Seahawks Knock Off Chiefs

Finally, the Seattle Seahawks have clinched their first winning season since 1990. All they need now is a victory over the New York Jets next Sunday to get into the playoffs.

The Seahawks snapped their four-game losing streak and moved into a tie for the AFC West lead with a 23-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

"That was a great one," first-year Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "We had to have it."

"This is good," said Jon Kitna, who threw two touchdowns in the first half. "But it's nothing if we don't win next week."

The Seahawks (9-6) also snapped a four-game winning streak by the Chiefs (9-6).

And that would put them in the playoffs regardless of how the Chiefs do in their wrapup game at home against Oakland. Seattle beat Kansas City twice this season.

"Our backs are against the wall now," Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez of Kansas City said. "Their backs were against the wall today and they came out and played a good game."

Kansas City, which came into Sunday's game leading the NFL by a wide margin with a plus-23 turnover differential, had three passes by Elvis Grbac intercepted.

It was the first time this season that the Chiefs defense did not produce a turnover. The Seahawks had 14 turnovers during their losing streak.

"We didn't have any turnovers and they had some," said Holmgren, who was lured here from Green Bay by owner Paul Allen to try to get the Seahawks back into the playoffs. "I wanted to make it a field position game and we did that."

Added Kitna: "My whole focus in the second haf was not to turn the ball over."

Chris Canty intercepted Grbac in a scoreless final quarter, when the Seahawks had to play without workhorse running back, Ricky Watters, who was lost with a sprained right knee. He will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test and his status for the Jets game is unclear.

Seattle's Todd Peterson kicked field goals of 48 and 22 yards in the third quarter, while Grbac found Joe Horn running up the sideline behind the secondary for a 76-yard touchdown pass.

The Seahawks had to settle for Peterson's 22-yarder after Shawn Springs intercepted a pass and returned it 27 yards to the Kansas City 6. A penalty against Cris Dishman for illegal use of the hands put the ball on the Chiefs 4, but the Seahawks had to kick a field goal four plays later.

Dishman's penalty came on a play when James Hasty intercepted a pass by Kitna at the 1 and was tackled in the end zone for a safety for Seattle. A safety would have given Seattle a 19-7 lead, but Holmgren elected to take points off the board and go for a touchdown.

"That was not a hard decision," Holmgren said.

The Grbac-to-Horn TD pass cut Seattle's lead to 20-14 in the third period, but the Seahawks came right back to position Peterson for his 48-yarder.

Late in the first half, the Chiefs drove 71 yards in 11 plays to cut Seattle's lead to 17-7. Grbac passed 4 yards to Lonnie Johnson for the score.

Kansas City's march came after Kitna passed 9 yards to Derrick Mayes for a touchdown following Darryl Williams' interception at the Chiefs 48.

In the first quarter, Peterson kicked a 31-yard field goal and Joey Galloway's 21-yard punt return to the Kansas City 35 set up a 20-yard touchdown pass from Kitna to Sean Dawkins.

It was the final regular-season game in the Kingdome, which will be torn down after the season to make way for a new outdoor football stadium. But the Seahawks would be host for a playoff game if they beat the Jets.

Kitna was 18-for-30 for 216 yards and two touchdowns, while Grbac was 22-for-42 for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

Grbac suffered a right shoulder contusion on the final play, but he said he didn't think the injury was serious. He did not have ice on his shoulder after the game.

"My three interceptions really cost us," Grbac said.

Notes