Chiefs’ offense had a historically poor showing in loss to Seahawks

The Kansas City Chiefs' offense suffered a historically poor performance in their Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Chiefs failed to reach or score from the red zone, something that had only happened 56 times to teams led by Mahomes since 2016. Patrick Mahomes completed 19 of 33 passes for 165 yards, the fifth-lowest passing yards per attempt and passer rating of his career.

It was the second time in his career the Chiefs scored three or fewer points with Mahomes at the helm, the other occurrence being a Week 7 loss to the Tennessee Titans in 2021.

Mahomes had difficulty sustaining drives, turning the ball over twice. He was intercepted on a second-down pass and fumbled on a third-down play. The offensive line struggled, with an illegal shift call wiping away momentum on the Chiefs' opening drive. Two incompletions late in the first half contributed to the Chiefs' inability to convert on third-down situations, putting them in a deficit.

Head coach Andy Reid attributed the performance to keeping the offense out of third-and-long situations and making better decisions on first and second down. Mahomes acknowledged the need to sustain drives and pointed out that the defense contained explosive plays. The absence of starting wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, who was dealing with a dislocated ankle, and running back Rashee Rice, who was out with a hamstring injury, further hampered the offense.

Running back Kenneth Walker was held to just 36 rushing yards, highlighting the need for the offense to rely more on play-action and movement plays. Mahomes called for his receivers to step up and for the offense to adapt to the challenges presented by Seattle's defense.