Good morning, Bears fans!
We finally have Bears football tonight after 10 long days.
We get two games in six days … then a 14-day break … then two games in five days … and then another 10-day break to take us into December … which will feature four games in 19 days.
Got all that?
HEADLINES
Khalil Mack trade incoming?
There was still plenty of smoke around this on the Sunday morning shows, and the Chargers are now 0-7 after a loss to the Rams. Eight days until the trade deadline.
Kyle Monangai out for Monday Night Football
The running back will miss his fourth straight game while Malik Muhammad and D’Marco Jackson are listed as questionable. Colston Loveland has been cleared after a neck injury limited him during Friday’s practice.
Campbell’s injury mars Lions-Vikings game
Detroit ended Minnesota’s reign as the league’s last unbeaten team, but the postgame was a somber one. Lions LB Jack Campbell suffered a scary-looking neck injury in the second half and lay motionless on the field. A team update on Sunday night didn’t share any further information other than that Campbell was “resting comfortably.”
GAME INFO
Bears at Seahawks
Tonight, 7:15 PM
Lumen Field
ESPN • Fox 32 • ESPN 1000
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
Seahawks lead all-time series 12-8
Bears +3, O/U 46.5
Postgame on Bears By 7 YouTube
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BEARS BY 7 IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY …
THE BIG ITEM
Three Keys for a Bears Victory
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Tonight’s matchup in Seattle loomed large when the schedule was released in May, and it’s only grown bigger in recent weeks.
First, the Bears recorded a huge win over the Patriots on Thursday Night Football, opening the possibility of consecutive wins over the two teams from last season’s Super Bowl.
Then Ryan Poles pulled off last week’s trade for Jeffery Simmons, a direct answer to the Seahawks’ acquisition of Quenton Nelson. It’s not often that a primetime matchup adds two marquee players less than a week prior.
So, yeah, I’m pretty juiced for tonight’s edition of Monday Night Football and I assume you are, too. It’s going to garner massive ratings and could well have an outsized impact on the playoff picture.
It’d be nice if a postseason rematch took place at Soldier Field, so here are three ways the Bears can try to make that happen.
1. Get To Sam Darnold Early
We’re all eager to see what this defensive line looks like with Simmons, and don’t forget that Montez Sweat returns after a two-game suspension. They’ll be facing an offensive line without starting left tackle Charles Cross (ankle) and still getting used to Nelson’s presence. Darnold was tied for the league lead in interceptions with eight until Justin Herbert threw two on Sunday. The Bears’ secondary has only picked off four passes so far, but it’d go a long way if they can flip the field early and keep the 12th Man quiet from the start.
2. Let Someone Other Than Jaxon Smith-Njigba Beat You
The reigning Offensive Player of the Year is putting together a strong defense of that award with 867 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through just seven games. He’s likely kept Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen up for days, but any recipe for winning in Seattle has to include the near-impossible task of limiting his damage. The Seahawks’ rushing attack is last in the league in EPA (-47.3), but they’re hoping the return of Zach Charbonnet and the arrival of Nelson will fix that.
3. Caleb Has To Be Accurate and Efficient
The Seahawks’ defense is a wagon and might be the toughest test of Caleb’s career to date. Seattle leads the league in EPA as a rush defense, and with Kyle Monangai out again, it’ll be harder for the Bears to win the time-of-possession battle the way they have been. Can Caleb keep drives alive with his arm? The Seahawks force a three-and-out on 41.8 percent of drives, the highest rate in the league. They’ve also only surrendered two passing plays of 30 or more yards, the fewest in the league. To win, the Bears need the surgical Caleb we saw against Atlanta and the one who choked out the Patriots with the long drive in the fourth quarter. He’s more than capable of doing it — the offense scored 59, 31 and 30 points in his three full starts — but it won’t be easy against this defense.
GAME PREDICTIONS
Kevin Kaduk — Bears 24, Seahawks 23
A bit of a homer pick, but 4-3 Seattle has shown it’s not unbeatable, with both the Commanders and Niners winning shootouts — the kind of game the Bears are clearly capable of winning. I think Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson had enough time in the lab to come away with their biggest road win yet.
Ryan Droste — Bears 27, Seahawks 24
This is perhaps the hardest game on the Bears’ schedule this year. If new addition Jeffery Simmons can help the Bears D-line create pressure on Sam Darnold, he’ll throw an interception, which could be the difference in the game.
Kacper Rajwa — Bears 21, Seahawks 14
With a bolstered defense, I believe the Bears will do enough to at least slow down JSN. That being said, the Seahawks defense is still very good, so it will be an entertaining challenge.
THREE STANDOUT STATS
36
Seattle has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 36 straight games, a streak that includes the playoffs.
+159
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s lead over Christian Watson for the most receiving yards in the NFL … and he’s yet to play in Week 8.
55-17
The Bears own the largest point differential in first-quarter scoring, while the Seahawks own the largest point differential for scoring in the second half (105-53).
WORTH YOUR TIME
• Are the Ravens really interested in Tyson Bagent after Lamar Jackson’s latest injury? (Sports Illustrated)
• The Titans defense honored Jeffery Simmons by wearing red sleeves during a 43-36 overtime loss to the Bengals. (USA Today)
• The Wu-Tang Clan is set to headline halftime of the Bears-Lions game on Thanksgiving. (NFL.com)
EXTRA POINT
BEARS BY 7 POLL
Will you watch the Bears holiday Hallmark movie?
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