Seahawks Stun Chiefs 20-3 as Butker's 15th Miss of the Season Proves Decisive

Harrison Butker has missed 15 kicks since the start of last season, the most in the National Football League. On Sunday night in Seattle, that inconsistency helped seal a 20-3 defeat for the Kansas City Chiefs against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

The loss dropped the Chiefs to 5-1 on the year. Butker missed two field goal attempts in the game. The second miss, a 45-yard attempt with 8.5 minutes remaining, would have tied the game at 20. The team failed to score any points in the fourth quarter, leaving them with a single field goal on the board for the entire contest.

Butker’s struggles are not a new development. He has missed 10 field goals and five point-after-touchdown attempts since the start of the previous season. In the current season, he has missed four of his first six field goal attempts. Before this loss, those misses had not directly cost Kansas City a game, but they proved decisive on Sunday.

The Chiefs’ offense produced 213 total yards and 50 rushing yards. They converted only three of 11 third-down attempts. The team held the ball for nearly 11 minutes less than the Seahawks. Patrick Mahomes faced pressure throughout the contest, and running back Kenneth Walker, making his return to Seattle, was contained by the defense.

Coach Andy Reid acknowledged the kicker’s recent performance. "He’s been one of the most consistent kickers in football. He’s off a bit, so got to fix it," Reid said. Butker described the experience as the "life of a kicker," noting that the ball either goes in or it does not.

Financial factors add weight to Butker’s performance. He holds the third-highest kicker salary in the league and the sixth-highest base salary on the Chiefs roster. The team can release him after this season with a manageable amount of dead money on the salary cap, creating pressure to resolve his consistency issues.

Defensive back Nohl Williams recorded an interception in the end zone and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. The play gave the Chiefs a field goal opportunity before halftime, which Butker missed. Williams has been a steady contributor at cornerback for Kansas City this season.

The Seahawks targeted defensive back L'Jarius Sneed during the game. Sneed returned to Kansas City this season after starting his career with the Chiefs and spending a short time with the Tennessee Titans. He has struggled to find his form since the return.

The Chiefs committed only two penalties during the game. Rashee Rice sat out with a hamstring injury, and right tackle Jaylon Moore remained in the concussion protocol. Both players could return for the Chiefs’ next game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

This was only the second time in Mahomes’ tenure that the Chiefs scored three points or fewer. The first occurred in a 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans on October 24, 2021. The Chiefs will face the Broncos, who have won their last three games, including a 17-14 victory over the Seahawks earlier this week.