The Seahawks are staring down a tricky Week 8 test on Monday Night Football, and the Bears may be bringing exactly the kind of problems that can ruin a night fast. Chicago enters at 5-2, Seattle at 4-3, and while both teams still have division goals in front of them, this one has the feel of a game that could matter later when the postseason picture starts tightening up.
To get a better read on Chicago, 12th Man Rising spoke with Ryan Heckman of FanSided’s Bear Goggles On, and the biggest warning for Seattle came on the defensive side. The Bears have holes, especially in the secondary, but Heckman pointed to Dennis Allen’s blitz designs as the real headache.
“That’s a great question, because there are certainly holes (namely in the secondary). At this very moment, though, your biggest concern should be the creative blitz packages from Dennis Allen.
Since Kyler Gordon has returned from injury, Allen has used him as a blitzer on several occasions, and it’s worked. Gordon has four sacks in his two games back and has been borderline-unstoppable as a pass rusher, which is weird to say since he’s a corner.
Allen will also bring linebackers and safeties on blitzes at times, but the ones you need to look out for are the blitzes by defensive backs. Somehow, some way, Allen schemes those up so perfectly, and they create pressure more often than not.”
That should get Seattle’s attention. The Seahawks have seen how disruptive pressure can be for Sam Darnold, and the source material points back to his struggles against the Minnesota Vikings last season when creative pressure got to him. If this game swings on turnovers, the Seahawks’ answer has to be quick decisions and clean ball security.
Chicago’s offense has been a strength too, and not in the flashy, all-air attack kind of way. Heckman highlighted the Bears’ control of the game through possession, and that starts with the run game before Caleb Williams takes over on key downs.
“Easy answer: time of possession, and it starts with the run game and ends with Caleb Williams. The Bears lead the NFL in time of possession with over 35 minutes per game. They’ve been able to preserve leads in the fourth quarter in impressive fashion.
Johnson will not shy away from the run too often, even with the Bears missing Kyle Monangai for a few games now.
His commitment to the run is where the time-of-possession domination starts. But Williams has taken such a big leap in his game that he’s dominating on third downs, thus being able to extend drives.
So far, Williams on third down:
68.6% comp. (third in the NFL)
9.0 yards per attempt (fourth in the NFL)
6 completions of 20+ yards (third in the NFL)”
That third-down battle may end up being one of the game’s defining themes. Through Week 7, Chicago has allowed conversions just 26.1 percent of the time, while Seattle is right there at 28.0 percent.
The problem for the Seahawks is that their own offense has not been nearly as sharp, ranking 19th in the league at 38.9 percent on third down. If the Bears keep extending drives and controlling the clock, Seattle’s defense could spend a long night trying to get off the field.
The other side of the matchup is just as interesting, and maybe even more dangerous for Chicago. Heckman didn’t hesitate when asked what should worry Bears fans most about the Seahawks.
“JSN scares the living daylights out of me as a Bears fan who has watched Jaylon Johnson run like a linebacker, and Tyrique Stevenson continue to play as inconsistently as ever.
Johnson is cooked, as the kids say. He looks completely done as a starting cornerback in the NFL. Stevenson is unpredictable and capable of being burned badly, especially by good route runners.
The Bears’ only hope against JSN is if rookie Malik Muhammad is healthy enough to go and can play the majority of his snaps on Smith-Njigba. He’s their best cover corner at this point and offers some physicality.”
Seattle’s top receiving threat may need to put up a monster line to tilt this one. The source notes that Smith-Njigba’s high-water mark for receiving yards in a game is 180, which came in Week 9 of 2024 against the Los Angeles Rams, and that his most catches in a game is 12, a number he has reached twice.
There is at least one boost coming for Seattle. Running back Zach Charbonnet is expected back, though the source indicates he likely won’t see a heavy workload.
The coaching matchup adds another layer. Heckman called Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams a perfect fit because of their shared edge and competitiveness, with Johnson’s football obsession matching Williams’ calm approach. That pairing, along with the presence of Mike Macdonald on Seattle’s sideline, makes this one feel like a meeting of two young teams trying to prove they belong in the same conversation.
And if you want the bluntest verdict of all, Heckman didn’t leave much room for doubt about Chicago’s ceiling.
“…you can pencil them in as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.”
For Seattle, that means Monday night is about more than just another game on the schedule. It’s a chance to handle a team that’s playing with confidence, creativity, and a quarterback who has clearly taken a step forward.
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