SEATTLE _ A game that featured 27 penalties for 257 yards, at least four Kansas City dropped passes and varying other manner of stumbles and bumbles by both sides gave all the evidence of an NFL contest being played in August.
But in the third exhibition game _ the traditional dress rehearsal that is regarded as the closest thing to the real thing _ Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson looked more than ready for opening night, showing again that he's ready to put the injury frustrations of a year ago in the rearview mirror.
In what will be the last extended playing time he will get before the regular season, Wilson turned in another superb outing Friday night. He completed 13 of 19 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown in leading a big-play Seattle offense that was the key to a 26-13 win over the Chiefs at CenturyLink Field.
Wilson wasn't completely flawless _ a pass in the end zone in the second quarter could well have been picked off by Kansas City's Phillip Gaines.
But for the most part he looked like his old self, several times using his legs to buy time to hit receivers for big gains, and a couple of times simply escaping pressure to prevent losses.
Wilson, who may only get a series Thursday in the exhibition finale at Oakland, is 29 for 41 for the preseason for 447 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, a passer rating of 130.84.
The Seahawks have scored on seven of the 10 drives Wilson has led _ with two touchdowns and five field goals _ with another possession ending in a missed field goal.
Friday night, against a Kansas City defense that led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record last season, Wilson made ready use of all his offensive weapons. He hit seven different receivers in the first half and completed passes to four different receivers for 20 yards or more in averaging a whopping 11.4 yards per attempt.
If there was a quibble it was Seattle's inability to score in the red zone. The Seahawks three times had to settle for field goals when inside the 20.
But the way the offense played in the first half also may have helped settle one of the biggest questions heading into the game, the status of the left tackle position in the first game without George Fant.
Rees Odhiambo got the start and the Seahawks did not have a sack in the first half along with piling up 224 yards and also showing a bit more life in the running game. Seattle rushed for 64 yards on 15 carries in the first two quarters with Chris Carson leading the way with 31 yards on six carries (Carson also had two receptions for 44 yards in only further cementing his spot on the roster).
Odhiambo was beaten for a sack by Chris Jones in the third quarter. But initial appearances and the fact that Odhiambo played all the way with the starters and then left the game when the starters did seemed to indicate he'd made a good impression.
Seattle's only touchdown in the first half came on a 2-yard pass from Wilson to fullback Tre Madden with 7:22 to go in the second quarter.
That gave Seattle a 13-3 lead.
The Chiefs immediately got much of that deficit back when De'Anthony Thomas returned the kickoff 95 yards, breaking through a tackle by Seattle receiver Jermaine Kearse at about the 27-yard line.
But that was the Chiefs' only score in the first half other than a field goal that capped a 14-play, 63-yard drive the first time they had the ball.
The field goal marked the third time in three games Seattle's starting defense gave up a long, scoring march on an opponent's first possession.
San Diego drove 13 plays and 75 yards for a touchdown in the opener and the Vikings went 11 plays and 76 yards for a field goal in week two.
But the first-team defense settled down from there, allowing just 39 yards on 17 plays the rest of the first half. The starters played throughout the first two quarters.
The Seattle defense got help from some well-timed Kansas City dropped passes _ Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith played better than his line of 7 of 17 for 44 yards would indicate _ but veterans Earl Thomas and K.J. Wright in particular looked regular-season ready in leading the Seahawks with four tackles each in the first half.
Penalties continued to mar the final two quarters but the Seattle reserves held on to the 19-10 lead the starters had given them. Third-team QB Austin Davis led a nice drive midway through the fourth quarter that concluded with his 28-yard TD pass to Tanner McEvoy that put the Seahawks up 26-13 and gave Seattle some needed breathing room.
Seattle is now 3-0 in the exhibition season and has won its past six third preseason games.
