WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL
It’s all about Caleb Williams at this point. The rookie quarterback has risen above the muck of a dreadful, disappointing season — albeit modestly — and provides hope for the future. Williams needs to average 284 passing yards in the final two games to break Erik Kramer’s single-season franchise record (3,838 yards in 1995).
As has been the case all season, the Bears will be focused on getting off to a better start. They have scored just 20 points in the first quarter all season — the fewest in the NFL — and have fallen behind 20-0, 13-0, 24-0 and 16-0 in their last four games. The Seahawks again present opportunity to reverse that. They’ve fallen behind 7-0, 14-0, 7-0 and 14-0 in the first quarter in their last four games against the Vikings, Packers, Cardinals and Jets.
So the key matchup is the Bears vs. themselves. They drove for two touchdowns in the second quarter against the Lions last week, but only after they trailed 20-0 and 27-7.
But veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen is a player to watch. At 32, he’s playing for a new contract and — lo and behold — is finishing strong to make the most of a disappointing season. Allen has 32 receptions for 412 yards (12.9 average) and five touchdowns in his last five games (82.4 yards per game), after having 30 receptions for 282 yards (9.4 average) and two touchdowns in his first eight games (35.3 yards per game).
WHEN THE SEAHAWKS HAVE THE BALL
Any team with a quarterback, running back and wide receiver is a threat against a withering Bears defense, and the Seahawks ably fit that mold with quarterback Geno Smith (3,937 passing yards — third best in the NFL), the running back tandem of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet (a combined 1,026 yards, 15 touchdowns) and wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba (93 receptions, 1,089 yards, six touchdowns) and D.K. Metcalf (60-897, four touchdowns).
A once-stout Bears’ defense that allowed 16.1 points (third best in the NFL) before the Hail Mary against the Commanders has allowed a league-high 27.9 points per game since the Hail Mary. The Bears, in fact, have allowed 404 yards per game since the bye — including 400 or more in four of their last five games.
Smith-Njigba, the 2023 first-round pick (No. 20 overall) is blossoming in his second NFL season under first-year coordinator Ryan Grubb. In his las five games, the Ohio State product has 50 receptions for 701 yards (14.0 average) and five touchdowns (100.1 yards per game). He had 43 catches for 488 yards (9.0 average) and one touchdown in his first seven games (48.5 yards per game).
“Everything starts with our ability to affect the quarterback. We have to do that,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “D.K. [Metcalf] and Jaxon are a dynamic pair — different skill sets but they really challenge your ability to maintain your coverage discipline. We have to do a really good job with that.”