The defense played well for the Chicago Bears, delivering one of their best performances of the season.
But it wasn’t enough.
“I guess we should have held them to three points or zero points at the end of the day,” said safety Kevin Byard.
Byard and the rest of the defense shut down the Seahawks on Thursday night, limiting quarterback Geno Smith and the team to just 265 yards and two field goals from Jason Myers. However, Chicago’s offense only gained 179 yards, leading to a 6-3 loss.
The Bears (4-12) became the first NFL team to lose after allowing only six points or fewer since the Raiders lost 3-0 to the Vikings on Dec. 10, 2023. It was only the fourth time in the last 90 years that the Bears lost while giving up six points or fewer.
The previous instances were a 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Oct. 24, 1999, a 6-3 loss to Denver on Dec. 5, 1971, and a 3-0 loss to the New York Giants on Nov. 17, 1935.
The defense was expected to carry the team, especially after selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the draft. But the defense had been struggling recently, contributing to the team’s 10-game losing streak since a 4-2 start.
In their previous five games, the Bears allowed an average of 31 points and 422.6 yards per game.
“Our defense has a certain standard, and we’ve shown it,” said defensive back Kyler Gordon. “Obviously sinking a little bit; just getting back on the guys to obviously get back right. It’s just important to know what we can do. Just go in there and execute. We did way better today.”
Gordon made a big play with the Bears trailing 6-3 late in the third quarter. He stripped the ball from Pharaoh Brown after a 4-yard reception. Gordon emerged with the ball and ran up the field, briefly chased by Tyler Lockett. Lockett then turned back in confusion.
The play was originally called a 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown, but after review, the officials determined Gordon had been down at the Chicago 38-yard line.
“Apparently someone touched my leg,” Gordon said. “I don’t know. They got to show me a replay before I believe it.”
The Bears gained one first down before quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked for a 14-yard loss, and the drive ended.
Seattle had a chance to finish the game in the fourth quarter. Smith completed a 23-yard pass to DK Metcalf to get the Seahawks to their own 40-yard line. But on third-and-6, Smith’s pass to Zach Charbonnet gained just 2 yards, and Seattle punted the ball back to the Bears with about five minutes left.
The Bears sacked Smith three times, and Seattle converted only 5 of 13 third-down attempts.
“I think we played our brand of ball today,” Byard said. “Guys flew around. Ky got the turnover. Wanted to get a little bit more, but I think we flew around. We played hard. We know we’re a resilient group, but I just think that the execution was a lot better.”
