NASHVILLE—The Seahawks and Titans each managed field goals on their opening drives, and the game was tied a 3-3 after one quarter when Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba jumpstarted Seattle’s offense in a manner that has been so successful for them all season.
And after those two connected for a 63-yard touchdown, the Seahawks raced to 23-3 and 30-10 leads to take control of the game. The Titans put a bit of a rally together, but it wasn’t enough, and the Seahawks held on to win 30-24 to improve to 8-3.
Here are five rapid reactions to Sunday’s win in Nashville:
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to do amazing things.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s incredibly impressive 2025 season continued with another big game Sunday, one that not only added to his league-leading receiving total, but that also saw him break another Seahawks record.
The third-year receiver started his day with a 63-yard touchdown catch, the longest reception of his career, and he added another touchdown in the second half to give him seven this season, a new career high.
2. Seattle’s defense keeps stepping up despite being short-handed.
With safety Julian Love and defensive tackle Jarran Reed still on injured reserve, and with linebackers Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight sidelined by injury, the Seahawks limited the Titans to 296 yards and a 4.4 yards-per-play average, and didn’t allow an offensive touchdown (their first touchdown came on a punt return) until late in the first quarter when it was already 30-10.
3. Kenneth Walker III had another strong outing.
After finishing with over 100 scrimmage yards last week, Kenneth Walker III once again made the most of his touches, making plays on the ground and through the air for another strong showing.
4. The Seahawks pass rush was disruptive, but rookie quarterback Cam Ward was also elusive.
The Seahawks defensive front, which has been great all season, was able to put a lot of pressure on rookie quarterback Cam Ward, but the No. 1 pick was also able to make a lot of plays under duress.
5. The Seahawks played a much-needed turnover-free game on offense.
While it wasn’t a flawless offensive performance for the Seahawks, they did manage to avoid turning the ball over, a significant accomplishment given their turnover issues in recent games.
Quarterback Sam Darnold wasn’t flawless, he had few throws he would like back, including a couple of near interceptions, but it was still a solid outing, with Darnold completing 16 of 26 attempts for 244 yards, two touchdowns and a 118.1 passer rating.