Bears vs Seahawks: The NFL's No. 3 Offense Meets Its No. 1 Defense on Monday Night in Seattle
Chicago (5-2) takes the league's top rushing attack and a third-ranked offense into Lumen Field against a Seattle defense that leads the NFL in yards allowed — with Jeffery Simmons set for his Bears debut.
Monday night in Seattle is, by the numbers, the purest strength-on-strength game on the NFL's Week 8 slate. The Bears (5-2) visit the Seahawks (4-3) at Lumen Field (7:15 p.m. CT) with an offense that ranks third in the league in total yards per game (390.7) — against a Seattle defense that ranks first in yards allowed (233.9), according to the Bears' official game preview published Sunday.
Quarterback Caleb Williams leads the Chicago side of that matchup. Since returning from a hamstring injury, Williams has become the first quarterback in the league this season to throw for at least 300 yards with no interceptions in back-to-back starts — 305 yards against Atlanta and 308 against New England — and he ranks second in the NFL in completion percentage (71.0) and sixth in passer rating (105.6). Seattle's pass defense, however, is also ranked No. 1, allowing 144.4 yards per game and no more than 176 in any game this year, and it is tied for second in the league with 12 takeaways.
On the ground, the test is just as stark. The Bears rank No. 1 in rushing yards per game (154.3), with D'Andre Swift 11th in the league at 476 yards and seven touchdowns — but Seattle has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in its last 36 games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Chicago will again be without Kyle Monangai, who misses a fourth straight game with a toe injury, and without tight end Cole Kmet, whose season ended with a knee injury against New England; rookie Sam Roush steps up at tight end.
Chicago's defense gets its own reinforcements for Sam Darnold and the league's receiving leader, Jaxon Smith-Njigba (867 yards, eight touchdowns). All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons makes his Bears debut after Thursday's trade from Tennessee, Montez Sweat returns from a two-game suspension, and linebacker T.J. Edwards is back from a hamstring injury. Darnold has thrown eight interceptions — tied for the league high — and has been picked off in five straight games. Seattle's run game also gets Zach Charbonnet back for his season debut after a torn ACL, alongside rookie Jadarian Price, returning from a chest injury. The winner leaves Monday night firmly inside the NFC playoff picture.
