Seahawks fall to Bears 34-17, with Mike Macdonald saying Seattle was beaten in all three phases

The Story

The Seattle Seahawks fell 34-17 to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, and coach Mike Macdonald said the team was beaten in all three phases in the defeat. Seattle’s record dropped to 4-4 following the loss at Lumen Field on Nov. 2, 2026.

Macdonald acknowledged critical moments in a game that featured a 39-yard screen pass on third-and-9 midway through the third quarter when the Seahawks had appeared to stop the Bears on third-and-4 before a delay flag negated a tackle for loss. Still, he said the result was clear: “Tip of the cap to the Bears, they won the game, they won it fair and square, and they won it in all three phases.” He added that Seattle “got beat” and that the team would address what it needs to do to win. Macdonald said Seattle has a short week, describing it as the first of “four or five” throughout the season, and told the team to focus on getting bodies back and preparing for the next game on Wednesday.

The Seahawks’ offense struggled in key situations, going 1-for-11 on third down and converting 1-for-4 in the red zone, and a late turnover set up a Bears touchdown. On defense, Seattle allowed 363 yards and 22 first downs, both season-highs for opponents, while the Bears went 7-for-15 on third down and scored from the red zone on 4-for-4 attempts.

Special teams issues also factored in, with Seattle leaving four points on the field through a missed extra point and a blocked field goal. The Seahawks had a pair of 15-yard penalties that affected field position, and a punt that should have been downed inside the 5-yard line instead became a touchback. “They made it happen, and we didn’t,” Macdonald said, adding that “it’s a team effort” and that the team would “go back to work and go attack the heck out of it.”

Even with the loss, Seattle’s defense produced some positives, including limiting the Bears’ leading rushing attack to 3.6 yards-per-carry. The Seahawks recorded a takeaway and forced three three-and-outs, though they also allowed long touchdown drives and big plays in what the team described as a tough day overall.

Julian Love, one of the Seahawks’ defensive leaders, said the team needs to respond immediately, describing a mindset of playing “clean, efficient, on the same page” and saying, “Kudos to them, for sure, but we’ve got to go to work, man.” Love also framed the team’s reaction to the defeat around staying together and focusing on solutions rather than finger-pointing.

On offense, Jaxon Smith-Njigba led Seattle with 118 yards on six catches, including a 43-yard touchdown. Quarterback Sam Darnold said Seattle’s performance was not where it needed to be, saying “Not our best tonight” and noting the offense “couldn’t get anything going,” despite “a couple of good drives.” Darnold finished with 188 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with one interception on a ball batted at the line of scrimmage.

Cooper Kupp scored a fourth-quarter touchdown that pulled Seattle within one score, and he said the offense would need to review the film. Kupp pointed to “way too many three-and-outs” and “way too many short drives,” and said the team needs to “execute better” and “make the plays that are there for us.”

Despite the 4-4 record and the disappointment of the loss, Love said the Seahawks plan to stay focused on improvement. “4-4 is not a great spot to be, but I’m optimistic that we’re going to get things right,” Love said, adding that Seattle is still “identity-finding mode” and will “go to work” to move forward.