Scripture says that it's better to give than to receive. Alas, the Seattle Seahawks did plenty of both on Sunday, and in the end it cost them a chance to keep pace with the streaking Arizona Cardinals.

One week after setting a team record with 350 yards rushing while holding the New York Giants to a mere 54 yards, the Seahawks ran for 204 but gave up 190 en route to a 24-20 loss at Arrowhead Stadium. "We had a really difficult time stopping them running the football," said head coach Pete Carroll after the game. "Jamaal had a great game against us."

Playoff Implications Loomed Large for Both Teams

Going into the game, both teams were 6-3, each solidly in the mix for the playoffs.

The defending Super Bowl champions found themselves second in the NFC West, two games behind the Arizona Cardinals, who they play twice over the next five weeks. The Chiefs were a single game back of the Broncos for the divisional lead, with a chance to forge a tie if the stars aligned correctly.

Predictably, Sunday featured a see-saw battle between two defensively-stout clubs, a game which hung in the balance until the final minutes. "We had a shot," said Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

The Chiefs Get on the Board First

After an opening three-and-out by the Seahawks, Kansas City grabbed the early momentum with a fifteen play, 86-yard march down the field. Key to the drive were six rushes by Charles for a total of 34 yards, along with a 13-yard swing pass that moved the ball into Seattle territory.

The series culminated with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Charles for the 7-0 lead, an advantage which held to the end of the first quarter.

Seattle Answers with an Even Longer Drive

Starting at their own 10, the Seahawks put together a nine minute, 90 yard drive to tie the score in the second quarter. Running back Marshawn Lynch ran for 35 yards in the series, and Wilson completed four passes late, including a 7-yard strike to Doug Baldwin to even things up, 7-7. Lynch finished with 124 yards on 24 attempts for the game.

Wilson threw to three different receivers in the final four plays of the drive.  "I was looking for everybody," he explained.

Kansas City Marches 80 Yards in 2:13

Although Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith went just 11-16 for 108 yards with no touchdowns, he threw for 39 of those yards on the next drive. Smith connected with wide receiver Travis Kelce for 23 yards, and two plays later, 13 more yards up the middle to Anthony Sherman.

Fittingly, Jamaal Charles scored his second touchdown of the half with a 16-yard run off left guard, lifting the Chiefs to the 14-7 edge.

Two Steven Hauschka field goals before halftime narrowed the lead to just 14-13.

The Seahawks Take the Lead in the Third Quarter

After a Cairo Santos field goal extended the Chiefs' lead midway through the third quarter, the Seahawks' Byron Maxwell recovered a Jamaal Charles fumble at the Kansas City 44.

Capitalizing on the field position, Seattle drove down the field in five plays, with the go-ahead touchdown scored on a Wilson-to-Moeaki 1-yard connection for the 20-14 lead. "We gave Tony a shot there," explained Wilson. "He made a great catch in the back corner of the end zone. I was really pumped up for him." For the game, Wilson was 20-32 for 178 yards and two scores, with 71 rushing yards via scrambles and designed plays.

Charles Breaks a 47-Yard Run on the Decisive Drive

Already having exploited the Seahawk defense throughout the game, Jamaal Charles took the ball at his own 44 and ran up the middle for 47 yards, taking it all the way down to the Seattle 9 yard line. An unnecessary roughness penalty on linebacker Bruce Irvin moved the ball to the five, and on the very next play, Knile Davis punched it in for the 24-20 lead.

Seattle had two more chances to win the game as the fourth quarter ticked down. In both instances, the Seahawks were stopped on fourth down: the first on a fourth-and-two incompletion by Wilson toward Doug Baldwin, and the second when Marshawn Lynch was stuffed on fourth and less than a yard. "We had plenty of chances in this game," lamented Carroll. "Plenty of chances to get it done."

The win lifted Kansas City to 7-3 while dropping Seattle to a tie with the San Francisco 49ers at 6-4, three games back of the Arizona Cardinals. The pathway to the postseason gets no easier for Seattle, who play the red-hot Cardinals at home next Sunday. Kansas City travels to Oakland to face the winless Raiders.