Seahawks vs. Chiefs 2014 final score: 3 things we learned from Kansas City’s statement 24-20 win

Though rarely discussed as one of the NFL's best teams, the Kansas City Chiefs showcased their strong defense and versatile running game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. In a tight game, they escaped with a 24-20 victory over the defending champs.

As has been their habit of late, the Seahawks missed several opportunities on the field through much of the first half. After quickly ending their first drive with a punt, Seattle was carved up defensively on a 15-play drive that culminated in Jamaal Charles' first touchdown of the day. He would have another later in the game. Kansas City's offensive line owned the line of scrimmage early in the ballgame, finding little resistance from the Brandon Mebane-less defensive front for Seattle.

But the direction of the game shifted just before halftime. A Travis Kelce fumble with under a minute remaining gave the Seahawks an extra possession deep in Kansas City territory. Russell Wilson scrambled for multiple double-digit gains, but the offense stalled near the goal line, and once again Seattle settled for a field goal. Seattle built on the progress early in the third, limiting Kansas City to a field goal on its first drive. They soon after forced a Charles fumble to take yet another extra possession on the Chiefs' side of the field, leading to a Tony Moeaki touchdown five plays later.

Yet it was Kansas City's game from that point out. Knile Davis ran in a score early in the fourth quarter to retake the lead, and that proved the final points of the afternoon. The Seahawks came close to pulling out a final drive, but Bob Sutton's unit stifled them near midfield.

1. Brandon Mebane's injury leaves a major impact on Seattle's run defense

When the Seahawks learned that massive, block-eating defensive tackle Brandon Mebane would miss the rest of the 2014 season with a torn hamstring, it was safe to assume opposing offensive lines could devote more resources to pass rushers Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett. That held true on Sunday, but Mebane's loss had a more dramatic impact on the running game.

On the Chiefs' opening drive alone, they ran at Mebane's vacated area six times, compiling 31 yards. Without Mebane in the middle forcing runs to the outside, Kansas City had free rein to exploit the middle of the Seattle defense, which has also played without middle linebacker Bobby Wagner for most of the season. Charles had multiple backbreaking runs running up the gut, including a 29-yard burst through the "A" gap. The trend continued throughout the game, with Davis exploiting Seattle's run defense for a score of his own in the fourth quarter.

The Seahawks possess one of the league's elite running attacks, with multiple backs capable of carving up defense. Darrell Bevell's offense is predicated on running the ball effectively, especially in the red zone. Common sense therefore dictates that Seattle would run Marshawn Lynch and company near the goal line, though that's not quite how things played out.

When the Seahawks passed their opponent's 20-yard line, they all but abandoned the run. Instead, the Bevell favored four- and five-receiver formations in hopes of spreading the Kansas City defense thin. Lynch did receive a few carries, but outside of two rush attempts stopped a yard short of the goal line he never sniffed the end zone. Still, Seattle didn't totally struggle in the red zone, with Wilson finding Doug Baldwin and Moeaki for touchdowns. But it was a different look for an offense that has become stale at times without the explosive Percy Harvin.

The 2014 edition hasn't been so lucky. Already, the Seattle has played without field tilters such as Wagner, Russell Okung, and Zach Miller for extended periods, with the aforementioned Mebane joining the list this week. Now, Seattle may be without Max Unger for some time, as the starting center suffered a lower body injury during the second half of Sunday's game. Unger had to be carted off the field by the medical staff.