After a poor second half versus the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears defense should get back to their dominating ways against the Seahawks in Week 2.
The Chicago Bears defense got off to such a great start early on in Week 1 versus the Green Bay Packers, but they couldn’t keep the good times rolling throughout the second half. However, the Bears Week 2 opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, should allow the defense to get back on track.
There’s really no excuse for the Bears defense to not play well against Seattle. First off, the Seahawks offensive line is a complete mess and allowed six sacks in the season opener versus the Denver Broncos. Von Miller had three sacks of his own — so Khalil Mack, Leonard Floyd, Akiem Hicks and Co. should be licking their chops.
Additionally, the Seahawks have no real running game. Starter Chris Carson is just a placeholder until rookie first-round pick Rashaad Penny is ready. However, Penny is still learning how to play in the NFL and doesn’t seem to have the confidence of the Seattle coaching staff yet. Meanwhile, Carson runs hard, but isn’t a real threat to any defense.
Doug Baldwin, Seattle’s top wide receiver, has an injured knee and won’t play on Monday night. That means that the Seahawks have to rely on Tyler Lockett (who can fly) and former Bear Brandon Marshall. Lockett can beat you deep, so the Bears must contain him, but Marshall is nothing more than a possession receiver at this stage of his career.
The lack of star receiving options and poor offensive line play limits the potential of quarterback Russell Wilson. Sure, Wilson can still improvise with the best of them and make something out of nothing, but with no real other offensive threats, the Bears should be able to contain him. Using a spy on third down (i.e. Roquan Smith) wouldn’t be such a bad idea for Chicago.
All of this adds up to an easy opponent for the Bears defense. As long as the Bears offense doesn’t turn the ball over and the special teams helps control the field position, the Bears should have no trouble keeping Seattle’s scoring at bay. The Bears should win this game, and if they do, it will likely be on the back of the defense.