Jeffery Simmons had a sack and the Chicago Bears beat the Seattle Seahawks 34-17 on Monday night, led by Caleb Williams’s 247-yard, turnover-free passing.
The Story
Jeffery Simmons provided an immediate defensive impact in his first Bears game, helping Chicago earn a 34-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.
Acquired last week from Tennessee for a package that included two first-round picks, Simmons returned to the field with orange sleeves and made plays early. He had a sack on the opening drive, added another tackle for loss and finished with six tackles, three pressures and a pass defensed. Chicago held Seattle to 252 yards and one third-down conversion on 11 tries.
Simmons said he wasn’t focused on the trade when he attacked the field, adding that his attention was on “play after play, just give the team everything I got.”
Caleb Williams powered Chicago’s offense with efficient production against one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses. He committed no turnovers, took one sack and threw for 247 yards while completing 71% of his passes.
Williams’s performance helped set up three short touchdown runs by D’Andre Swift. Chicago built a 20-9 lead in the third quarter after a touchdown drive that ended with a 1-yard Swift run, and the Bears later sealed the game after an interception by Williams.
On Seattle’s side, quarterback Sam Darnold went 17 of 34 for 188 yards and two touchdowns. His interception in the fourth quarter set up Swift’s third touchdown, which made it 34-17 with 4:41 to play.
Seattle’s struggles included running production. Seattle ran for 81 yards, and guard Grey Zabel said the team needed to improve quickly in the run game and do more to take pressure off the quarterback and play-caller.
The Seahawks entered the game with personnel changes on the offensive line and in the backfield, including the return of Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price from injuries, and the recent trade for three-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. Despite those moves, Seattle managed only 81 rushing yards and finished 1 for 11 on third down.
Chicago opened with a 17-play drive that ended with Williams throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden. The Bears added two more field goals in the first half before extending the lead late.
In the fourth quarter, a 33-yard field goal by Jason Myers was blocked in the opening minute. DeMarcus Lawrence then forced a fumble by Colston Loveland on the next possession, leading to Darnold’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp and a 2-point conversion that cut the deficit to 20-17.
The Bears responded with another touchdown drive after Darnold’s interception to put the game away.
Simmons’s opening-drive performance helped offset an extended Seattle absence from losses. The defeat ended a 30-game streak for Seattle, the fourth longest in the Super Bowl era, of not losing by more than four points in the regular season and playoffs.
Chicago also received updates on injuries. Bears defensive linemen Grady Jarrett (groin) and Kenatvius Street (knee) left the game. Seattle defensive lineman Leonard Williams left in the second half with a stinger and did not return.
Looking ahead, the Bears host Tampa Bay on Sunday night, while the Seahawks host Arizona on Sunday.
← More stories