KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It's going to take a lot more than one dazzling performance against the Kansas City Chiefs' first-team defense to surprise Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson.

Perhaps getting the starting job on a full-time basis would do the trick.

Wilson certainly staked his claim Friday night, throwing for 185 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-14 rout. The third-round draft pick also scrambled for 58 yards while leading the Seahawks to scores on their first six possessions, and he had effectively put the game away by halftime.

"I don't surprise myself, I think because I prepare in the right way," Wilson said. "I try to visualize myself being very, very successful, and just positive self-talk, I guess."

The 5-foot-11 Wilson has been competing for the No. 1 job with Matt Flynn, the former Green Bay backup who signed in the offseason. Flynn missed the game with a sore elbow, giving Wilson a chance to shine after two impressive performances against Tennessee and Denver.

"He's done everything we've asked of him," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "This is the guy we hoped he would be. All of the talk about how tall he is and all that stuff, I don't see it being a factor. I don't see it, and I have watched more carefully than anybody could ever have watched, and I don't see it being an issue. It isn't to me."

The Chiefs looked much like the Seahawks in their first preseason game against Arizona, but they struggled last week at St. Louis. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's attack simply fizzled against Seattle, going three-and-out on three of its first four possessions.

Matt Cassel was 19-of-34 for 168 yards and a touchdown but also was intercepted by Seattle safety Earl Thomas, who returned it 75 yards for a third-quarter score.

Even the special teams were a disaster for Kansas City, which watched Golden Tate zigzag 95 yards on a punt return with 2:12 left in the third quarter. The touchdown gave Seattle a 44-7 lead and sent the sparse crowd at Arrowhead Stadium streaming for the exits.