alyssa barbieri, brendan sugrue, lucas hunt, vincent parise and mike pendleton, bears wire
The Chicago Bears (4-11) will battle the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) in prime time at Soldier Field in Week 17, where Chicago is looking to snap a nine-game losing streak.
The Bears are coming off a 34-17 loss to the Detroit Lions, where Chicago strung together another uninspired performance where they were outcoached, outplayed and continued to make the self-inflicted mistakes that have defined their 2024 season. The Bears offense strung together four miserable drives to start the game before Caleb Williams and co. finally found a rhythm with back-to-back touchdown drives in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the defense was abysmal, including allowing an 82-yard touchdown, allowing 30-plus points in their third straight game.
Heading into this Week 17 matchup, the Bears are looking to end their nine-game losing skid in Brown's fourth game as interim head coach. Can Chicago finally get a win since the bye week -- and in their home finale? Our Bears Wire staff share their game picks for Thursday night's matchup.
The last time these two teams met was the day after Christmas back in 2021, which interestingly enough spelled a win for the Bears in snowy Seattle before Matt Nagy was fired just a couple weeks later. While Matt Eberflus was let go a month ago, it's a very similar position for the Bears, who are gearing up for an important offseason. Before this season, this was a prime-time game I had circled as the most-likely win for Chicago. But things have changed since that fateful Hail Mary that cursed the season, and it's hard to imagine the Bears getting another win this season.
Seattle has allowed 28.5 points per game in the past two games, while averaging 18.5 points per game. Meanwhile, the Bears, riding a nine-game losing streak, have lost three straight games where they've been outscored by 17 or more points in all instances. Chicago has averaged just 14 points per game and allowed an average 34 points per game in that span. While the Seahawks are riding a two-game losing streak, this is a get-right game for them with a playoff spot still on the line in a race for the NFC West.
Well, it's the day after Christmas. If you're like me, it's a day where you kind of coast without a set plan. Maybe you're moving slower than usual while still full of holiday cookies. Or you're working to find the right places for your new gifts. Whatever you're doing, chances are it's not the most productive day of the year, which makes tonight's Bears game fit in perfectly with the holiday spirit.
This Bears team is sluggish, and their game plans are atrocious. I don't expect that to change over these final two games, especially with this one coming on a short week. This team still cannot sustain drives in the first quarter, and their defense continues to get carved up in both the run and pass game. Why would anything change?
The Seahawks are by no means world-beaters. After their four-game winning streak, they've fallen back to earth against the Packers and Vikings and are on the verge of missing the postseason for the second year in a row. Geno Smith is tied for second in the league with 15 interceptions and hasn't even won on a Thursday during his career (0-7). The Bears are the perfect elixir for both him and the team, though. Anyone can get right against them.
I tried to believe that Chicago had one more win in them. Even if it was a fluke. Seeing how the interim coaching staff is operating while the players are seemingly only in it for themselves has destroyed that belief. We're going to see a dreadful TNF finale that features the Seahawks going up early, followed by brief moments of brilliance from Caleb Williams when the game starts to get out of reach. That's about all we can look forward to at this point.
If you choose to watch this game, I hope you can at least fill yourself with holiday leftovers and cookies to ease the pain.
The Bears' performance over the last few games have made it clear that the team has already mentally clocked out on the season, much to the disappointment of their loyal fanbase. They haven't won since early October, and their fortunes likely won't turn for the better tomorrow night. The Seahawks aren't necessarily the juggernaut that the Lions or Packers are, but they're a lethally efficient unit that's built for the playoffs. In a battle between a team ready to stay competitive in the postseason and a team that's utterly rudderless and leaderless, it's clear who I'm taking. Seattle gets a comfortable win over Chicago this week and extends their losing streak to 10.
The Chicago Bears haven't come within a touchdown against either of their three opponents since Thomas Brown took over as head coach. That is not going to change this week against the Seattle Seahawks who are desperate. Caleb Williams is capable of having a good day and he just might. However, it is likely not going to be enough to get the Bears enough points to win the game. Seeing Williams continue his development, at the end of the day, is the most important thing at this point of the season. If the Bears get a good game out of Williams but still lose, that's a win. It just won't be nice to see the losing streak reach 10 games but that is the reality that they are facing.
It's going to happen Thursday night or the Bears won't win another game this season. There's only two games left and this feels like the one that is most winnable. Seattle is coming in a bit more banged up and they're fighting for a playoff spot, so it won't be easy. Playing at home could do the Bears some favors with unfavorable weather on the horizon, but if the crowd is non-existent then playing at Soldier Field won't help at all.
Even if a victory can be had for the Bears, it's going be tough and it's more than likely going to be wild. I believe this could be another great game for Caleb Williams, but there won't be anything meaningful if they don't play well in the first half. Getting off to a better start for the offense is crucial for this team and while it's all likely going to be a brand new staff coming into next season, but it's still important to close the season on a good note.