**1\. The offense couldn't find a rhythm.**
After a tough outing in a loss to the Broncos, the Seahawks looked like they found some solutions in last week's win over the Chiefs. On Monday night, however, the Seahawks again struggle to find consistent success on offense. There were some bright moments, including touchdowns by Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, a few flashes from Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet in their returns from injury, but overall, it wasn't what the Seahawks would have liked to get out of their offense.
After a great showing on third down last week, the Seahawks were just 1 for 11 on Monday, frequently facing third-and-long. Sam Darnold, who wasn't sacked last week, was sacked three times and hit hard on several other occasions, and with the Seahawks looking to make a comeback in the fourth quarter down two scored, Darnold had a tipped pass intercepted, giving the Bears the ball in the red zone to set up another touchdown.
The Seahawks also struggled in the red zone again, settling for field goals on two of four red zone possessions, with one of those resulting in a blocked kick. Their final red zone possession ended on a turnover on downs late in the fourth quarter.
**2\. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was great again.**
While the offense as a whole had a hard time getting going, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was one of the few bright spots. Smith-Njigba caught six passes for 118 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown, marking the seventh time in eight games that he has had over 100, and bringing his league-leading receiving total to 985 yards.
**3\. The Bears were the rare team to move the ball somewhat consistently on Seattle's defense.**
For most of this season, teams finding the end zone against the Seahawks have usually done so because they benefited from Seahawks turnovers, or because of penalties that helped extend drives. With a few exceptions, it has been very hard for an offense to just drive down the field on Seattle's defense without a little help.
Caleb Williams and the Bears, however, were able to do that to a level no other team has this season. It wasn't a terrible performance from Seattle's defense, which limited the Bears to a 3.6 yards-per-carry average, had one turnover and three three-and-outs, but it wasn't up to Seattle's high standards. The Bears, who gained 363 yards on the league's top defense, went 7 for 15 on third down, and had touchdown drives of 80, 69 and 56 yards, as well as one off a short field after a turnover. Williams and the offense had their most success on intermediate routes over the middle of the field, gaining big chunks of yardage in a manner few other teams have against Seattle's vaunted defense.
**4\. DeMarcus Lawrence provided a big play when the Seahawks needed it.**
Things were looking a little bleak for the Seahawks early in the fourth quarter when, trailing 20-9, they had a promising drive steal out after a rather debatable offensive pass interference call on Jaxon Smith-Njigba that negated a first-down catch inside the 2-yard line. Unable to overcome that penalty, the Seahawks settle for a field goal attempt, which was blocked. On Chicago's ensuing drive, however, veteran outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence came up with a big play to help keep the Seahawks in it. With the Bears facing third-and-long thanks to a Mike Morris sack, the first of his career, Caleb Williams threw a short pass to tight end Colston Loveland, and Lawrence was able to chase the play down, punch the ball out, then recover the fumble. That gave the Seahawks a short field that they turned into a Cooper Kupp touchdown to make it a one-score game. And while the Seahawks couldn't finish the job from there, it was yet another reminder of how important of a player Lawrence has been to the Seahawks since joining the team as a free agent last year.
**5\. Special teams miscues cost the Seahawks points and yards.**
While the Seahawks' struggles on offense and failure to get enough stops on defense will be the bigger focus coming out of the game, the Seahawks did themselves no favors on special teams as well.
Early in the game, punter Michael Dickson, who was great as usual, hit a beautiful punt that landed softly inside the 10-yard line, where Nehemiah knocked the ball down where it should have been downed inside the 4-yard line, but trying to make a play while running at full speed, Rodney Thomas II slid and accidentally knocked the ball into the end zone for a touchback. With the benefit of that better field position, the Bears marched 80 yards down the field for their first touchdown of the night.
The Seahawks also cost themselves field position on special teams with penalties, including a 15-yarder for a hit out of bounds on a Chicago return in the fourth quarter. And after the Bears used that short field to eventually get a touchdown, the Seahawks got another 15-yarder on the ensuing kick return.
The Seahawks also cost themselves points on special teams, with Jason Myers missing an extra point and with a field goal getting blocked.
The Seahawks also were on the wrong side of a bit of bad luck on special teams when Irv Charles got a hand on a punt, but the partially blocked punt still took a favorable bounce for Chicago and rolled for a 45-yard punt.