The Seahawks’ defense has become the kind of unit opponents circle the second the schedule comes out, and Chicago is treating this Monday night matchup like exactly what it is: a massive test.
Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense is drawing comparisons to the Legion of Boom era for a reason. The latest proof came in Week 7, when the Seahawks completely buried Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in primetime.
Kansas City never got a snap in the red zone, managed only 213 total yards and finished with 11 first downs. Even Kenneth Walker III, who had been averaging 133 rushing yards per game, was held to 36 yards on 14 carries.
That performance helped push Seattle’s defense even further into the spotlight as it heads into Week 8 against the Bears. Through seven games, the Seahawks are giving up the fewest total yards per game at 233.9, the fewest passing yards at 144.4 and the sixth-fewest rushing yards at 89.4. They’re also fourth in points allowed per game at 17.9 and tied for second in takeaways with 12.
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams was asked Wednesday about facing that kind of pressure, and he didn’t shy away from the challenge.
“Obviously, that’s the best defense in football right now, for stats-wise and players and scheme,” Williams said. “So, it’s going to be fun for us; it’s going to be a challenge for us, and we accept that challenge. We gotta go out there, we gotta execute, we gotta do our part.
“They do a good job with punching the ball out, interceptions - I think they’re second in the league or something like that with the amount of turnovers that they’ve had … They’re fully equipped over there to do whatever they need as a defense and as a team, and so like I said, it’s going to be a fun challenge for us.”
Bears coach Ben Johnson sounded just as aware of what Seattle is doing on that side of the ball. He pointed first to the Seahawks’ ability to get after the quarterback without having to empty the clip with extra rushers.
“I think they do a great job affecting the quarterback, number one. Up front, they’ve got good rushers, and they’re able to get [to] and affect the quarterback without having to pressure a whole lot in passing downs,” Johnson said.
“So, when you’re able to do that with just four rushers, I think it’s really hard to get guys open with a lot of space. They’re doing a phenomenal job taking away explosive plays in the passing game, and it’s hard to stay on schedule consistently and march it down the field and score in the red zone on these guys, and that’s what they try to make you do.”
Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II sit at the center of that front, and the edge rushers keep the pressure coming. Nick Emmanwori is also becoming a major factor, giving Seattle’s pass rush another look that offenses have to account for.
“You combine that with the fact that it’s hard for a lot of offenses to even get started - the number of three-and-outs on tape is pretty astonishing as well,” Johnson added. “It’s hard to run the ball; hard to throw the ball, and it’s going to take a team effort here to win this one this week.”
Seattle enters at 4-3, while Chicago is 5-2. The teams meet at Lumen Field on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 5:15 p.m. Both clubs also made big moves this week, with the Seahawks adding All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and the Bears landing All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, adding another layer to the matchup.
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