Seahawks defense limits scoring output

The Seattle Seahawks have allowed 18 points per game since their Week 3 loss. That figure follows a 31-point defeat to the Washington Commanders. The team held the Kansas City Chiefs to just three points last week. This defensive surge has moved the Seahawks into second place in the NFL for havoc rate. That metric tracks sacks, pressures, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and interceptions.

Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears head coach, identified Devon Witherspoon as a key factor. Johnson watched film of Witherspoon at the University of Illinois before the cornerback became the second-highest-paid in the league. The coach noted that Witherspoon still impacts games despite playing outside cornerback rather than in the slot. Pro Football Focus rates Witherspoon 10th among NFL cornerbacks who played at least half their team's snaps.

Safety Julian Love ranks second among safeties in coverage. Love is a Chicago-area native who won the Sun-Times Football Player of the Year Award in 2015 at Nazareth Academy. He played at Notre Dame before joining the New York Giants. Love recorded his first interception in 2019 at Soldier Field and picked off Drake Maye in Super Bowl LX.

The Seahawks defensive line features DeMarcus Lawrence, Leonard Williams, and Byron Murphy. Each player ranks in the top 20 for pass-rush win rate at their position. The team improved its offensive line by trading a third-round pick for guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson has made the Pro Bowl in all eight of his seasons.

Seattle acquired Nelson after surrendering 10 sacks and 26 quarterback hits in back-to-back losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. Against Kansas City, the Seahawks allowed no sacks and only two hits. Quarterback Sam Darnold posted a 96.9 passer rating in that game. His rating had been 64.6 and 52.6 in the two prior weeks.

The Seahawks face a thin running back room. They allowed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to sign with the Chiefs in March. Entering Week 8, only eight teams averaged fewer than 3.9 yards per carry. Zach Charbonnet makes his season debut after tearing his knee last year. First-round pick Jadarian Price has not played since Week 4 due to a chest injury. Seattle must activate Price off injured reserve on Monday afternoon for him to play.

The Bears and Seahawks met on Oct. 18, a week before the blockbuster trades occurred. At that time, Nelson played for the Indianapolis Colts and Jeffery Simmons played for the Tennessee Titans. Nelson joked that he cannot find a way to get away from Simmons, who has been in the same division as the Bears since 2019.