The Chicago Bears may not be atop the NFC North standings, but their 34-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night made a strong case that they’re among the division’s most complete teams. Chicago improved to 6-2 with the road victory.
Seattle is a tough place for visiting teams to play, and the Seahawks had just handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season. Still, Bears coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams looked comfortable on the road.
The Vikings remain first in the division at 6-1, though their offense has struggled despite a defense that has kept them in close games. Detroit moved to 5-2 after giving Minnesota its first loss, while Green Bay reached 5-3 with a win over Carolina.
Chicago’s offense put up 363 yards against a Seattle defense that had been allowing a league-low 233.9 yards per game. Williams threw for 237 yards, becoming the first quarterback to pass for more than 200 against the Seahawks this season.
He connected with Luther Burden III on a 23-yard play for his only touchdown pass. Rome Odunze led the Bears with 87 receiving yards on four catches, including a 24-yard reception.
The ground game delivered, too. D’Andre Swift scored three touchdowns, benefiting from the blocking and the run concepts Johnson has emphasized.
Chicago’s defense had already been among the league’s better units, ranking ninth in both yards and points allowed. Jeffery Simmons, playing his first game for the Bears since being acquired in a trade, tied for the team lead with six combined tackles. He also recorded a sack and two tackles for loss.
James Lynch came up with a key interception with Chicago leading 27-17 and six minutes remaining. The takeaway set up Swift’s third touchdown.
Seattle has shown flashes of the form that carried it to a Super Bowl title last season, but consistency has been an issue. The Seahawks added left guard Quenton Nelson from Indianapolis to strengthen the offensive line and help protect Sam Darnold. They also expected a boost to the running game with rookie Jadarian Price returning from injury and Zach Charbonnet making his season debut after recovering from an injury last season.
Instead, Seattle managed just 81 rushing yards. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had another 100-yard receiving game and scored just before halftime, but the Seahawks couldn’t keep pace with Chicago.
There’s still plenty of season left, and Seattle remains in the race. But the Bears made a statement in a difficult road environment, and they’re looking like a team that could make things interesting in the NFC North.
