Chiefs try to keep pace in AFC as Seattle visits Saturday

SEATTLE (7-7) at KANSAS CITY (11-3)

Saturday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Chiefs by 9 1/2

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Seahawks 6-8; Chiefs 4-9-1

SERIES RECORD: Chiefs lead 33-19

LAST MEETING: Seahawks beat Chiefs 38-31 on Dec. 23, 2018, in Seattle

LAST WEEK: Seahawks lost to 49ers 21-13; Chiefs beat Texans 30-24 in OT

SEAHAWKS OFFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (22), PASS (9), SCORING (7)

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (31), PASS (17), SCORING (29)

CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (1), RUSH (16), PASS (1), SCORING (1)

CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (5), PASS (21), SCORING (18)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Seahawks plus-1; Chiefs minus-5.

SEAHAWKS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR DK Metcalf should get more attention than usual with Tyler Lockett sidelined by surgery for a broken bone in his hand. Metcalf has 79 catches for 924 yards and six touchdowns this season, numbers that are almost identical to what Lockett had put up.

CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: You could pick QB Patrick Mahomes every week, but especially this one, because the MVP candidate has completed 20 straight passes coming into the game. Nick Foles, Philip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill share the NFL record with 25 in a row. Mahomes also has thrown for 4,496 yards, putting him on pace to break Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 5,477 yards during his 2013 MVP season with the Broncos.

KEY MATCHUP: Chiefs RBs Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon could feast against the Seattle run defense, which is better than only one other team in the league. Pacheco has at least 66 yards rushing in six straight games, and McKinnon has five touchdowns on the ground or through the air over the past three.

KEY INJURIES: Seahawks RBs Kenneth Walker III (ankle) and DeeJay Dallas (ankle), TE Noah Fant (knee), FS Ryan Neal (knee), NT Al Woods (Achilles) and LB Darrell Taylor (illness) missed practice time this week. … Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (abdominal injury) could play for the first time since Week 9. DTs Chris Jones and Khalen Saunders, DE Mike Danna and SS Deon Bush missed practice time with an illness.

SERIES NOTES: The Seahawks snapped a three-game skid against Kansas City when the teams last met in Seattle in 2018, but they haven’t won a game at Arrowhead Stadium since a 31-19 victory on Nov. 21, 1999. The teams played together in the AFC West from 1977-2001.

STATS AND STUFF: The Seahawks have lost four of their last five games. … Seattle has turned the ball over 20 times this season, tied for the fourth most in franchise history. … Seahawks K Jason Myers has made 21 consecutive field goals. He is 6 for 6 from at least 50 yards this season, tying Steven Hauschka for the most such field goals in a season in team history. … The Chiefs clinched their record seventh consecutive AFC West title with last weekend’s overtime win in Houston. … The Chiefs need one more win for their fifth straight 12-win season, the third-longest streak in NFL history. … The Chiefs had 502 yards total offense against the Texans, the third time they’ve eclipsed 500 yards this season. They also broke a franchise record with their 19th consecutive game of at least 300 yards. … Mahomes had 35 TD passes, joining Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees as the only QBs with four or more such seasons. … Mahomes has 11 TD runs this season, breaking Alex Smith’s franchise record for a QB. … The Seahawks and the Vikings are the only teams Mahomes has not defeated during his first five years as the starting QB. … Chiefs TE Travis Kelce needs five catches to reach 800 for his career. … Mahomes and Kelce have connected 46 times for TDs, tied with Len Dawson and Otis Taylor for the most of any tandem in Chiefs history. … Chiefs LB Nick Bolton needs one more game with 10 or more tackles to break the season record of seven set by Donnie Edwards.

FANTASY TIP: McKinnon has become invaluable to the Kansas City offense over the past three weeks, and the fantasy owners that picked him up ahead of the playoffs are reaping the rewards. But both of the Kansas City running backs have a favorable matchup with Seattle, which has struggled against the pass but especially the run this season.

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