It wasn’t all that long ago that the Seattle Seahawks were in the midst of a 12-game winning streak. Mike Macdonald’s club won its final 10 overall outings in 2025, including three playoff contests, and got off to a 2-0 start this season. Now the reigning Super Bowl champions have dropped two straight and three of their last four games.

The three setbacks, which equals last season’s total, have been by a total of eight points. Now the club takes on the lone undefeated team in the AFC in the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs.

Here’s a look at some key individual battles when the clubs collide at Lumen Field this Sunday.

Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV vs. Chiefs C Creed Humphrey

It’s a clash between two of the best players at their respective positions. The Chiefs’ offensive line has had some ups and down. However, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus elevated this unit from 22nd to 19th following the club’s 22-6 victory in Week 6 over the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.

Center Creed Humphrey is a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First Team All-Pro. He’s currently PFF’s No. 12 pivot, but it’s very interesting to note that his 66.8 grade is easily the lowest of his six-year career.

Meanwhile, Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV is having another solid year, The two-time Super Bowl champion, who won a ring during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams, leads the club with 59 tackles. There’s also three sacks, one interception, and three passes defensed. The ‘Hawks entered Week 7 as the league’s top-ranked defense in terms of fewest total yards and fewer passing yards allowed per game.

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold vs. Chiefs CB Mansoor Delane

Mansoor Delane’s first full game of his NFL career

10 tackles
1 TFL
5 receptions allowed (7 targets)
24 yards allowed (4.8 Y/REC)
1 PBU
75.9 passer rating allowed pic.twitter.com/kzS9RrNEYh

— ky (@MatchingPatek) September 28, 2026

It would be somewhat repetitive that in this space once again, one of the key matchups would feature whoever is slated to cover Seahawks’ wide receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He leads the NFL with 717 receiving yards and seven touchdown grabs, and is tied for the league lead with Cardinals’ tight end Trey McBride with 49 receptions.

The 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year is obviously Sam Darnold’s favorite target. But as of late, the nine-year veteran signal-caller has been spreading the football around—and that’s not a good thing.

In his last four games, Seattle’s signal-caller has thrown for seven scores. But he’s also been picked off at least once in each contest, a total of seven interceptions. The Chiefs used a first-round pick on Mansoor Delane in April. He’s not only PFF’s sixth-ranked player at his position, but he’s also the league’s sixth-ranked cornerback in terms of pass coverage. He’s fifth on Reid’s team with 22 tackles, to go along with one interception and three passes defensed.

Seahawks DC Aden Durde vs. Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker III

KENNETH WALKER III DOES IT AGAIN

LACvsKC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/bo0Vpy9A29

— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026

It will be extremely interesting to see what Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde have up their collective sleeves as they attempt to slow down the league’s leading rusher. Chiefs’ running back Kenneth Walker III has rushed for 665 yards in five games this season. That’s more than 19 teams have managed in either five or six contests.

Seattle’s defensive unit is giving up 96.0 yards per game on the ground—10th-best in the league—and limited four of their six opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing.

Kenneth Walker finds space for 30 yards!

Super Bowl LX on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/IsQkiEskFp

— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026

Then there's Walker. Starting with the 2025 postseason, the former Seahawks’ standout and Super Bowl LX Most Valuable Player has run for 100-plus yards in six of his last eight outings.