Butker Misses Two Kicks as Seahawks Beat Chiefs 20-3 in Seattle

Kicker Harrison Butker missed two field goal attempts during a 20-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night. The defeats ended a run of high-scoring games for the Kansas City Chiefs, who have now scored three points or fewer only twice in the era of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The first miss occurred in the first half. Cornerback Nohl Williams intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it 65 yards. This play set up a field goal attempt that Butker failed to convert. The second miss came late in the fourth quarter. Butker attempted a kick from 45 yards out with eight and a half minutes remaining. A successful kick would have narrowed the deficit to a single possession. The ball sailed wide, sealing the victory for the Seahawks.

Butker has now missed 15 kicks since the start of last season. This total includes 10 field goal attempts and five extra points. It is the highest number of missed kicks in the NFL. The inconsistency has been a persistent issue for the team. He missed four of his first six attempts this season.

"Life of a kicker," Butker said. "It either goes in or it doesn't. Unfortunately, there's been some kicks that haven't gone in."

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid took responsibility for the performance. He acknowledged that Butker has been inconsistent recently. "He’s been one of the most consistent kickers in football. He’s off a bit," Reid said. "so got to fix it."

The financial stakes for Butker are high. He is the third-highest paid kicker in the league. His base salary is the sixth-highest on the Chiefs roster. The team can release him after this season with only a manageable amount of dead money against the salary cap. The money tied up in his contract could potentially be used to address weaknesses at wide receiver or on the offensive line.

The Chiefs offense struggled throughout the game. The team gained 50 yards on the ground and 213 total yards. They went 3 for 11 on third down. The Chiefs possessed the ball for nearly 11 minutes less than the Seahawks. Defensive coordinator issues were also apparent, as the team allowed 153 rushing yards and 410 total yards. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold converted 11 of 16 third down attempts.

"You don’t want to perform like this in primetime, in a big moment like this," Mahomes said. "You got to feel it on that plane ride home and understand that it sucks, but then how can you build off it? That’s the biggest thing."

The Chiefs committed only two penalties in the game. Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton and Rashee Rice were out with injuries. Right tackle Jaylon Moore was in the concussion protocol. The team travels to Denver on Sunday to face the Broncos, who have won their last three games.

The previous time the Chiefs scored three points or fewer was on October 24, 2021. They lost 27-3 to the Tennessee Titans in that game.