The Bears don’t need perfection Monday night in Seattle. What they need is a handful of key players to finally look like the versions Chicago has been waiting on, and they need it for four quarters against the defending champions.
That starts with Sam Roush, who suddenly matters a lot more with Cole Kmet out for the season. Roush is now the only reserve tight end on the roster behind Colston Loveland, and his first seven games have not exactly inspired confidence.
He has only three catches on five targets, and two of those misses came in the Week 2 loss to Minnesota. Head coach Ben Johnson has already said Roush’s rep count is going up, and Roush has said he’ll "have to step up".
For Chicago’s two-tight-end looks to work, he has to hold up his end.
Rome Odunze is another player the Bears need to deliver in a bigger way. He has been productive for every quarterback Chicago has used this season, piling up 381 yards on 24 catches, but the missing piece is obvious: he has not scored a touchdown. The Bears need points however they can get them against Seattle, and Odunze’s name has to show up in the end zone at some point.
Then there’s Jaylon Johnson, who is running out of room for a quiet turnaround. His season has been underwhelming, and quarterbacks have had too much success when they challenge him.
He also leads the Bears in missed tackles, with two of them turning into New England touchdowns. Now he gets the toughest assignment of the year in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning offensive player of the year and the league leader with 867 receiving yards.
Seattle knows exactly where Chicago has been vulnerable, and that matchup will be front and center.
If those three players can answer the call in one of the loudest stadiums in professional sports, the Bears will give themselves a real shot at a win that matters. Detroit already showed the Vikings are human, and Chicago needs to take advantage now.
In Other News...
Bears Injury Report Puts Pressure On Two Thin Position Groups
The Bears head into Week 8 with six players on the injury report, and the list comes at a tricky time for a roster already stretched in a couple of spots. Chicago is preparing for Seattle with key names on injured reserve in Coby Bryant, Dayo Odeyingbo and Cole Kmet, while the rest of the report leaves the team managing availability at positions where depth matters every snap.
T.J. Edwards has returned to practice after dealing with a hamstring injury, which is a welcome sign for a defense that wants its steadiness back in the middle. On the other side of the ball, Colston Loveland was a late concern after a neck issue, but he practiced fully on Saturday and is expected to play, while Kyle Monangai remains out again with a turf toe injury after not practicing for nearly a month. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Contender Rise Is Creating A Credit Debate Fans Will Love
The Bears 6-2 start has sparked a familiar kind of debate around a team suddenly playing like a contender: who deserves the most credit for the turnaround? Ryan Poles has plenty of supporters after building the roster with additions such as Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson, while Dennis Allen has also earned praise for helping reshape the defense into a steadier unit.
Up front, the offensive line has become part of the conversation too, with Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney drawing notice for the way they have helped support the offenses development. Add in the boost from a key deadline move, and Chicago has enough moving pieces that the credit conversation feels almost as compelling as the standings themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Just Gave Fans A Reason To Believe This Team Is Real
The Bears have spent enough time trying to convince people they are more than a feel-good story, and back-to-back wins over last years Super Bowl representatives have gone a long way toward making that case. The latest came against the Seahawks, a game that offered a little bit of everything Chicago has been chasing: a defense that looked faster and more disruptive, a passing game that found rhythm, and a roster starting to look like it can win in more than one way.
Jeffery Simmons wasted no time making his presence felt in his Bears debut, giving the front seven a jolt that showed up all over the field. Caleb Williams, Luther Burden III, Montez Sweat, Rome Odunze and DAndre Swift also turned in notable performances, and the bigger takeaway for Chicago is that these wins no longer feel like isolated bursts. They are starting to look like evidence that this team may actually be building something real. [Read more 🡒]