Andy Reid ditched his Hawaiian shirt for a tailored suit as the rebounding dynastic team traveled to Seattle to take on the reigning champions. Things were going to get spicy, of course, with one of the league’s best defenses going against a fourth-best offense led by an unbeatable form of Patrick Mahomes. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold, on the other hand, walked into the game, leading the NFL in turnovers (7) since his return from injury early in the season. In a nutshell, Sunday should’ve been a piece of cake for the Chiefs.

The Seahawks obviously knew what the Chiefs’ running back Kenneth Walker III brought to the table. So, their core focus was on the Chiefs’ run game as its defense clamored to the center. That was expected, with Mahomes hoping to get better looks for the passing game. And unsurprisingly enough, that didn’t work out as Seattle’s Dark Side Defense took over completely. Despite the 20-3 blowout defeat being only their first this season, Mahomes didn’t go easy on them in the media scrum.

“This sucks,” Mahomes said in his postgame press conference. “You don’t want to perform like this in primetime. You’ve got to feel it on the plane ride home. You’ve got to see your mistakes and try to play better and find a way to win next week.”

The Chiefs walked into Lumen Field 5-0, hoping to continue the streak on the back of Walker and Mahomes’ newfound chemistry. But knowing how addictive the run game becomes with the Super Bowl LX’s MVP, the Seahawks came prepared. And honestly, there was plenty to see on Sunday.

The Chiefs were scoreless at halftime with only 96 yards, and 0/4 on third downs. They never reached the red zone. The Chiefs’ offense was simply snuffed out, as they could only keep the chains moving on three of their 11 third-down conversions in the entire game. At the focal point was Mahomes.

Mahomes’ wizardry disappears; the supporting cast makes things difficult for themselves in Seattle

Behind Mahomes, you always have some chance of closing in. But against the Seahawks’ ‘Dark Side’ defense, his creativity and technical excellence took a beat.

Playing behind a new protection with both starting tackles, Josh Simmons (back) and Jaylor Moore (concussion) out, Mahomes remained jumpy in the pocket and Seattle used that for their advantage.

According to SumerSports, they pressure Mahomes on 17 of his 34 dropbacks. He was only 9-for-17 for 74 yards in such cases and also recorded a sack, a fumble, and an interception.

He finished 19 of 33 throws for 165 yards with no touchdowns, looking nothing like the quarterback we know him to be. His interception made an already bad night worse.

With 6:09 left to halftime, and the Chiefs facing a 2nd & 10 at Seattle’s 46-yard line, Mahomes made a short pass towards his wide receiver Jalen Royals. But Seahawks safety Ty Okada intercepted the ball. While he wasn’t able to gain any yardage as Royals tackled him, he did take away KC’s chance for even a field goal attempt if that was required. Speaking of field goals, Harrison Butker could not help, either.

He missed a 58-yarder before halftime, and pushed a 45-yarder wide right in the fourth quarter, with Kansas City still down 13-3. Emanuel Wilson’s 21-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive sealed a very easy win for Seattle.

The supporting cast made it harder.

That telepathic connection we know between Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce was usually missing. So much so that despite having his TE open at times, Mahomes made off throws under Seattle’s pressure.

Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Tyquan Thornton (ankle) were both out. Josh Simmons is currently on injured reserve, and backup Kahlil Benson’s pass protection grade has dropped to 43.7, 69th among 71 qualified tackles, according to PFF.

On the other hand, Seattle was the opposite.

The Dark Side comes through as Seattle’s offense outperforms the Chiefs

Entering the game, bettors believed that Darnold would not even throw two passing touchdowns. While that did happen, the Seahawks outgained Kansas City 410 yards to 213 and converted 11 of 16 third downs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had nine catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. But Sam Darnold made it look easy, too.

He went 20 of 28 for 257 yards and a touchdown, and his only mistake was an interception in the end zone late in the first half.

“Sam is the man,” tight end Eric Saubert said. “Anyone that ever asks me about Sam, I’m going to say nothing but good things about him. He prepares his ass off. He’s the man. He’s a great player. We all love him and trust him. He’s the man, and he shows it time and time again.”

The Seahawks repeatedly attacked Kansas City’s slot coverage, and the Chiefs had no real answer. And the Dark Side obviously came through.

“That’s our goal,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “Shut your lights out.”

The win pushed Seattle to 4-3 and back into the NFC West race after a shaky stretch. For the Chiefs, it was a harsh way to lose an unbeaten record. But this tone is not new for Mahomes. Even after the Chiefs’ 33-30 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, he refused to get comfortable:

“We’re nowhere near where we want to be. You have to go out every week and have that mentality if you want to have success.”

What’s even tougher was Walker’s homecoming.

Kenneth Walker III’s Homecoming Was a Massive Upset

Walker spent his first four seasons with the Seahawks before joining Kansas City, hoping he was joining another winning team. He was the MVP of Super Bowl LX, when Seattle beat the New England Patriots 29-13, so his return to Lumen Field was hyped all week. Mahomes saw it coming and spoke about it before the game.

“I know it’s going to be a special moment for him. You get to go back to a place where you built your career and won a Super Bowl. At the end of the day, you’ve got to win a football game. He knows we’ve got his back.”

The Chiefs had plenty of reason to lean on Walker.

He came in with 665 rushing yards and six touchdowns through his first five games in Kansas City. But the Seattle Seahawks came prepared.

Walker was shockingly restricted to 14 carries for only 36 yards. Until now, the lowest he had tallied was 70 yards against the Miami Dolphins.

The Seahawks have now held opposing running backs under 100 rushing yards for 35 straight games. Walker knew that defense better than anyone, and it still shut him down. The Dark Side defense really showed up against the Chiefs.

One loss after an unbeaten start is hardly a crisis. Still, Mahomes’ words clearly suggest he does not want it to become a trend, and Kansas City has to move on quickly. The Chiefs face the 5-2 Denver Broncos next, with the AFC West lead at stake.