> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Key Stats Behind Seahawks Road Victory vs. Steelers - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/key-stats-seattle-seahawks-road-victory-pittsburgh-steelers/ - Published: 2025-09-17T20:40:04.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:58:11.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Kenneth Walker III, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori, Josh Jobe, Derion Kendrick, Byron Murphy II The Seattle Seahawks managed to successfully bounce back from a tough opener, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in all three phases of the game to secure a 31-17 win. The Hawks made it clear throughout the offseason that they were going to respond better to adversity whenever they faced it and they proved it this past Sunday. Throughout the road victory in Pittsburgh, several stats explain why Seattle not only won this game but won by double digits after trailing at halftime. ### Kenneth Walker III’s Bounce Back One of the very obvious reasons the Seahawks managed to top the Steelers was due to how good of a game Kenneth Walker III had. Against the Steelers formidable defensive line, the explosive fourth-year back carried the ball a total of 13 times for 105 rushing yards with an average of 8.1 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown, which came on a 19-yard toss play late in the fourth quarter to put away the home team for good. By establishing the run game with Walker III, the Seahawks were able to successfully run play action several times off of that success, including on Sam Darnold’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Tory Horton to open the game. ### Jaxon Smith-Njigba with Another Monster Game Since the season started, Smith-Njigba has been quite a delight to watch as the clear No. 1 receiver in Klint Kubiak’s offense. In both games so far, he has recorded at least 100 receiving yards. Going against standout cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Sunday, he caught all five of his targets for 76 yards, which included a 43-yard catch towards the end of the game which helped the Hawks soon after seal the victory with Walker’s touchdown scamper. Against the Steelers secondary, Smith-Njigba hauled in eight receptions for 103 receiving yards, averaging 12.9 yards per reception. His presence as a reliable chain mover as well as a deep ball threat helped the Seahawks move the football effectively through the air all afternoon to key the victory and he ranks among the top three receivers in yardage through two weeks for a reason. ### The Run Defense Dominates Once Again The Seahawks did their job shutting down the run on Sunday against the Steelers. As a unit, led by a defensive line anchored by Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II, they only allowed the Steelers to rush 21 times for just 72 rushing yards, which averages out to 3.4 yards per carry. Defending the run is obviously very important as it immediately makes an offense one dimensional, and after torching the New York Jets with play action in Week 1, Aaron Rodgers completed just one play action pass for five yards without a complementary run game in a pass-heavy approach. ### The Pass Defense Stepped Up In the past, Aaron Rodgers has been the ‘Hawks nemesis. Going into this game, he had a 6-4 record against Seattle with a total of 14 touchdown passes to go along with just four interceptions. This time, however, he struggled mightily to connect with DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III, throwing for just 203 yards along with a 54.5 percent completion rate and two interceptions. With cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Nick Emmanwori both out with injuries, that meant reserves Josh Jobe and Derion Kendrick had to step up. Continuing a strong start, Jobe recorded three solo tackles along with an assisted tackle and a pass deflection against the Steelers, while Kendrick recorded a solo tackle, two pass deflections, and an interception stepping into the slot. As a result of these two guys really stepping up, it really helped keep Rodgers and the Steelers offense off balance and unable to come close to replicating their attack from Week 1. ### Byron Murphy II’s Huge Game Looking individually, no player may have had a greater impact on Seattle’s defensive performance on Sunday than Byron Murphy II, who turned in the best statistical game of his young career. Against the Steelers’ struggling offensive line, he recorded five total tackles and 1.5 sacks, tripling his rookie season total in that latter department. He also generated three quarterback hits, making life miserable for Rodgers. Murphy also made his presence felt especially in the running game, as Steelers running backs had a lot of trouble running the ball anywhere, but a lot of that has to do with the powerful sophomore’s presence clogging up the middle and making plays in the backfield. He finished with two run stops of one or less yards, including stuffing Kenneth Gainwell for no gain.