Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider acquired All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson last week, forcing Grey Zabel to shift to right guard. The maneuvering, Schneider admitted, would take time to gel. This proved painfully true in a 34-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, the team's most lopsided defeat since December 2024. The defeat dropped the defending Super Bowl champions to 4-4, placing them 2.5 games behind the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West standings. Most concerning was quarterback Sam Darnold's continued struggles under pressure. He was pressured on 14 of 39 dropbacks and completed just one of 11 attempts for 13 yards and an interception while under duress. A week after not taking a sack in a win over Kansas City, Chicago dropped Darnold three times with six QB hits. A messy offensive effort stemmed from a reconfiguration featuring backup Josh Jones at left tackle facing a Bears front that added All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and re-signed Montez Sweat. Running backs Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price combined for only 52 rushing yards on 16 attempts (3.25 yards per carry). Coach Mike Macdonald called sacks a team stat, cautioning against blaming the line whenever a QB gets hit. Zabel, a second-year player, conceded he could have played better after giving up the first sack to Jeffery Simmons. Darnold's tendency to hold the ball longer -- 2.89 seconds against Chicago -- also contributed to the struggles.
The Seahawks now turn focus to corrections, with Macdonald insisting mistakes should be fewer week to week. Darnold, who now has nine interceptions this season -- tied for second most in the NFL despite playing just six full games -- emphasized the need to get the ball out quicker and be more decisive.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing