AP

Chiefs dump Seahawks 24-10, stay tied for AFC’s best record

Dec 23, 2022, 11:11 PM | Updated: Dec 24, 2022, 2:51 pm

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrate durin...

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrate during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)


              Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll reacts on the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game Kansas City Chiefs Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes drops back to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson (84) is unable to catch a pass as Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen (27) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is hit as he throws by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) throws under pressure from Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Carlos Dunlap (8) during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
            
              Steam from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' breath is seen during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon (1) is congratulated by quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after scoring during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon (1) scores past Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes drops back to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) catches a pass as Seattle Seahawks safety Teez Tabor (39) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon (1) scores past Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon (1) celebrates after scoring as teammates JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
            
              Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs with the ball as Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
            
              Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) as defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) gets in on the play during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Even as the Kansas City Chiefs squeaked out wins the past few weeks, coach Andy Reid lamented both the state of their inexperienced defense and their inability to put away struggling teams.

They showed massive improvement in both areas against Seattle on Saturday.

That youthful defense shut down Geno Smith and the slumping Seahawks offense, Patrick Mahomes threw two TD passes before running for a clinching score in the fourth quarter, and the Chiefs rolled to a 24-10 win that allowed them to keep pace with Buffalo for the best record in the AFC.

“I mentioned it the other way the last couple of weeks, that they need to get better,” Reid said of his defense, which often has five or more rookies on the field at a time. “They’re making progress and I thought they did a nice job today.”

Indeed, the Chiefs stopped the Seahawks (7-8) twice on fourth down, picked off their Pro Bowl quarterback in the end zone and dealt coach Pete Carroll’s team their fifth loss in six games along with a near-knockout blow to their playoff hopes.

Travis Kelce had six catches for 113 yards, and Kadarius Toney and Jerick McKinnon had touchdown catches, as the AFC West champion Chiefs (12-3) remain tied with the Bills — who hold the tiebreaker — with two games to go.

“We’re on a mission here in Kansas City,” Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark said, “and the goal is to finish the season strong. The last few weeks we haven’t been getting the job done as far as finishing strong. A lot of tight games.”

Kansas City has won 16 consecutive regular-season games against NFC opponents.

Kenneth Walker III was the biggest bright spot for Seattle, running for 107 yards but failing to reach the end zone. But the Chiefs mostly kept DK Metcalf in check, and Seattle didn’t reach the end zone until the closing minutes of the game.

“We just couldn’t get going and couldn’t make first downs,” Carroll said. “We got nothing going at all.”

Much like the rest of the country, the cold weather that flooded the Midwest produced some frigid temperatures — the wind chill was minus-2 at kickoff, and that was an improvement over the previous two days. In fact, it had been so cold the tarp was frozen to the field when workers tried to remove it three hours before kickoff.

That didn’t bother a half-dozen Seahawks, including DK Metcalf and his fellow wide receivers, who walked out of the tunnel bare-chested shortly afterward for their pregame warmups on the ice-covered field.

Maybe they weren’t cold, but Seattle’s offense was downright frigid.

Playing without wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who had surgery on his broken hand this week, Smith and Co. gained just 18 yards on their first 15 plays, and they were forced to punt on their first five possessions.

The Chiefs took advantage of the slow start, too. Mahomes threw a pop pass to Toney to cap a 63-yard TD drive, then a pass to McKinnon out of the backfield a few minutes later for another score. And by the time Harrison Butker drilled a 47-yard field goal late in the half, the Chiefs had jumped out to a 17-0 lead.

Even when Seattle got a field goal before halftime, much of the drive was aided by defensive penalties.

While the Chiefs struggled to extend their lead in the second half, the Seahawks proved incapable of trimming it.

They failed on fourth down at the Kansas City 34 when tight end Colby Parkinson was stood up after a catch; failed on fourth down again when Laquon Treadwell failed to run his route to the first-down marker and came up short; and failed to score at the Kansas City 22 when Smith overthrew Treadwell and was picked off by Juan Thornhill in the end zone.

The Chiefs, who have been maligned for failing to put struggling teams away, finally did it on the ensuing possession, when Mahomes hit Kelce with two long throws before sprinting to the pylon for the clinching touchdown.

“We just have to keep going. We’re on a roll,” Toney said. “We have a goal right now and we’re just trying to get to it.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Seahawks still have not won at Arrowhead Stadium since Nov. 21, 1999. … The Seahawks were one of three teams Mahomes had yet to beat, along with Indianapolis and Minnesota. … Mahomes extended his consecutive completions streak to 21 at the start of the game before missing his next throw. … McKinnon has six TDs in his past four games.

INJURY REPORT

Seahawks: NT Al Woods (Achilles) and SS Ryan Neal (knee) were inactive. … FS Joey Blount (knee) and RB Travis Homer (ankle) left in the first quarter, and RT Abraham Lucas (thigh) in the third. … WR Marquise Goodwin also left with a wrist injury, though he was able to return to the game.

UP NEXT

Seahawks: host the New York Jets next Sunday.

Chiefs: host the Denver Broncos next Sunday.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

Chiefs dump Seahawks 24-10, stay tied for AFC’s best record