How Seahawks have fared recently against star running backs

Less than nine months after earning Super Bowl MVP honors with the Seattle Seahawks, Kenneth Walker III returns to the Emerald City on Sunday night as the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs square off in a primetime clash against the defending champs.

The Athletic sheds light on Kenneth Walker III’s departure from Seahawks

Walker is off to a torrid start with the Chiefs this season, having rushed for an NFL-leading 665 yards and six touchdowns, while averaging a league-high 6.3 yards per carry. The former Seattle second-round draft pick has topped the 100-yard rushing mark in four of his first five games, including a pair of performances with 170-plus yards.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense has gone an NFL-leading 35 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, including the postseason. Seattle allowed a league-low 3.7 yards per carry last year and has yielded just 3.5 yards per carry this season, which is the fourth-lowest mark in the league.

In short, something has to give.

Ahead of Sunday night’s showdown, here’s a look back at how some of the NFL’s top running backs have fared against the Seahawks during their 35-game streak without allowing a 100-yard rusher, which began in Week 9 of the 2024 season.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

• 19 carries, 79 yards, 0 TD (2024, Week 11)
• 22 carries, 69 yards, 0 TD (2025, Week 1)
• 8 carries, 23 yards, 0 TD (2025, Week 18)
• 11 carries, 35 yards, 0 TD (2025, NFC divisional round)
• 11 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD (2026, Week 5)

Seattle has held McCaffrey to fewer than 80 rushing yards in all five matchups against the 49ers since the midway point of the 2024 season. Over those five matchups, McCaffrey averaged just 54.8 rushing yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor

• 25 carries, 87 yards, 0 TD (2025, Week 15)

The Seahawks limited Taylor to just 3.5 yards per carry in their 18-16 win over the Colts last December. Taylor finished third in the NFL in rushing yards last season.

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson

• 20 carries, 86 yards, 0 TD (2025, Week 14)

Seattle held Robinson to 4.3 yards per carry in its 37-9 rout of the Falcons last December. Robinson finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards last season.

Packers RB Josh Jacobs

• 26 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD (2024, Week 15)

Jacobs ran for 94 yards in the Packers’ 30-13 rout of the Seahawks in December 2024, which was the highest mark by any player during the Seahawks’ 35-game streak without allowing a 100-yard rusher. However, it was still a relatively inefficient night for Jacobs, who averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.

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