Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught eight passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, Ernest Jones IV recorded his third interception of the season, and the Seattle Seahawks overcame four turnovers to beat the Houston Texans 27-19 on Monday night at Lumen Field.
The victory moved Seattle to 5-2 and into a three-way tie atop the NFC West with San Francisco and Los Angeles. Houston fell to 2-4 after its two-game winning streak ended in front of 68,632 fans.
Smith-Njigba’s fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season leads the NFL. The third-year wideout became just the second player in franchise history to record three consecutive 100-yard performances, catching an 11-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold late in the first quarter to put Seattle ahead 14-0.
Table of Contents
How Seattle Built the Lead
Zach Charbonnet opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run on Seattle’s second possession. The Seahawks got excellent field position after linebacker Uchenna Nwosu sacked C.J. Stroud for an 18-yard loss, the third-longest sack in franchise history, pinning Houston at its own one-yard line.
After Smith-Njigba’s touchdown catch, which included a slam-dunk celebration over the goalpost that drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Seattle led 14-0. Houston responded with two field goals by Ka’imi Fairbairn in the second quarter to make it 14-6 at halftime.
Jones intercepted Stroud on Houston’s opening drive of the third quarter, sliding in front of a pass intended for Nico Collins and returning it 28 yards. Jason Myers converted a 26-yard field goal to push Seattle’s advantage to 17-6.
“This one here caught me off guard a little bit,” Jones said. “I didn’t see it until the last moment; just glad I was able to come down with it.”
The Texans scored their first touchdown when Will Anderson Jr. recovered a Sam Darnold fumble in the end zone after a strip-sack midway through the third quarter. Houston failed on the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 17-12.
Myers added a 47-yard field goal before Charbonnet’s second touchdown, a two-yard run with 54 seconds left in the third quarter, extended Seattle’s lead to 27-12.
Complete Passing Statistics
| Quarterback | C/ATT | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | QBR | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Darnold (SEA) | 17/31 | 213 | 1 | 1 | 2-15 | 44.8 | 73.7 |
| C.J. Stroud (HOU) | 23/49 | 229 | 1 | 1 | 3-31 | 28.5 | 59.0 |
| Cooper Kupp (SEA) | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Cooper Kupp threw an interception on a trick play, one of four Seattle turnovers that kept Houston within striking distance throughout the game.
Rushing Box Score
Seattle Seahawks
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Walker III | 17 | 66 | 3.9 | 0 | 16 |
| Zach Charbonnet | 12 | 49 | 4.1 | 2 | 15 |
| Sam Darnold | 3 | 1 | 0.3 | 0 | 3 |
| AJ Barner | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
| Team Total | 33 | 118 | 3.6 | 2 | 16 |
Houston Texans
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 0 | 15 |
| Nick Chubb | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 0 | 5 |
| Woody Marks | 10 | 15 | 1.5 | 0 | 11 |
| Team Total | 17 | 56 | 3.3 | 0 | 15 |
Receiving Statistics
Seattle Seahawks
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Average | TD | Long | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 8 | 123 | 15.4 | 1 | 26 | 14 |
| Elijah Arroyo | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 0 | 27 | 5 |
| Cooper Kupp | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| AJ Barner | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| Zach Charbonnet | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Jake Bobo | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Tory Horton | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Team Total | 17 | 213 | 12.5 | 1 | 32 | 29 |
Houston Texans
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Average | TD | Long | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Schultz | 9 | 98 | 10.9 | 0 | 22 | 10 |
| Jaylin Noel | 4 | 77 | 19.3 | 0 | 29 | 7 |
| Nico Collins | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 14 | 10 |
| Woody Marks | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| Xavier Hutchinson | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| Braxton Berrios | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | -1 | 3 |
| Nick Chubb | 1 | -5 | -5.0 | 0 | -5 | 3 |
| Dare Ogunbowale | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jayden Higgins | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Team Total | 23 | 229 | 10.0 | 1 | 29 | 46 |
Collins left the game in the second half after being evaluated for a concussion and did not return.
Jones Leads Defensive Effort
Jones finished with 11 total tackles, four solo stops, one tackle for loss, his interception, and one pass defensed. He leads Seattle in interceptions (3), total tackles, and solo tackles this season.
“He’s really important,” defensive end Leonard Williams said. “He’s pretty much the quarterback of the defense. He keeps everyone calm. He hypes everyone up.”
Seattle’s pass rush harassed Stroud all night. Beyond the three sacks, Seattle hit the Texans quarterback seven times. Stroud has been sacked 18 times through seven games, an improvement from last season’s 52 sacks in 17 games.
“We were complacent today,” Houston right tackle Tytus Howard said. “We didn’t come out with enough energy to start the game.”
Nwosu, who missed Seattle’s season opener and battled injuries in 2023 and 2024, continues his return to form.
“It’s amazing to see him play like this right now,” Williams said.
Defensive Statistics
Seattle Seahawks Leaders
| Player | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Jones IV | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ty Okada | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Byron Murphy II | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Coby Bryant | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Drake Thomas | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Josh Jobe | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Houston Texans Leaders
| Player | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | QB Hits | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamari Lassiter | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E.J. Speed | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M.J. Stewart | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr. | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Anderson’s fumble recovery touchdown kept Houston within reach, but the Texans managed just one offensive touchdown all night.
Team Comparison
| Category | Houston | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 254 | 316 |
| Passing Yards | 198 | 198 |
| Rushing Yards | 56 | 118 |
| First Downs | 18 | 19 |
| Third Down Efficiency | 2/15 | 2/14 |
| Fourth Down Efficiency | 1/4 | 2/2 |
| Red Zone Efficiency | 1/3 | 3/4 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 4 |
| Penalties | 10-105 | 12-93 |
| Time of Possession | 27:43 | 32:17 |
Seattle’s red zone efficiency proved the difference. The Seahawks converted three of four red zone opportunities into touchdowns while Houston managed just one score in three trips inside the 20-yard line.
Special Teams Summary
Kicking
| Player (Team) | FG | PCT | Long | XP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Myers (SEA) | 2/3 | 66.7 | 47 | 3/3 | 9 |
| Ka’imi Fairbairn (HOU) | 2/2 | 100.0 | 46 | 1/1 | 7 |
Punting
| Player (Team) | Punts | Yards | Average | Inside 20 | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Dickson (SEA) | 4 | 205 | 51.3 | 1 | 58 |
| Tommy Townsend (HOU) | 7 | 344 | 49.1 | 1 | 57 |
Returns
Tory Horton returned five punts for 67 yards (13.4 average) for Seattle. Houston’s Tremon Smith handled six kickoff returns for 154 yards (25.7 average).
Smith-Njigba’s Breakout Year
Cooper Kupp, the 2021 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, praised Smith-Njigba’s performance after the game.
“There’s nothing routine about what he’s been able to do productivity-wise,” Kupp said. “It’s very difficult. That’s difficult. Takes a lot of work to be able to do that. I think that’s the standard.”
Smith-Njigba’s touchdown celebration drew attention when he effortlessly slam-dunked the football over the crossbar.
“That was very spontaneous,” Smith-Njigba said. “Definitely saw a lot of my favorites do it (growing up), but that was really on the spot right there.”
What’s Next
Houston hosts San Francisco next Sunday while Seattle enters its bye week. The Seahawks return to action November 2 at Washington.
“I think we got our bye at the perfect time,” Williams said. “It’s almost midseason right now. I think we’re going into it feeling good about what we’ve accomplished so far.”
Seattle improved its home record to 2-2 after going just 3-6 at Lumen Field last season. Head coach Mike Macdonald credited the crowd.
“The 12s were on fire,” Macdonald said. “Great atmosphere. Our guys are fired up. Our home crowd was just tremendous.”
The Seahawks needed every bit of that home-field advantage to overcome their turnover troubles and hand Houston its third loss in four games. Seattle’s defense and Smith-Njigba’s continued excellence kept the team atop the NFC West heading into the bye week.
