forcing a punt after just five plays and 18 yards.

Notable: Former Seahawks running back Spencer Ware suffered a right knee injury on Kansas City’s first offensive drive.

KC – Sam Ficken 30 field goal, 7:08 (3-0 KC)
SEA – Blair Walsh 41 field goal, 3:47 (3-3)

Second quarter

Offense: An illegal formation by Kansas City gave Walsh a second shot at his second field goal of the game –  he missed the initial 41-yard attempt but was good from 36 after the penalty was enforced. He later added a chip shot just before the break. On the Seahawks’ second drive of the quarter, Eddie Lacy had his longest run of the preseason, picking up 11 yards to get Seattle to the Chiefs’ 1. That set up a short touchdown pass from Russell Wilson that fullback Tre Madden made a nice catch on.

Defense: The Seahawks held Kansas City to the first three-and-out of the game early in the quarter, then dealt with the Chiefs in a hurry-up offense after the two-minute warning. They passed that test, forcing the Chiefs to stall out at Seattle’s 38 in the final minute of the half, and Ficken missed a field goal attempt from 56 yards. In what was a good news/bad news situation, the only touchdown the Chiefs managed in the first half came on special teams.

Return game: Former Oregon standout De’Anthony Thomas didn’t let a two-score Seahawks lead last long, returning a Walsh kick 90 yards to the house to get the Chiefs back within 3.

Notable: The Seahawks made a concerted effort to get Jimmy Graham involved as he entered the game looking for his first reception of the preseason. He was targeted on back-to-back plays in the middle of the quarter, and though both were incomplete, he drew a 25-yard pass interference penalty on Kansas City’s Daniel Sorensen on the first play to get Seattle in the red zone. He later hauled in a 30-yard reception late in the quarter to help set up a Walsh field goal, and he finished the half with two catches for 34 yards.

SEA – Blair Walsh 36 field goal, 13:46 (6-3 SEA)
SEA – Tre Madden 2 pass from Russell Wilson, 7:22 (13-3 SEA)
KC – De’Anthony Thomas 90 kick return, 7:10 (13-10 SEA)
SEA – Blair Walsh 21 field goal, :06 (16-10 SEA)

Third quarter

Offense: In Seattle’s final drive with Wilson at QB, the Seahawks showed some explosiveness. Doug Baldwin checked in with a 25-yard reception to get things going, and Carson followed up shortly after with a 15-yard run. Unfortunately the explosiveness didn’t last, as Seattle stalled out and had to settle for Walsh’s fourth field goal of the day, this one the longest of the bunch at 47 yards. All told it was another strong day for Wilson, who looks every bit in regular season form after completing 13 of 19 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, and his elusiveness is there as he took just one sack despite being flushed out of the pocket fairly regularly. Backup QB Trevone Boykin didn’t fare as well after entering the game, going three-and-out twice and getting picked off by De’Vaunte Bausby to end the drive in between.

Defense: Seahawks defensive end David Bass gladly taught Kansas City rookie QB Patrick Mahomes a lesson, drilling him for a sack on third down when Mahomes held on to the ball a tad too long to force the Chiefs to punt. The 2017 NFL Draft’s 10th overall pick was much more comfortable later in the quarter, however, and the Chiefs were knocking on the door of their first offensive touchdown of the game as it moved on to the final stanza. They didn’t get it, however.

Notable: As if Kasen Williams needed another heads-up play on special teams to help his case to make the roster, the local product recovered a blocked Jon Ryan punt after it hit off a Chiefs player, allowing the Seahawks to keep the ball.

SEA – Blair Walsh 47 field goal, 11:43 (19-10 SEA)

Fourth quarter

Offense: While Boykin had a rough day, his competition for the backup QB spot, Austin Davis, stood out. Davis completed all five passes he attempted on his first series at the helm of the offense, and he capped off a nine-play, 68-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Tanner McEvoy. As for Boykin, his stat line sat at 0 for 6 passing with a pick.

Defense: Yet again, Seattle’s D was able to bend without breaking. Even though Kansas City got as close as the Seahawks’ 2, it was again stopped before finding the end zone and had to settle for a 32-yard field goal. That wasn’t all, though. Seattle’s Tramaine Brock forced a fumble while Kansas City QB Tyler Bray was in his throwing motion, and Jeremy Liggins was there to recover it, giving the Seahawks the ball back to run out the clock.

KC – Sam Ficken 32 field goal, 14:47 (19-13 SEA)
SEA – Tanner McEvoy 28 pass from Austin Davis, 6:36 (26-13 SEA)

Follow @BrentStecker