Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks: 5 storylines to watch in Week 17

LAKE FOREST – Two more games. The Chicago Bears have two more contests before the 2024 season wraps up.

In the midst of a nine-game losing streak, the end couldn’t come soon enough for this group. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has played well, but the Bears don’t have much else to hang their hats on.

Interim head coach Thomas Brown’s team will try to snap this skid with a Thursday night matchup against the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field.

The Bears (4-11) will take on the Seahawks (8-7) at 7:15 p.m. Thursday. The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video and locally on Fox 32. Here are the top five storylines to watch in Week 17.

1. Something to play for?

Seattle trails the Los Angeles Rams by one game in the NFC West standings. Winning the division is their only path to the playoffs at this point. The Seahawks need a win Thursday, and they need the Arizona Cardinals to beat the Rams on Saturday. That would set up a pivotal Week 18 matchup between the Seahawks and Rams.

If the Rams beat the Cardinals on Saturday, Sean McVay’s team will clinch the division. So the Seahawks have plenty to play for.

For the Bears, talking about playoff scenarios sounds nice. Bears fans wouldn’t know what that’s like. Their team has been in a death spiral since Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary pass in Week 8.

The Bears did not look or sound like a team that was interested in playing anymore after Sunday’s loss to the Lions. Receiver Keenan Allen, who is an impending free agent, bluntly stated that he’s playing for the name on the back of his jersey – his own name. DJ Moore caught some flak online for talking about vacation plans last week.

2. A strong finish for Williams

Williams' strong season is about the only positive for the Bears this season. The No. 1 overall draft pick has totaled 3,271 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He already has had the sixth-best season by a Bears quarterback in terms of passing yards.

Erik Kramer holds the team record with 3,838 passing yards during the 1995 season. Williams would need back-to-back games with nearly 300 passing yards in order to top Kramer’s 1995 season. It’s possible, but not super likely. Jay Cutler holds the four next-highest passing seasons in team history. Williams needs just 3 more yards to jump into the top five.

Of the top 15 seasons in team history, Williams is the only one with single-digit interceptions. His streak of nine consecutive games without an interception is the longest streak by an NFL rookie since at least 1950, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

If Williams throws one more passing touchdown this season, this will be only the 13th time a Bears quarterback has totaled 20 touchdowns passes in a season.

Left tackle Braxton Jones is out for the season with an ankle injury, so the Bears will have a backup protecting Williams' blind side.

3. Geno’s passing attack

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith once again is racking up the yards. He has 3,937 passing yards this season and looks to be on pace to top his career high of 4,282 from 2022. Smith’s passing yards rank third among NFL QBs behind only Joe Burrow and Jared Goff.

The problem is he’s also turning the ball over. Smith has 17 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions.

The Bears have allowed 200 passing yards or more in six consecutive games. In three of those games, they allowed at least 320 passing yards.

This defense has lost its confidence. The pass rush is ineffective, with just four sacks since firing Matt Eberflus. Montez Sweat, a Pro Bowler last year, hasn’t had a sack in a month and is stuck on 4.5 sacks for the season.

This sets up as another opportunity for Smith and the Seahawks to move the football against a directionless defense.

4. Last home game

Bears fans have their last chance to see their team at Soldier Field. It’s their last chance to let their voices be heard in front of team president Kevin Warren, chairman George McCaskey and general manager Ryan Poles.

It felt notable that Sunday’s game featured home stands full of Lions fans and about 6,000 empty seats. Chants for Jared Goff rang out at one point.

With this game coming on a Thursday night amid the holidays, if Bears fans want something better to do, they can find something better to do. Will anybody show up for this one?

Bears fans are going to take one of two approaches. They’re either going to show up and let their frustrations be heard. Or they’re not going to show up at all.

5. Is there any fight left?

The Bears have shown zero fight in three games since Brown took over as the coach. The Bears haven’t held a lead in a game since Nov. 24 against the Vikings. On Sunday against the Lions, they were down by 20 before they scored a point.

Those slow starts have killed the Bears this season.

“I would say the entire offense is the reason for the slow starts,” Brown said. “So I think it’s not just one position or one person. Unfortunately, at times, guys have taken turns not doing things properly, not being detailed enough.”

The Seahawks' defense is not fearsome. It ranks in the middle of the pack in just about every category. There’s no reason the Bears can’t move the ball against this team. With matchups against each of the NFC North opponents in recent weeks, the Bears have had a string of really good defenses in their way.

Thursday might be a chance to turn a corner. Or it could be another long night for the home fans.