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Four Alarming Trends and Two Encouraging Signs From the Seahawks' 34-17 Loss to the Bears
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- Four Alarming Trends and Two Encouraging Signs From the Seahawks' 34-17 Loss to the Bears
Seattle Seahawks fans had plenty of time to think about what they were watching Monday night. Chicago held the ball for roughly 35 minutes in a 34-17 win at Lumen Field , handing Seattle its first loss by more than four points since a 30-13 defeat to Green Bay in December 2024.
The loss dropped the defending champions to 4-4. Mike Macdonald kept his diagnosis simple. "We didn't do the things on offense that we need to be able to do to play Seahawk football," he said, per Seahawks On SI . Most of what went wrong traces back to that, though a couple of things are worth holding onto.
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Alarming trends from the Seahawks' loss to the Bears
Nov 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (15) reacts after a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Third down was a dead end
Seattle converted 1 of 11 third downs, and eight of its 11 drives lasted five plays or fewer, according to FOX 13 Seattle . The offense went three-and-out four times. Brian Fleury's early-down plan kept leaving Sam Darnold in long yardage, which is why the first-year coordinator is under the microscope this week.
The run game stalled with both backs healthy
Jadarian Price ran 10 times for 29 yards and Zach Charbonnet had six carries for 23. Seattle's 81 rushing yards were its second-lowest total of the season, and NFL.com noted the backs kept bouncing laterally looking for space that wasn't there. Down 10 with 7:13 left, Seattle ran twice from its own 22 and gained 3 yards.
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The defensive front ran out of bodies
Uchenna Nwosu missed the game with an ankle injury, and Leonard Williams left in the third quarter with a stinger and never returned. That pushed Mike Morris and Connor O'Toole into key snaps, as the Seattle Times' Tim Booth pointed out . Caleb Williams threw for 247 yards against a defense that hadn't let a quarterback past 176 all season, and Chicago's 363 total yards were the most Seattle has allowed this year. Rome Odunze did his damage with four catches for 87 yards.
Special teams handed away points
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Jason Myers pulled an extra point wide left after Seattle's first touchdown, and Austin Booker blocked his 33-yard field goal try early in the fourth quarter with the Seahawks down 11. A punt coverage mistake after a strong Michael Dickson kick added to it. Booth noted these issues have shown up since the opener, and eight games in, it's a pattern.
Encouraging signs for the Seahawks after Monday night
Oct 15, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Demarcus Lawrence (0) pressures Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) in the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still the best player on the field
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Smith-Njigba caught six passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, and he accounted for 92 of Seattle's 94 passing yards in the first half. His 43-yard score came after he sold a slant and left Tyrique Stevenson behind. He leads the NFL with 985 receiving yards and nine touchdowns through eight games, which is why Seattle keeps getting linked to receivers who could ease the load on him .
The defense punched back after the opening drive
Chicago's 17-play, 80-yard opening touchdown drive was the most plays Seattle had allowed on a touchdown drive in 10 years, per NFL Research. After that, the Bears scored six points over their final five first-half possessions, with the defense holding twice at the edge of the red zone to force Cairo Santos field goals.
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DeMarcus Lawrence supplied the biggest play, stripping Colston Loveland and recovering the fumble in the fourth quarter. Three plays later, Darnold hit Cooper Kupp for a 7-yard touchdown and Tory Horton caught the two-point try to make it 20-17 with 11:46 left. Macdonald's group did enough to keep Seattle in it, and with Arizona and Gardner Minshew coming to Seattle on Sunday, a healthier front should have a chance to show it.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
