The Seattle Seahawks were supposed to be a dominant outfit, clearly the frontrunner to become a repeat Super Bowl champion. The Kansas City Chiefs were projected to regress after going 11-5 in 2013, making the playoffs under Andy Reid in his first season. Neither is where it was expected to be, but both are plugging along just fine. On Sunday, the two 6-3 teams will battle in Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City is one of the hottest teams in football. The Chiefs have won six of their last seven games including a current four-game winning streak. The star of the show is running back Jamaal Charles, who continues to electrify. Charles gained 98 yards on 15 carries in a 17-13 win over the Buffalo Bills last week, scoring a pivotal 39-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Charles leads a rushing attack that ranks fifth in the NFL at 135.8 yards per game. The Chiefs' defense has been even more impressive, checking in first against the pass (205.3/per game) and second in points allowed per game at 16.8. The unit is led by Justin Houston, who leads the NFL with 12 sacks.
Kansas City's defense will face a major test against Seattle, who has the best ground game around. The Seahawks racked up an absurd 350 rushing yards against the Giants last Sunday, with both Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson going over 100 yards. Wilson leads all NFL quarterbacks with 500 rushing yards, mostly due to a deadly read option. The passing game has been an issue, only ranking better than the New York Jets at 194 yards/game.
This game is rife with playoff implications for both sides sitting in second place of their respective divisions. The Chiefs trail the Broncos by one game but with a win Sunday followed up with a victory over the hapless Oakland Raiders on Thursday, Kansas City will be playing for first place on Nov. 29 against Denver. Seattle is two games behind the Cardinals, but without Carson Palmer, who tore his ACL, they now appear vulnerable. The two teams still meet twice, giving the Seahawks control of their own destiny.
How to Watch
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
Radio: Seahawks Radio Network, Chiefs Radio Network
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NFL Sunday Ticket
Odds
Kansas City and Seattle are EVEN, with an over/under of 42 points, according to OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on the Seahawks, check out Field Gulls.
To keep up on the Chiefs, head over to Arrowhead Pride.