5 Storylines to Watch in Seahawks' Week 17 Game vs. Bears

If the Seattle Seahawks hope to squeeze into the playoffs, all that's left to do is win. That starts on Thursday night against the Chicago Bears.

Connor Benintendi | Dec 26, 2024

Aug 18, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

With a short week made shorter by holiday celebrations, the Seattle Seahawks are in win-or-go-home mode heading into their Week 17 game against the Chicago Bears.

The Seahawks can still make the playoffs with a loss, but every other domino would have to fall in their direction. A win against Chicago significantly increases their chances of setting up a date with the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC West title in the final game of the season.

Seattle (8-7) has lost two in a row after streaking through November and early December with a four-game win streak. But the two recent losses were at home and to NFC playoff contenders.

Chicago (4-11) hasn’t won a game since mid-October, carrying a nine-game losing streak into Week 17. A once-promising season has devolved into a campaign marred by disappointment and coach firings.

The Seahawks and Bears kickoff in primetime at 5:15 p.m. PT at Soldier Field. Here are five storylines to watch in Seattle’s Week 17 road game against Chicago.

1. Mike Macdonald’s defense must start fast — and stay effective.

The Seahawks have given up opening-drive touchdowns in three straight games and are 1-2 in those contests. Through 15 games, Seattle is 4-1 when putting the first points on the board and 4-6 when its opponents strike first. The number of games the Seahawks have trailed in early is already telling, with Seattle having to battle an early deficit in two-thirds of their games this season.

This isn’t all on the defense, as the offense hasn’t pulled its weight early when Seattle gets the ball first. But in the last two games, against playoff-caliber opponents, those first-possession touchdown drives have immediately made a statement in front of the Seahawks’ home crowd. Macdonald and the defense have made effective adjustments in-game, but a fast start would do a lot for helping the Seahawks get ahead in a game they should win.

“It starts with getting off the rock. You'll hear D-line (defensive line) coaches say that all the time,” Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde said on Tuesday. “The D-line has to get off the ball, they have to press the pocket. That’s where the whole kind of the emphasis of D-line play starts. So, it’s getting off the ball.”

2. How does a tattered Bears offensive live hold up against Seattle’s fierce front?

The Bears have had 15 different offensive line combinations this season, and they continue to be forced into adjustments. Left tackle Braxton Jones is now out for the season and left guard Teven Jenkins has been ruled out of the game against the Seahawks. Backup guard Doug Kramer Jr. is also listed as questionable for Thursday. Chicago’s offensive front is extremely depleted and relying on backups to operate its offense.

Seattle’s defensive line is among the most talented in the league, and it’s only getting healthier. Edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu has now played in three straight games to bolter that group which already touts Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones as primary rushers. On the interior, defensive tackle Jarran Reed is surging with Leonard Williams also playing at all All-Pro caliber. Rookie first-rounder Byron Murphy II has been a steady and consistent contributor.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been sacked a league-high 60 times this season, and the run game is averaging 103.2 yards per contest (25th). Two of the major metrics that begin in the trenches are in the Seahawks’ favor.

3. With Zach Charbonnet as the lead back, does Ryan Grubb run the ball more?

In 11 games played this season, starting running back Kenneth Walker III has only carried the ball 20 or more times twice. He’s averaging a career-low 3.7 yards per carry, which has largely been because of poor blocking up front but also due to Walker’s questionable decision-making when following blocks.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle’s primary backup, has been more effective in the starting role — picking up 4.3 yards per carry on 106 attempts via his downhill, one-cut rushing style. The Seahawks’ best ground game of the season came in Week 14 versus the Arizona Cardinals when Seattle totaled 176 rushing yards as a team and Charbonnet turned 22 carries into 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Even though Chicago’s defensive line is one of its strengths, Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb may try harder to establish the run with Charbonnet in the lineup. Seattle is 6-1 this season when running the ball 20 or more times, and 3-6 when they attempt fewer run plays.

“Some teams you’re kind of swimming upstream on certain schemes that they’re really both schematically and maybe physically set up to stop and defend really well,” Grubb said of his run game approach. “So you’ve got to plan for those things and work through it, but I think that there are components that should be there every single week that we got to be able to line up and run those types of plays every week.”

4. If Caleb Williams can extend plays, the Bears’ offense could do damage.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to make a play during a game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. The Lions defeated the Bears with a score of 34-17. / Audrey Richardson / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Expectations will always be high for a No. 1 overall pick, and Williams’ rookie season hasn’t been stellar. But it’d be wrong to say he’s had much help up front.

With the state of Chicago’s offensive line, Williams has thrived in off-schedule, off-script situations — an area of his game that shined in college, and a big part of why he was such a coveted prospect coming out of USC.

Seattle’s defense will have to stay disciplined. Williams’ 4.14-second average time to throw while under pressure ranks second in the league behind only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (4.31 seconds), per Pro Football Focus.

When he gets out of the pocket, the Seahawks’ back end will have to cover much longer than they’re used to while Williams searches for a target. He’s made six big-time throws in those scenarios and has 12 touchdowns to just two interceptions when pressured.

5. Can Seattle keep the playoff fire alive?

Seattle’s worst Week 17 nightmare would be a loss to the Bears and a Rams victory over the Cardinals, which would result in elimination. The second, slightly less nightmarish scenario is both teams winning, which would leave the Seahawks hoping for a series of outcomes across the league that would potentially give them the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Rams if Seattle can beat LA in Week 18.

If both teams lose or Seattle wins and the Rams lose, the final game of the regular season will be for a playoff bid. The Rams don’t play until Saturday, so Seattle has to take care of its business and wait.

“Well, I think we all understand what situation we’re in,” Macdonald said. “The focus is going to win this football game. So, do what it takes to do that and go play our best football. That’s what we're focused on right now.”