SEATTLE, Oct. 22 -- A helmet ripped off, a Texans sideline scrum, and a referee who turned a near brawl into a teachable moment as Seattle closed out a 27-19 win.

It was supposed to be a routine return after an interception late in the fourth quarter. Instead, Monday night in Seattleturned on a flash of chaos at the Houston Texans' bench, a young star's poise under pressure, and a game official who made an instinctive decision to put his body on the line.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seattle Seahawks' ascending second-year receiver, had already turned "Monday Night Football" into a showcase. He broke open the game with an 11-yard touchdown catch in the first half, then piled up yardage with the controlled urgency that has defined his October...