Yahoo Sports Bears vs. Seahawks: Instant analysis of Chicago's prime-time loss
The Chicago Bears had the distinct honor of hosting the Thursday Night Football finale of the 2024 season, and they made sure it went out with a bang. Just kidding. The Bears played arguably their worst game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks, losing 6-3 in rainy and sloppy conditions. The offense reached the red zone just once, while the defense kept the Seahawks in check, but not enough to secure a victory.
Chicago saw their losing streak reach 10 games, which is tied for the team's single-season record that was set just two years ago. The fans in attendance made sure to make their displeasure known as chants of "Sell the team" rang out across Soldier Field at multiple points throughout the evening. With just one game to go, the Bears are sleepwalking towards the offseason, where many key decisions need to be made in hopes of turning the franchise around.
Here is our instant analysis of Thursday's dreadful loss:
Offense
Stop me if you have heard this before, but the Bears offense had a sluggish start and went three-and-out on their opening possession. It didn't get much better, though.
Chicago totaled just 179 yards of offense, their fourth game this season with under 200 yards. They mounted just one scoring drive that took place in the second quarter that could have been a touchdown, but it was negated due to a holding penalty. Instead, they settled for a field goal, their only points of the night.
That would-be touchdown came from Caleb Williams, who didn't have his sharpest game. Williams went 16 of 28 for 122 yards and a pick, which came on the final play of the game. That interception snapped Williams' streak of 354 pass attempts without a pick. He was also sacked seven times, bringing his season total to 67.
The Bears had a chance of tying or taking the lead late in the fourth quarter when Williams heaved a pass to DJ Moore on fourth and five to get the ball at midfield. After getting to the Seattle 40-yard line, the Bears made questionable clock management decisions and elected not to kick a 57-yard game-tying field goal attempt, opting to pass instead. That's where Williams threw the pick and effectively ended the game.
Defense
The defense put themselves in a hole early by allowing an opening drive field goal, but they settled down after that. Chicago started to make Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith uncomfortable, dialing up pressure and containing him as the game went on. The same goes for running back Zach Charbonnet, who ran all over the defense early but was bottled up later on. Smith threw for 160 yards, while Charbonnet added 57 yards on the ground.
The potential turning point of the game came in the third quarter when Seahawks receiver Pharaoh Brown fumbled a catch that was scooped up by Kyler Gordon. At first glance, it appeared Gordon had escaped contact and scored a touchdown to give the Bears a 9-6 lead. Unfortunately, Gordon was touched down, and the points were taken off the board. The Bears offense took over and netted just one yard on a six-play drive.
Overall, the Bears defense had their best game statistically since Week 5. They allowed a season-low six points and didn't surrender a touchdown for the first time all season.
What's next?
The regular season finale will take place next weekend against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The date and time have still yet to be determined based on playoff chances, but with the Packers having already locked up a wild card slot, chances are this game will kick off early on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Seahawks: Instant analysis of Chicago's prime-time loss
