Seattle Seahawks defense to be tested by Chicago Bears
Monday Night Football
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Now it's Chicago's turn to face Seattle's "Dark Side."
The Seahawks defense shut down the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs for a 20-3 victory last weekend. Tonight, the team's confident defense faces another challenge in the Chicago Bears, led by quarterback Caleb Williams and the NFL's top rushing offense.
"We can play. We go out there and our goal is to shut you down. We can shut the lights out," Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said.
Williams has thrown for 300-plus yards in back-to-back games in his return from a hamstring injury. He threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots.
The Seahawks had no trouble with Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw for just 165 yards and an interception. It was the first time the Chiefs failed to score a touchdown in Mahomes' time with the team.
Overall, the Chiefs managed just 213 yards and former Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III gained a season-low 36 yards rushing on 14 carries. It was the third game this season that the Seahawks held an opponent to less than 225 total yards.
"This is us. This is the 'Dark Side.' This is what we do," defensive tackle Byron Murphy II said.
Seattle's defense, a big reason for the team's success last season when the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, leads the NFL this year in allowing 233.9 yards per game.
The group also ranks atop the league in allowing just 144.4 yards passing per game, and opponents are averaging just 17.9 points, fourth-best in the league.
While there have been questions about Seattle's offensive production, especially given the Seahawks had lost two straight going into the game against the Chiefs, the defense has been steady, for the most part.
"You're always honing in on what you do and how you do it throughout the year, on what your team's calling card and identity is going to be, and I think that is the process that we are going through," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said.
Chicago bolstered its own defense by acquiring Jeffery Simmons in a trade with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday. The All-Pro defensive tackle could make his Bears debut against the Seahawks.