Williams Tests Seattle Defense in Monday Night Showdown
The Bears face a critical hurdle at Lumen Field as they attempt to extend their winning streak against a Seahawks unit that just defeated the Chiefs.
By Adrian Kovalenko ·
Monday night offers a direct collision of two of the league's most dynamic units.
The Seattle Seahawks host the Chicago Bears at Lumen Field at 8:20 p.m. ET on Monday, November 2. Seattle enters the game with a 4-3 record after defeating the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. That victory ended a two-game losing streak and re-established the Seahawks as a top defensive force. The Bears arrive with a 5-2 record, having won their last two games since quarterback Caleb Williams returned from injury.
Williams has completed 71% of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt this season. Both figures are career highs for the Chicago signal-caller. He has thrown five touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 128 yards and two scores. Despite an average depth of throw of only 7.0 yards, Williams generates explosive plays at the third-highest rate in the NFL. The Bears average 6.4 yards after catch per completion, a mark that ranks fourth in the league. Seattle, however, allows only 4.5 yards after catch per completion, which is the third-best figure in football.
The matchup extends to the ground game, where Chicago runs the ball on 48.7% of plays. That is the highest rate in the league. Seattle has shown an ability to stop the run, as evidenced by their performance against Kenneth Walker III in the previous week. The Bears will rely on D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson to move the chains against a defense that frequently uses nickel and dime personnel. The Chicago offensive line must displace Seattle's defensive front to open lanes for the running backs.
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks' offense centers on Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He leads the NFL with 867 receiving yards, 43 receiving first downs, and eight receiving touchdowns. He is targeted on 36.3% of Seattle's pass attempts, the highest rate in the league. His 33.9% targets-per-route-run rate also ranks first, narrowly ahead of CeeDee Lamb. The rest of the receiving corps has produced 53 combined receptions, highlighting the disparity in volume. Rashid Shaheed will be out for the contest, further limiting options for quarterback Sam Darnold.
Darnold leads the NFL with eight interceptions despite missing time to injury. Under pressure, he has completed only 26 of 66 passes for 331 yards, two touchdowns, and four picks. He ranks second-to-last in the league in EPA per dropback on pressured plays. The Bears hope to exploit this weakness with defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Simmons is among the league leaders in pressures and sacks from the interior. He will face a guard duo in Quenton Nelson and Grey Zabel that is considered among the best in the league.
Seattle's running game should improve with the expected returns of Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price. Charbonnet has missed the entire season following an ACL tear sustained during the previous Super Bowl run. Price has been out since Week 3 with a chest injury. Their return offers a potential upgrade over the current combination of Emanuel Wilson and George Holani. The Bears have allowed an average of 4.4 yards per carry this season, a mark that ranks 23rd in the league. The odds favor Seattle by three points with a total of 46.5.
Source: CBS Sports
