KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Toward the end of a tiring day often futilely spent chasing Russell Wilson around the Arrowhead Stadium playing field, the Kansas City Chiefs were happy when the ball left the Seattle quarterback's hand instead.
"I was kind of relieved to see the ball in the air," cornerback Ron Parker said. "It was almost frustrating out there to just see him run around and pick up first downs."
Eventually, the Chiefs' defense prevailed. It stopped Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks on three fourth-quarter possessions to preserve a 24-20 victory.
The defense made a fourth-quarter stop last week in Buffalo to preserve a 17-13 victory over the Bills.
Seattle's siege was different. Not only did the Chiefs have to stop the Seahawks three times on fourth down in the fourth quarter but they had to slow Seattle's running game with Wilson and Marshawn Lynch.
The Seahawks frequently utilized an extra offensive lineman, playing as linebacker Tamba Hali called it a "big-boy style of football."
"We embraced this challenge," Hali said. "If you can't stop the run in this league, it's dangerous. We met the challenge. I'm sure they rushed for a lot of yards but we kept the points off the board."
He was right on both counts. The Seahawks rushed for 204 yards.
Those yards added up to only 20 points. The Chiefs prevented Seattle from rushing for a touchdown, which would have been the first such score against Kansas City this season.
The Chiefs also stopped Lynch for no gain on fourth and one late in the game.
Wilson threw for a pair of touchdowns. But he passed for just 178 yards on 32 attempts.
