The Seattle Seahawks lost a game by double digits for the first time in nearly two years on Monday night, falling 34-17 to the Chicago Bears and slipping to 4-4 on the season. The lopsided defeat has put the defending Super Bowl champions on alert.
"The sense of urgency for us to improve right now is high," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. The offense was the biggest concern after Seattle managed just 252 total yards and converted only 1 of 11 third downs. "I always think it starts with first and second down efficiency," quarterback Sam Darnold said.
The loss came one week after Seattle earned an encouraging 20-3 victory over the previously unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs. The Seahawks then moved to strengthen their offense, acquiring three-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts and welcoming back running backs Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet from injuries.
With Nelson plugged into an improvised line that was also missing injured tackle Charles Cross, the unit never found its rhythm. Chicago's newly acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, traded for last week, made life difficult up front with a sack, another tackle for loss, six tackles and a pass defensed. "We came off of last week feeling good, and then we have some change up in our offensive line," Macdonald said.
Darnold finished 17 of 34 for 188 yards and two touchdowns, but his interception set up Bears running back D'Andre Swift's third touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter. It was Seattle's largest margin of defeat under Darnold, who now has 10 touchdown passes and nine interceptions this season. Sacked three times, Darnold said, "I feel like there were opportunities to get the ball out, and I just didn't."
Since the start of last season, Darnold leads the league with 29 turnovers, though Monday marked only the third time Seattle has lost when he committed one or fewer. "We didn't do the things on offense that we need to be able to do to play Seahawk football," Macdonald said.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba remained the one constant in the offense. The reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year caught six passes for 118 yards, including a wide-open 43-yard touchdown late in the first half, and padded his league-leading totals to 985 yards and nine touchdowns through Week 8. It was his seventh 100-yard game of the season.
The ground game never got going despite the reinforcements, as Price and Charbonnet combined for 52 yards on 16 carries. "We've got to improve very quickly in the run game," said Grey Zabel, who shifted from left guard to right guard after the Nelson trade. "Got to get back to running the ball, take the pressure off our quarterback and wide receivers and our play-caller. Got to be able to move the line of scrimmage." Cooper Kupp's 7-yard touchdown grab, his only catch, trimmed the deficit to 20-17 in the fourth quarter and was the first touchdown reception by a Seattle receiver other than Smith-Njigba since Week 4.
Kicker Jason Myers also had a rough night, pulling an extra-point attempt left and having a 33-yard field-goal try blocked in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams suffered a stinger in the fourth quarter and did not return. Before Monday, the Seahawks had gone 30 consecutive regular season and playoff games without losing by more than four points; their last such defeat was a 30-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 15, 2024.
Seattle will try to regroup at home on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals (3-5).
