5 storylines to watch in the Seattle Seahawks’ Week 17 game against the Chicago Bears

The Seahawks have given up opening touchdowns in three straight games and are 1-2 in those games. After 15 games, Seattle is 4-1 when points are scored first and 4-6 when opponents strike first. The number of games in which the Seahawks have fallen behind early is telling: Seattle has faced an early deficit in two-thirds of their games this season.

This isn’t just the fault of the defense, however, as the offense didn’t reach its potential early on when Seattle got the ball first. But in the last two games against playoff-caliber opponents, those first-possession touchdown drives have made an immediate impact in front of the Seahawks’ home crowd. Macdonald and the defense made effective adjustments in the game, but a quick start would go a long way toward helping the Seahawks advance in a game they should win.

“It starts with getting off the rock. “You hear that all the time from D-line (defensive line) coaches,” Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde said Tuesday. “The D-line has to get away from the ball, they have to press the pocket. This is where the whole emphasis on D-line play begins. So it’s about getting off the ball.”

The Bears have had 15 different offensive line combinations this season and continue to be forced to make 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. Substitute Doug Kramer Jr. is also considered questionable for Thursday. Chicago’s offensive front is extremely weakened and relies on reinforcements to attack.

Seattle’s defensive line is one of the most talented in the league and is getting healthier. Edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu has now played in three straight games to top a group that already touts Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Dre’Mont Jones as primary rushers. In interior defense, defensive tackle Jarran Reed is on the rise, and Leonard Williams is also playing at an All-Pro level. Rookie first-rounder Byron Murphy II has been a steady and consistent contributor.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been sacked a total of 60 times this season, the most in the league, and the running game is averaging 103.2 yards per game (25th). Two of the most important metrics that start in the trenches favor the Seahawks.

In 11 games this season, starting running back Kenneth Walker III has only carried the ball 20 or more times twice. His career average is 3.7 yards per carry, due in large part to poor blocking at the top, but also to Walker’s questionable decision-making when chasing blocks.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle’s primary backup, was more effective in the starting role – accumulating 4.3 yards per carry on 106 attempts with his downhill, one-cut rushing style. The Seahawks’ best ground game of the season came in Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals, when Seattle totaled 176 rushing yards as a team and Charbonnet converted 22 carries into 134 yards and two touchdowns.

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

“Some teams are kind of swimming upstream on certain schemes, so they’re set up, both schematically and physically, to stop and defend really well,” Grubb said of his running game approach. “So you have to plan and work through these things, but I think there are components that should be in place every week so that we have to be able to put together and execute these types of plays every week.”

Expectations for a No. 1 overall pick will always be high, and Williams’ rookie season wasn’t exactly stellar. But it would be wrong to say that he had a lot of help beforehand.

With Chicago State’s offensive line, Williams thrived in off-schedule and off-script situations – an area of ​​his game that shined in college and was a big reason he was such a sought-after prospect after graduating from USC.

Seattle’s defense must remain disciplined. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams’ average throw time under pressure of 4.14 seconds ranks second in the league, behind only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (4.31 seconds).

Coming out of the pocket, the Seahawks’ back end will have to cover much longer than they are used to as Williams looks for a target. He made six great throws in those scenarios and scored 12 touchdowns under pressure with just two interceptions.

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

If both teams lose or Seattle wins and the Rams lose, the final game of the regular season will be played for the playoffs. The Rams don’t play until Saturday, so Seattle will have to mind its business and wait.

“Well, I think we all understand the situation we’re in,” Macdonald said. “The focus is on winning this football game. So do what it takes and play our best football. That’s what we’re concentrating on at the moment.”

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