Chicago Bears Score and Recap (Week 17): Seahawks 6, Bears 3 – Game Uglier Than the Weather in Bears 10th Consecutive Defeat

The Bears and Seahawks played in a particularly ugly game on a cold and rainy night at Soldier Field Thursday. The two teams combined for three field goals and 23 total first downs as Seattle was able to eke out a 6-3 victory to keep their playoff hopes alive while handing Chicago a 10th consecutive defeat.

The Seahawks took the lead on the opening series of the game driving into the red zone before Jason Myers kicked a 27-yard field goal. The Bears offense struggled mightily yet again early in the game before finally getting some traction at the end of the second quarter. Cairo Santos connected on a 42-yard FG to even the score just before the two-minute warning.

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith got his team moving in the two-minute drill and Myers hit a long-distance boot from 50 yards out to give the road team a 6-3 advantage at halftime. The defenses completely took over at that point and no one dented the scoreboard in the third quarter.

Caleb Williams tried to engineer a last-gasp drive to tie or win the game and made a couple of impossible throws under heavy pressure to get the Bears past midfield. Unfortunately, a fourth down heave with under 20 seconds left was intercepted and the Seahawks sealed their unimpressive victory. (Box score)

Why the Bears Lost

The offensive line was completely hopeless in this one, allowing seven sacks and giving Williams absolutely no time to throw. At times the young quarterback had to run backwards just to get a chance to throw the ball.

Key Moment

Defensive back Kyler Gordon recovered a fumble from Seahawks wideout Pharaoh Brown late in the third quarter and the referees did not blow the play dead so he returned it all the way for a touchdown. Upon video review it was clear that the ball was fumbled but Gordon was touched down where he recovered it erasing the TD. The Bears never got close to the end zone the rest of the game.

Stats That Matter

• It’s really impossible to evaluate Williams with a line in front of him that has allowed 67 sacks in 2024. Some of the blame is clearly his for holding on to the ball too long but he really is being hung out to dry.
• This is only the fourth time in the last 90 years the Bears have held an opponent to six points and not won the game. It was nice to see a quality defensive effort after some really bad performances the past six weeks.

Bottom Line

I would not blame anyone who tuned out of this hot mess of a season for the Bears. The coaching issues clearly were not limited to Matt Eberflus, with things getting even worse after he got the ax. The entire setup at Halas Hall is completely dysfunctional and a massive overhaul seems like the only logical solution. Chicago fans don’t need to be told that when it comes to the McCaskey’s ownership logic often doesn’t apply. If they don’t do something drastic Caleb Williams might just be another quarterback that got ruined by the Bears.

Next Up 

The season mercifully comes to an end Sunday, January 4 in Green Bay against the Packers.