CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears showcased a remarkable defensive effort, marking one of their season’s standout performances on that front. However, it ultimately fell short of securing a win.
“We should have held them to three points or zero at the end of the day,” expressed safety Kevin Byard.
In a Thursday night matchup, the Bears effectively stifled the Seattle Seahawks, restricting quarterback Geno Smith and his team to a mere 265 yards and only two field goals from kicker Jason Myers. Unfortunately for Chicago, their offensive output was significantly lower, totaling just 179 yards in a narrow 6-3 defeat.
With this result, the Bears (4-12) made NFL history by becoming the first team to lose a game while allowing six points or fewer since the Raiders were shut out 3-0 by the Vikings on December 10, 2023. This loss marked a rare occurrence for the franchise, being the fourth instance in the last nine decades that they lost a game while granting such a low score. Their previous similar losses include 6-3 outcomes against Tampa Bay on October 24, 1999, Denver on December 5, 1971, and a 3-0 defeat to the New York Giants on November 17, 1935.
The Bears’ defense was anticipated to play a pivotal role, especially in the wake of selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the top overall draft pick. However, in recent games, the defense had struggled, contributing to a 10-game losing streak following a promising start of 4-2.
Prior to this matchup, Chicago had been conceding an average of 31 points and allowing 422.6 yards of offense across their previous five contests.
“Our defense has a certain standard, and we’ve showed it,” said defensive back Kyler Gordon. “Obviously sinking a little bit; just getting back on the guys to obviously get back right. It’s just important to know what we can do. Just go in there and execute. We did way better today.”
Gordon made a key defensive play late in the third quarter when the Bears were down 6-3, stripping the ball from Pharaoh Brown after a 4-yard reception. Gordon emerged from the pile with the ball and sprinted up the field. He was briefly chased by receiver Tyler Lockett, who turned back in confusion upon realizing what had transpired.
Although initially ruled as a 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown, a review determined that Gordon was down at the Chicago 38-yard line.
“Apparently someone touched my leg,” Gordon commented. “I don’t know. They got to show me a replay before I believe it.”
The Bears managed just one first down before Williams was sacked for a 14-yard loss, causing the drive to stall.
In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks had an opportunity to secure the victory. Smith connected with DK Metcalf for a 23-yard gain to move Seattle to their own 40-yard line. However, Smith’s third-down throw to Zach Charbonnet only gained 2 yards, leading to a punt back to Chicago with about five minutes remaining in the game.
The Bears’ defense notched three sacks against Smith, while Seattle converted only 5 of their 13 third-down attempts.
“I think we played our brand of ball today,” Byard remarked. “Guys flew around. Ky got the turnover. Wanted to get a little bit more, but I think we played hard. We know we’re a resilient group, but I just think that the execution was a lot better.”
