Here’s how the Seattle Seahawks grade out in their 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night at Soldier Field:
OFFENSE
Don’t be fooled by Seattle’s 17 points or 276 yards, the Seahawks’ offense was awful Monday. Seattle did absolutely nothing offensively through three quarters, and the only times the Seahawks were able to move the ball at all came after the two times the Bears went ahead 14 points in the fourth quarter and dropped into a prevent defense. The run game was once again a non-factor (74 yards on 22 carries), and quarterback Russell Wilson committed two egregious turnovers in the fourth quarter when the game may have still been within reach — though there’s only so much a quarterback can do when he’s getting sacked six times for the second straight week.
Grade: D-
DEFENSE
Honestly, Seattle’s defense didn’t play that bad. The Seahawks held Chicago under 300 yards total offense, and the defense kept Seattle in the game in the first half courtesy of Shaquill Griffin’s two interceptions. However, allowing a 96-yard touchdown drive on the Bears’ first possession forced the Seahawks to play from behind from the beginning, and Seattle struggled to get off the field as Chicago was 5-for-8 converting third downs in the first half. That said, the defense received no help from the offense.
Grade: B
SPECIAL TEAMS
Seattle’s special teams provided the Seahawks’ only positive offensive moment of the first half as Sebastian Janikowski drilled a 56-yard field goal, the third-longest in franchise history, as time expired. There was also a cute moment when, following a 15-yard penalty on Chicago on an extra point, punter Michael Dickson was summoned to drop-kick the kickoff and ended up pinning the Bears inside the 20. However, we saw some vulnerability in Dickson for the first time as he had one 10-yard shank and also outkicked the coverage a couple times.
Grade: B-
COACHING
To be fair, there’s only so much coaching can do when the players aren’t up to the task. But Monday’s game showed a distinct difference in offensive creativity between Seattle and Chicago, with the Bears using play designs and personnel packages in a way never seen by Seattle. With all the talk of recommitment to the running game, the Seahawks still had a nearly two-to-one ratio in favor of the pass. And Seattle misused its timeouts in the second half, particularly with one from the sideline that mystified Wilson, stunted Seattle’s fourth-quarter momentum and was followed two plays later by a soul-crushing pick-six.
Grade: D
OVERALL
Monday’s game was not a good omen for Seattle. The Seahawks clearly have issues on offense, and at least on this occasion it didn’t appear Seattle had the type of weapons capable of scaring an opposing defense. The Seahawks are off to an 0-2 start, and history isn’t on the side of teams that start with consecutive defeats when it comes to making the playoffs. In 2015 Seattle was that rare team that made the postseason after an 0-2 start, but the Seahawks are going to have to play a lot better if they’re going to buck the trend again.
Grade: D+
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