Charbonnet added 49 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Kenneth Walker III chipped in 66 yards on 17 attempts. Darnold completed 17 of 31 passes for 213 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Seattle jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, with Charbonnet scoring from a yard out and Smith-Njigba hauling in a touchdown on the final play of the quarter. The Seahawks had two chances to extend the lead before halftime – one ended when Cooper Kupp threw an interception, and the other when Jason Myers’ 53-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Denico Autry. Houston capitalized late in the half as Ka’imi Fairbairn hit field goals from 36 and 46 yards to make it 14-6 at the break.
In the third quarter, Ernest Jones IV intercepted C.J. Stroud, leading to a Myers 26-yard field goal. However, Will Anderson Jr. swung momentum briefly for Houston, strip-sacking Darnold and recovering the fumble in the end zone to pull the Texans within 17-12. Myers’ 47-yard kick extended Seattle’s lead again before Charbonnet’s 2-yard scoring run late in the quarter made it 27-12.
Stroud connected with Woody Marks for a 4-yard touchdown with 2:04 remaining, but Seattle successfully ran out the clock. Stroud finished 23 of 49 for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Dalton Schultz led Houston with nine receptions for 98 yards.