The Bears didn’t erase Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That would have been too much to ask after the way he opened Monday night. But they did something just as valuable in a 34-17 win over the Seahawks: they took away his grip on the game when it mattered most.
That was no small feat against a receiver who has sat at the top of the sport’s pecking order since the start of last year. Smith-Njigba was the center of everything Seattle had going early, and for a stretch it looked like he might wreck Chicago’s night by himself.
He was nearly unstoppable in the first half, piling up 92 of Sam Darnold’s first 94 passing yards. He also found the end zone on one of his trademark double moves, leaving Tyrique Stevenson behind and earlier making Jaylon Johnson look just as uncomfortable.
On pace for nearly 200 yards at halftime, Smith-Njigba looked like the one Seahawk most likely to tilt the field. Then the Bears adjusted, and the game changed with it.
After four catches for 92 yards before the break, Smith-Njigba didn’t record another catch or target until Seattle’s final offensive series. Chicago’s secondary tightened up, and the Bears’ pass rush helped make life even harder for Darnold.
There was also a moment late in the third quarter that might have extended Smith-Njigba’s influence. He appeared to put Seattle on the doorstep of the goal line, but the play was wiped out by what looked like a questionable offensive pass interference call.
Still, the larger story was clear: Seattle couldn’t keep feeding him the way it wanted to. Darnold struggled for much of the night, and that kept Smith-Njigba from staying involved once Chicago settled in.
The Bears’ defense got help from more than one level. The secondary held up, and the defensive line made its presence felt too. Jeffrey Simmons stood out in his Bears debut, finishing with one sack, two tackles for loss and six tackles.
By the end of the night, Smith-Njigba’s first-half burst had been reduced to a frustrating footnote. He was dangerous, as always, but Chicago made sure he never fully took over.
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