Bears vs Seahawks: Reasons for optimism in Week 17 matchup

The Chicago Bears play their final home game of the season this year on Thursday night, taking on the Seattle Seahawks, who are fighting for a playoff spot and a divisional title. Currently riding a nine-game losing streak, the Bears are running out of chances to end their skid, and having a chance to do so in front of their home crowd could propel them to close out the 2024 season.

There's not much to be excited for, as the reality is the team is much further away from being considerably challenging for a playoff spot than originally thought. One thing going for the Bears is that the talent is there on the roster, but the effort and all around production has been what's lacking.

Ahead of Thursday's matchup, here are three reasons to be optimistic for a Bears win for the first time in 10 games.

1. Geno Smith's winless record on Thursday night

In his career, Geno Smith is 0-7 on Thursday nights and more importantly, his passer rating is 74.3 meaning there are many opportunities for the Bears defense to take advantage of Smith. The Seahawks have plenty of weapons, especially in the passing game, but Chicago has also had some of the best pressure rating on opposing quarterbacks this season. If Jaylon Johnson is locked up on DK Metcalf, the Bears will need to worry about Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a young promising receiver in their stable, but if they can contain him, there's an opportunity for the Bears defense to get back their dominate style.

2. Final performance at Soldier Field

The only games the Bears have won have been at home in the friendly grounds of Soldier Field, so why not close it out on a positive note? It's hard to believe that many fans will be enthusiastic about the team at this point of the season, but the Bears fanbase always shows up passionate, looking to help guide the team to a victory. Having not won a single game on the road all year, the Bears need to find a positive at the end of their year, and snapping the losing streak in front of the hometown Chicago crowd would be a great way to close out the season.

3. Caleb Williams' continued development

There's nothing more worth watching this season for than to see how Caleb Williams continues to grow in his development. Currently at 326 passing attempts without throwing an interception, Williams needs 77 more passing attempts (just over 38 in each of the next two games) to break the all-time NFL record held by Aaron Rodgers. Williams has lost a fumble in each of the past three games, but he's shown flashes of greatness, including last week's 45-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. Seattle ranks 17th in their overall passing defense, so there will be plenty of opportunity for Williams to thrive.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs Seahawks: Reasons for optimism in Week 17 matchup