Seahawks vs. Chiefs: Complete Week 11 Preview for Kansas City
It is the biggest and most anticipated match of the year for the Kansas City Chiefs as they return to Arrowhead Stadium to play the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. Although the Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs, historically, have not been intimidated by Super Bowl winners.
Chiefs play-by-play announcer Mitch Holthus reports that the Chiefs have won five of the last six meetings at Arrowhead against defending Super Bowl champions. The match between the Chiefs and Seahawks will mark the 15th time an NFL team goes to Arrowhead the season after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, as the Chiefs are 7-7 all-time against visiting champions.
Beating the Seahawks is a tall order, but the Chiefs have done well against Super Bowl winners and currently have the hot hand with six wins in the last seven games. Under Andy Reid's guidance, you have to like Kansas City's chances even more, given how he has lifted the team after its 0-2 start.
In this slideshow, we preview Kansas City's biggest opponent of the year and show how the Chiefs can pull of an upset and earn their fifth consecutive win.
Week 10 Recap
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After trailing the entire game and going intro the fourth quarter with a 13-3 deficit, the Kansas City Chiefs pulled out all the stops against the Buffalo Bills to manufacture a two-touchdown run to take the lead and come away victorious.
It began with a 39-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles on a 4th-and-1 play. Alex Smith added on and gave the Chiefs the lead for the first time when he scrambled for a short touchdown run, ultimately giving the Chiefs the 17-13 win.
In sports, this is defined as an "ugly win." However, the Chiefs overcame a lot of woes in the game as Buffalo's dominant defense came up with six sacks. The Chiefs hung in there and won a crucial game that has early playoff implications.
News and Notes
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NFL to preserve Arrowhead Stadium for Sunday
ESPN.com's Adam Teicher reported that Saturday's Division II college football match between Northwest Missouri State and Washburn University at Arrowhead Stadium has been cancelled due to a possible snowstorm that day. The game will be moved to another location, as the forecast shows a possibility of three inches of snow. Rather than having the football game be played at Arrowhead Stadium that day, the grounds crew will spend Saturday covering the field to keep it clean in time for Sunday's game between the Chiefs and Seahawks.
Travis Kelce is the most underrated player
NFL Network's Mike Mayock did a segment on Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce this week and called him the most underrated player in the NFL. Prior to this week, Kelce led the team in receptions and receiving yards. His speed and ability to make defenders miss with the ball in his hands has given him plenty of attention, as he's become one of the fan favorites. It is nice to see Kelce earn some national recognition for his performance so far this year.
Richie Incognito worked out for Chiefs earlier this year
Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito worked out for the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. Glazer mentioned that the Chiefs were one of a couple of teams Incognito worked out for this year, yet he remains a free agent. Incognito and the Dolphins parted ways after he had a dramatic run-in with then-teammate Jonathan Martin.
Injury Report
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| Avery, Donnie | WR | Groin | LP | LP | - | - |
| Charles, Jamaal | RB | Shoulder / Elbow | FP | FP | - | - |
| Fasano, Anthony | TE | Knee | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Fleming, Jamell | DB | Hamstring | DNP | DNP | - | - |
| Gaines, Phillip | CB | Quad / Ankle | FP | LP | - | - |
| Hali, Tamba | LB | Knee | LP | LP | - | - |
| Jenkins, A.J. | WR | Shoulder | LP | DNP | - | - |
| Kelce, Travis | TE | Ribs | FP | FP | - | - |
| Martin, Josh | LB/DE | Hamstring / Knee | FP | FP | - | - |
| Mauga, Josh | LB | Groin | FP | FP | - | - |
| Owens, Chris | CB | Knee | LP | DNP | - | - |
| Smith, Sean | CB | Groin | FP | FP | - | - |
Tight ends Anthony Fasano and Kelce both join the injury report this week. Fasano did not participate, while Kelce was in full participation. If Fasano is out against the Seahawks, this gives Kelce more snaps and a chance to contribute more this week. Both tight ends were quiet for the first time this year against the Bills this past week.
Injury report courtesy of KCChiefs.com.
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Key Matchups and X-Factor
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RB Marshawn Lynch vs. Chiefs running game
Marshawn Lynch comes to Week 11 after a monstrous 140-yard and four-touchdown game against the New York Giants. Lynch, playing for the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL, will face a Chiefs team that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown; however, the Chiefs have allowed 4.7 yards per carry, the third most in the NFL.
The Bills and Jets exploited Kansas City's weakness, which is stopping the run. Both those teams never fully committed to running the ball the entire game because they were trailing for most of the game.
Expect Lynch to have another big game and end Kansas City's streak of not allowing a touchdown on the ground this season.
WR Dwayne Bowe vs. CB Richard Sherman
Despite a very quiet season from Dwayne Bowe, he is coming off his best game this season. He finished with eight catches for 93 yards, both season-highs for him. Bowe finds himself facing Richard Sherman, one of the more dominant cornerbacks in the league today.
Having a big game against Seattle's dominant secondary, primarily led by Sherman, would be huge for Bowe and would help Smith immensely. The odds of this are low, but with the right execution, Bowe can do well.
The Chiefs have yet to throw a touchdown pass to a wide receiver this year.
OLB Justin Houston vs. RT Justin Britt
This matchup heavily favors Justin Houston, as he goes up against rookie Justin Britt. Britt, who was drafted with the final pick in the second round, has allowed 3.5 sacks so far according to STATS, LLC.
Houston did not register a sack for the second time this year. He still leads the league with 12 sacks, holding the lead by 1.5 sacks. Against Britt, Houston has a great chance to have another multi-sack game and add to his impressive season.
If Houston beats Britt and pressures Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, it will give the Chiefs the upper hand by shutting down Seattle's offense and limiting its time on the field. If the defense can force the Seahawks' offense to go three-and-out and keep it mostly on the sidelines, this gives the Chiefs an opportunity to dominate the time of possession in this game.
Prediction
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There are plenty of playmakers on both teams who could have a big impact in this match.
For the Chiefs, Charles will be an important asset against a defense that ranks in the top 10 against the run and the pass. Although the Seahawks have a stout defense, they can be beat it with speed.
The Chiefs need to utilize scatbacks Knile Davis and De'Anthony Thomas behind Charles. Reid needs to get them involved and also use his running backs more in the passing game, which we have seen little of this year.
Another player who needs to be more involved is Kelce, who had a very quiet game last week when he pulled in just two catches. Once Kelce has the ball in his hands, his speed can do a lot of damage against Seattle's defense.
One big thing the Chiefs are good at is protecting the football with Smith under center. From Week 2 all the way through today, he has thrown only one interception. Chiefs reporter BJ Kissel tweeted that Pro Football Focus has labeled Smith as the most accurate passer in the league.
Kansas City's defense has allowed 16.8 points per game, the second best in the league. If the defense holds its ground and continues to do what it does, the rest is up to the offense to use its playmakers to help pull off the upset against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Like last week when the Chiefs faced the Bills, both teams are fighting to stay in the wild-card and playoff hunt. The two teams are in different conferences, but that won't take away from the intensity of this match.
Expect a close game, but Kansas City's offense will pull away late in the game to lift the team to victory.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Seahawks 20
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