Seattle Seahawks eliminate Bears in lowest scoring game of season

Offensive production was well below expectations given that the Bears entered the game after nine straight losses and their defense gave up 34 points per game in its previous three games.

Still, the win secured Seattle’s third straight win (11th in the last 12 seasons) and kept them in position to contend for the NFC West title in Week 18 if things went their way.

Seattle’s 122 rushing yards were fueled by running backs Zach Charbonnet (15 carries, 57 yards) and Kenny McIntosh (7 carries, 46 yards). Quarterback Geno Smith completed 17 of 23 passes for 160 yards, and tight end Noah Fant led the Seahawks receivers with four catches for 43 yards.

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams recorded his fourth multi-sack game of the season and five other Seattle players had one.

The Seahawks had 61 rushing yards in the first quarter, which is more than the team had in a full game five times this season. Charbonnet and McIntosh created an efficient two-headed monster that rushed for 87 yards on 14 carries in the first half.

But as good as Seattle’s ground game has been, Smith had one of his worst starts this season. On Seattle’s first 11-play, 71-yard drive, Smith nearly threw his fifth red zone interception of the season while targeting wide receiver Tyler Lockett.

Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds had an easy pick but blew it. Jason Myers had to convert a 27-yard field goal to save the once-promising drive. Smith completed 10 of 15 passes for 97 yards in the first half – well below his average of 134.2 yards per game in the first half this season.

Seattle made three points on its next two drives, but the Bears scored on each of their first three possessions.

Williams was frequently under pressure early on. The Bears couldn’t move the ball consistently.

Two drives of at least eight plays yielded just three more points for the Seahawks at halftime. Chicago also did enough to put three on the board with a 13-play, 67-yard drive, making the score 6-3 at the break.

It was a punt game in the third quarter until Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown was stripped by Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon after a short reception. Gordon, amid confusion over whether a whistle had been blown, decided to return it for a touchdown as the Seahawks players stopped their pursuit.

The play was initially ruled a touchdown before officials determined Gordon was down at the Chicago 38-yard line, where he initially recovered the fumble. Yet the Seahawks defense stood in the way of the Bears and forced another punt – highlighted by Uchenna Nwosu’s first sack of the season for a 14-yard loss.

If the Seahawks offense could have closed out one of its drives in the second half, Seattle would have won the game handily. Instead, the pressure remained on the defense to continue stopping Williams and the Bears’ offense.

It wasn’t until the Bears were in “do or die” mode that the offense began to move the ball. Williams converted a fourth-and-5 pass to wide receiver DJ Moore and took Chicago to the Seattle 40-yard line – a field position that could have allowed a 57-yard field goal attempt.

Instead, after several incomplete passes, Williams had to pray on 4th and 10 to try to prolong the game. Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen intercepted the pass to seal the Bears’ fate of losing 10 straight games.

Seattle’s win narrowed the list of Week 18 playoff scenarios in the NFC West.

Now, a Rams win Saturday against Arizona would mean Seattle would have to beat Los Angeles in the final game of the season and then hope the force of victory tiebreakers falls on them. A Rams loss would make the Week 18 game a true winner-takes-all contest.

Although the offense couldn’t make the victory any more comfortable, Seattle’s defense was as good as it has been all season, limiting Williams and the Bears’ offense.

Chicago had 49 of its 179 total yards on the final drive of the game – one of two Bears drives where the offense had more than 16 yards. Williams did not complete a pass more than six yards downfield until Chicago’s final possession, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon, Jarran Reed, Rayshawn Jenkins, Hall, Williams and Nwosu all recorded sacks, bringing the team’s total to 42 this season.

Even in their recent losses to NFC playoff contenders, the Bears have scored 14 points per game over their last three games. Seattle held Chicago well below that figure.

Seattle was excellent at running the football in the first half and could have led 14-3 at the break if not for promising drives that stalled late. The passing game was incredibly inconsistent as the Seahawks offense continues to be void of identity with one game left in the season.

But the run helped Seattle control time of possession. The Seahawks are now 7-1 this season when they attempt 20 or more running plays (22 against the Bears) and 3-6 when they run fewer. It was a glaring difference when offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb abandoned the run.

Either way, the offense can’t put up six points if it hopes to be competitive in the playoffs.

The Seahawks will travel to take on the Rams at a time to be determined on Sunday, January 5 at SoFi Stadium. This game could determine the NFC West title and which team advances to the playoffs.

First up, Los Angeles is scheduled to face the Arizona Cardinals at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, December 28.

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