Christmas is over and at the end Santa Claus gave the NFL fans a defensive battle under the tree. In the end, the Seattle Seahawks had a narrow lead over the indisposed Bears.
Seahawks @ Bears: At a glance
- With the win, the Seahawks remain in the race for the playoffs and, according to NextGenStats, now have a 15 percent chance of making it into the postseason.
- It is the Bears’ fourth consecutive loss since parting ways with head coach Matt Eberflus.
Seahawks @ Bears: The game report
It was heavy food that the two teams offered the spectators in icy Chicago, that much can be predicted. The game started with a solid first drive for the Seattle Seahawks, who covered 71 yards but were ultimately stopped at the opponent’s 9-yard line and had to settle for a field goal.
But then the game noticeably slowed down. Because both teams didn’t get much going offensively and each had to punt three times in a row. There were two three and outs on both sides, so the ball passed back and forth quickly.
In the middle of the second quarter, the Bears managed their first impressive drive and were at least able to reach the Seahawks’ red zone. That was where it ended, but a field goal still got them on the board.
With 2:32 left, the Seahawks got the ball back again and Geno Smith and Co. actually made it into field goal range. Jason Myers stayed cool from 50 yards and made the score 6:3 at halftime.
After the break, however, the offensive game on both sides was lame. The Bears couldn’t even convert a Seahawks fumble at the end of the third quarter into points.
At the end the game could still have gone into overtime. With 17 seconds left on the clock and a timeout in the bag, Caleb Williams threw the ball uncontrollably over the middle of the field under pressure and capped this game with an interception.
A serious mistake, as the Bears were only a few yards short of a feasible field goal to take the game into overtime.
Seattle Seahawks (9-7) @ Chicago Bears (4-12)
Result: 6:3 (3:0, 3:3, 0:0, 0:0) BOXSCORE
Seahawks @ Bears: Key stats
- For the first time since 1987, a game for both teams ended with at least six punts, at least three sacks, at least two fumbles, at least one turnover and no touchdown. At that time, the Colts had won 6-0 over the Jets when substitutes were primarily used during the strike.
The star of the game: Leonard Williams (defensive end, Seahawks)
The Seattle Seahawks pass rusher was unstoppable. He finished the game with two sacks, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits. In his total of six pressures, he also faced a double team five times and collected a pressure against every single Bears lineman.
The flop of the game: The Chicago Bears’ offensive line
Leonard Williams’ performance and stat line are indicative of the Bears’ big problem on Thursday night. The Seattle Seahawks don’t necessarily have an elite pass rush this season, and things often get tight, especially behind Williams. But it was easy against the Bears’ O-line.
Caleb Williams was under constant pressure in the game and had to record seven sacks and 10 QB hits. The Seahawks also managed ten tackles for loss against the weak line.