Seahawks Defeat Texans 27-19 to Secure Fifth Win of the Season

The Seattle Seahawks delivered a commanding performance on Monday night, defeating the Houston Texans 27-19 at Lumen Field. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks’ defense were instrumental in securing the team’s fifth win of the season, moving Seattle to a 5-2 record and into a tie atop the NFC West. Smith-Njigba, currently the NFL’s leader in receiving yards, had another stellar outing. He hauled in eight catches for 123 yards, marking his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the year—tying the second-most ever by a Seahawks player in a single season. His performance included a highlight-reel moment late in the first quarter: after catching an 11-yard touchdown pass from Sam Darnold, Smith-Njigba celebrated with an impromptu slam-dunk over the crossbar, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty but electrifying the home crowd. “That was very spontaneous,” Smith-Njigba said postgame. “I saw a lot of my favorites do it growing up, but that was really on the spot right there.” The Seahawks struck first, capitalizing on a defensive gem by linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who sacked Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud for an 18-yard loss—one of the longest sacks in franchise history. This set up a short field, allowing Zach Charbonnet to punch in a one-yard touchdown. Seattle extended its lead to 14-0 when Darnold connected with Smith-Njigba for the receiver’s fourth touchdown of the season. Houston’s offense struggled early against Seattle’s aggressive defense. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV set a new career high with his third interception of the season, picking off Stroud and returning it 28 yards, which led to a Jason Myers field goal. Jones was a defensive force throughout the night, recording 11 tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss, and a pass defended. “He’s pretty much the quarterback of the defense,” said Leonard Williams III about Jones. “He keeps everyone calm and hyped up.” The Texans, coming off a two-game win streak, finally got on the board in the second quarter with two field goals from Ka’imi Fairbairn. Their only offensive touchdown came late in the fourth quarter—a four-yard pass from Stroud to running back Woody Marks. Houston’s other touchdown was a defensive play: Will Anderson Jr. recovered a Darnold fumble in the end zone after a strip-sack, but the Texans failed to convert the two-point attempt. Statistically, the Seahawks outgained the Texans 316-254 in total yards and forced four turnovers while only giving up one. Both teams struggled on third down (Seattle 2-for-14, Houston 2-for-15), but Seattle capitalized in the red zone, converting three of four trips. Notably, the Seahawks improved their home record to 2-2, a step forward after last season’s 3-6 mark at Lumen Field. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud finished 23-of-49 for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and was sacked three times. The Texans’ offensive line, which showed improvement this season after allowing 52 sacks in 2024, struggled against Seattle’s front seven, giving up 18 total sacks through seven games. Head coach DeMeco Ryans called the unit’s performance “sloppy,” while right tackle Tytus Howard admitted, “We didn’t come out with enough energy to start the game.” On the betting front, Seattle covered the -2.5 spread, and the total points (46) slightly exceeded the main line of 41.5, rewarding over bettors. The Seahawks’ ability to generate turnovers and capitalize on short fields proved decisive in a matchup where both offenses faced elite defensive units. Injury-wise, the Seahawks lost WR Dareke Young to a hip injury, and the Texans’ top receiver Nico Collins exited due to a concussion evaluation. Houston also played without key contributors Christian Kirk, Dameon Pierce, and Darrell Taylor. Looking ahead, the Seahawks enter their bye week tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams atop the division, while the Texans prepare to host the 49ers next Sunday. As head coach Mike Macdonald noted, “The 12s were on fire. Our home crowd was just tremendous.” For full play-by-play and advanced stats, visit the ESPN Seahawks vs. Texans Box Score.