Ahead of Monday night, Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson highlighted how the Seahawks’ defensive pressure and coverage matchups could shape the game.
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Ahead of Monday night’s Bears-Seahawks matchup, the Bears coach Ben Johnson said he “still finds a way to impact the game” even when his cornerbacks are not around the ball as often as they were in the slot.
The preview noted that Pro Football Focus gives Bears cornerback Devon Witherspoon the 10th-best coverage grade among NFL cornerbacks who have played at least half of their team’s snaps. It also said safety Julian Love is second among safeties.
Love has played for the Giants after attending Notre Dame, and the preview said he recorded his first career interception in 2019 off Mitch Trubisky at Soldier Field. It added that Love also picked off Drake Maye in Super Bowl LX.
On the Seahawks’ side, the preview said Seattle’s defence features edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy, with all three ranking in the top 20 at their positions in pass-rush win rate.
The preview said the Seahawks rank second in the NFL in “havoc rate,” a measure of how often a defence produces outcomes including sacks, pressures, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, interceptions and pass breakups.
It also reported that since the Seahawks gave up 31 points to the Commanders in Week 3, they have allowed 18 points per game, including only three points against the Chiefs last week.
When the Seahawks have the ball, the preview said both teams made major trades this week, and that Monday night’s matchup is the same way they played on Oct. 18, when guard Quenton Nelson was with the Colts and Jeffery Simmons was with the Titans.
The preview said the Seahawks traded a third-round pick for Nelson, who has made a Pro Bowl in all eight of his seasons. It reported that Seattle had struggled earlier, allowing a combined 10 sacks and 26 quarterback hits in back-to-back losses to the 49ers and Broncos, but that against Kansas City it allowed no sacks and two hits on Sam Darnold.
It said Darnold posted a passer rating of 96.9 against the Chiefs after throwing for ratings of 64.6 and 52.6 in the prior two weeks.
The preview added that after the Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker signed with the Chiefs in March, Seattle has had difficulty producing at running back. It reported that entering Week 8, only eight teams averaged fewer yards per carry than the Seahawks’ 3.9.
It said veteran Zach Charbonnet will make his season debut Monday after tearing his knee last year, and that first-round Jadarian Price has not played since Week 4 because of a chest injury. The preview said Price is not listed with an injury designation, but Seattle needs to activate him off injured reserve Monday afternoon for him to play.
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