The Kansas City Chiefs had a frustrating outing against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, suffering their first loss of the 2026 season in a 20-3 defeat. Up next, they face the Denver Broncos in Week 8. While Kansas City defeated its division rivals in the season opener, it now faces a team riding a three-game winning streak, backed by a strong defense and a 5-2 record.

The Chiefs have an opportunity to bounce back against Denver and strengthen their case for winning the division. And tight end Travis Kelce is determined to ensure the Chiefs don’t deliver another performance like Week 7, while facing the Broncos.

“It’s going to be another challenge, we are coming off a game where we didn’t perform well in any phase, it’s gotta fire you the F up man, you gotta have a nasty taste in your mouth when you lose—I’ll be damned if we go out there and F’n have another F’n showing like that again, I can promise you that,” said Kelce on the New Heights podcast.

Kelce’s comments came after he recorded another NFL milestone against the Seahawks. He finished the matchup with four catches for 44 yards, taking his total career receptions to 1,104. Now, the veteran tight end is tied for the fifth-place all-time leader in receptions, surpassing Hall of Famers Cris Carter (1,101) and Marvin Harrison Sr. (1,102).

The milestone doesn’t excite Kelce, considering the Chiefs’ first loss of the season after a disappointing loss where Kansas City’s offensive struggles were particularly evident in the passing game.

Patrick Mahomes completed 19-of-33 passes for 165 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception, while taking a sack. Through the first five games of the season, the Chiefs had a strong running game with running back Kenneth Walker III leading the attack. Against the Seahawks’ run defense, Walker’s performance dipped significantly.

He rushed for just 36 yards on 14 carries with just 2.6 yards per attempt. Mahomes complemented him with another 14 yards on a pair of carries. The receiving game was notable, but it couldn’t help the Chiefs sustain drives. Kelce led the receiving game with 44 yards, followed by Noah Gray, who caught 3 receptions for another 44 yards.

Overall, Seattle’s defense limited Kansas City to just 213 net yards, including 163 through the air and just 50 on the ground. At the same time, the special teams compounded the offensive problems.

Harrison Butker converted a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter, but missed attempts from 58 yards before halftime and 45 yards in the fourth quarter. Kansas City finished 1-for-3 on field goals, leaving six potential points off the scoreboard.

The 58-yard attempt came after Kansas City intercepted Sam Darnold in the end zone, creating a chance to score before halftime. The second missed field goal attempt came with 8:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. A successful kick would have cut Seattle’s lead to seven points, but the score remained 13-3.

The defense, meanwhile, struggled to contain Seattle.

The reigning Super Bowl champions tallied 410 total net yards, including 257 receiving and 153 rushing, with 5.9 yards per play. Darnold completed 20-of-28 for 257 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while also rushing for 17 yards on 2 carries. Emanuel Wilson led the running game, rushing for 100 yards on 24 carries and scoring a touchdown.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as usual, was efficient in the receiving game, as he caught 9 receptions for 150 yards and one touchdown. Meanwhile, Seattle converted five third downs of nine or more yards, while KC could only convert just 3-of-11 third downs.

“All three phases, we struggled. We have to do better, and that’s my responsibility,” head coach Andy Reid said. “We have to play better as a team.

Clearly, Kansas City has to play better, as they will face the Broncos on the road in Week 8. Denver enters Week 8 at 5-2, having won three consecutive games. Their defense had recorded 21 sacks through seven weeks, the most in the NFL. Against the Arizona Cardinals, Nik Bonitto recorded 13 quarterback pressures, including nine quick pressures, while several other Denver defenders also generated multiple pressures.

Kansas City must therefore find a way to improve its offensive execution against a defense that has consistently disrupted opposing quarterbacks. Mahomes was pressured on 14 dropbacks against Seattle, a 38.9% pressure rate, and completed only six of 13 passes for 44 yards with an interception when pressured.

That said, after defeating the Broncos in their first meeting, Kansas City will have an opportunity to repeat the performance on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether the Chiefs can work better as a team after losing the first game of the season.