Bears get a spark from Jeffery Simmons in his debut and beat Seahawks 34-17

Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune on Nov 2, 2026

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SEATTLE — The final nail in the coffin was an interception by Chicago Bears defensive tackle James Lynch. Defensive end Austin Booker swatted a pass by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, and Lynch came down with the football for his first career pick.

On a Monday night when the Bears defense stifled the Seahawks for much of the game, a takeaway was the only thing missing. Lynch’s interception changed that — and led to running back D’Andre Swift’s third touchdown.

The Bears won 34-17 on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions, improving to 6-2 on the season.

Ben Johnson’s offense has been one of the league’s best since he took over as Bears coach last year. But the addition of All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in a blockbuster trade last week seemed to signal a new chapter for coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense.

Simmons had a team-high six tackles, one sack, two tackles for a loss and one pass defended in his Bears debut.

The Bears built a lead behind a mostly dominant first half for the defense. The Seahawks punted four times and settled for a field goal in their first five possessions. The Bears defense stopped Seattle on its first five third-down attempts, and the Seahawks finished 1 for 11 on third down.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams led the offense on a 17-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to open the game, capped by a 1-yard pass to Luther Burden III, and the Bears never trailed.

But wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba sparked the Seahawks offense with a 43-yard touchdown reception from Darnold in the final minute of the first half, which pulled Seattle within 13-9 at halftime. Smith-Njigba saw one-on-one coverage against Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson Sr., and he faked out Stevenson with a double move.

In the third quarter, the Bears built a two-possession lead with a 10-play, 69-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 1-yard run from Swift. Seahawks Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leonard Williams had to come off the field because of an injury moments earlier, and the Bears took advantage of his absence on Swift’s 1-yard run. The score put the Bears ahead 20-9.

A potential turning point came when tight end Colston Loveland lost a fumble on the Bears end of the field, giving Seattle a short field to work with. Darnold connected with wide receiver Cooper Kupp for a 7-yard touchdown, and the Seahawks converted a 2-point try to make it 20-17 early in the fourth quarter.

But Williams and the offense answered, boosted by a 39-yard gain from wide receiver Kalif Raymond on third down. That led to Swift’s second touchdown.

Moments later, Lynch intercepted Darnold to all but put the game out of reach.

Williams completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. Rome Odunze led Bears receivers with 87 yards on four catches. Swift finished with 61 yards and the three scores on 27 carries.

The Bears have another prime-time matchup in Week 9 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit Soldier Field for “Sunday Night Football.”

____