Bears-Seahawks: Chicago’s Run Game Meets Seattle’s Relentless Pass Rush

Chicago’s ground game faces Seattle’s defining strength

The central question in Monday night’s Bears-Seahawks matchup is whether Chicago can impose its top-ranked rushing attack on a defense that has gone 36 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. That clash could decide how much pressure falls on Caleb Williams—and whether Seattle can keep the Bears from building on their recent run.

Chicago visits Seattle at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday, November 2, 2026. The Bears are 5-2 and have won both games since Williams returned from a hamstring injury. The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks are 4-3, with their latest statement coming in a defensive performance that held Kansas City to three points.

Williams has delivered plenty through the air in his last two outings, throwing for 305 yards against Atlanta and 308 against New England without an interception in either game. Chicago has scored 30 or more points in three of his four starts. But Seattle’s ability to stop the run gives the home side a direct way to test whether the Bears can stay balanced when their preferred ground attack meets resistance.

For Seattle, the assignment is clear: disrupt Chicago before its offense can settle into a rhythm. The Seahawks rank second in pressure rate, while the Bears have allowed 18 sacks this season. That combination makes protection a major part of the matchup. Williams was sacked seven times in the teams’ last meeting, a 6-3 Seattle win in 2024. The history doesn’t guarantee another difficult night, but it gives the Seahawks a clear blueprint to try to repeat.

Seattle’s pressure meets a changed Bears front

Chicago has brought in All-Pro tackle Jeffery Simmons, who is expected to make his debut Monday. The addition addresses a conspicuous weakness: the Bears entered the week last in the NFL in yards per play allowed. How quickly Simmons settles in could matter on both sides of the ball, especially if Seattle’s rush forces Chicago into longer passing situations.

The Seattle defense has been more dependable than its offense. It allows 17.9 points per game, third-best in the league, and just held Kansas City to three. Its pressure has the potential to unsettle Williams, but the Seahawks have a protection issue of their own: left tackle Charles Cross is out. That absence could give Chicago opportunities to disrupt Sam Darnold and keep the game from turning into a one-sided contest of Seattle’s defense against the Bears’ offense.

Darnold has thrown eight interceptions, a vulnerability Chicago will want to test. Receiver Rashid Shaheed is also out, leaving Seattle without one of its available targets. If the Bears can generate pressure without sacrificing coverage, they may be able to force Seattle into difficult passing downs. If they can’t, the Seahawks’ defensive front could put Williams under strain before Chicago’s rushing attack has a chance to take over.

Recent form sets up a tight contest

Seattle leads the all-time series 12-8 and won the most recent meeting, but the Bears arrive in better recent form. Chicago has won two in a row since Williams returned, and his back-to-back games above 300 passing yards suggest the offense has more than one route to move the ball. The challenge is keeping that production intact against a defense built to bring pressure and shut down the run.

Seattle’s own results point to a team whose defense can control a game even when its offense doesn’t dominate. Holding Kansas City to three is compelling evidence of that unit’s ceiling. At the same time, Darnold’s eight interceptions and the absences of Cross and Shaheed give Chicago reasons to believe it can make the game uncomfortable for the home team.

The most useful measure may be how often Chicago can keep Williams out of obvious passing situations. Its rushing attack gives the Bears a way to slow the pass rush and help manage the pressure on their quarterback. Seattle’s 36-game run without conceding a 100-yard rusher makes that plan difficult, but Chicago’s recent scoring form suggests the offense can still threaten through the air if the ground game is contained.

This looks like a close matchup between a surging Chicago offense and a Seattle defense that has repeatedly made opponents work for every score. The Seahawks have the proven pass rush and the recent head-to-head result; the Bears have Williams’ production, their league-leading rushing attack and a new tackle expected to debut. The decisive question is whether Chicago can protect its quarterback long enough to keep both parts of its offense involved.