Bears Beat Seahawks 34-17 as Jeffery Simmons Dominates His Chicago Debut

The Chicago Bears beat the Seattle Seahawks 34-17 on Monday Night Football at Lumen Field. Jeffery Simmons made his Bears debut four days after the trade with Tennessee, and he was in the backfield from the first series. Caleb Williams threw for 247 yards, D'Andre Swift ran for three touchdowns, and Chicago's defense held the defending champions to 1-of-11 on third down.

Chicago moved to 6-2, its best start through eight games since 2012. Seattle fell to 4-4.

Simmons delivers right away

The Bears sent their 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth to Tennessee for Simmons, and released DE Jamree Kromah to make room (full trade details here). On Seattle's first snap, Simmons helped bring down Zach Charbonnet. On the Seahawks' second drive, he sacked Sam Darnold at the Seattle 14.

He wasn't done. Simmons dropped Charbonnet for a 6-yard loss on a screen in the second quarter, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted he had a sack and two tackles for loss by halftime. He finished tied for the team lead with six tackles (three solo), plus a sack, two TFLs, a QB hit and a fourth-quarter pass breakup on a throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Montez Sweat, his college teammate at Mississippi State, added a sack and three QB hits.

Chicago strikes first

The Bears opened with a 17-play, 80-yard drive that took 8:32. Williams finished it with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden III with 5:25 left in the first quarter.

Jason Myers answered with a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Cairo Santos then hit from 44 and 38 yards, with Williams finding Rome Odunze for gains of 18 and 24 yards on the second drive, for a 13-3 lead.

Seattle struck back with 30 seconds left in the half. After a pass interference penalty on Jaylon Johnson, Darnold hit Smith-Njigba on a double move for a 43-yard touchdown. Myers missed the extra point wide left, and Chicago led 13-9 at the break.

How the Bears pulled away

Odunze caught passes of 23 and 22 yards on Chicago's first scoring drive of the second half, and Swift ran it in from 1 yard out with 5:38 left in the third for a 20-9 lead.

Seattle drove to the Chicago 11, but an offensive pass interference call on Smith-Njigba wiped out a catch at the 1. Austin Booker then blocked Myers' 33-yard field goal try early in the fourth.

The Seahawks got one more push. Mike Morris sacked Williams, and on the next play DeMarcus Lawrence forced and recovered a Colston Loveland fumble at the Chicago 25.

Darnold hit Cooper Kupp for a 7-yard touchdown, then found Tory Horton for two, and it was 20-17 with 11:46 left.

Chicago answered right away. On third down, Kalif Raymond ran 39 yards around the right end to the Seattle 5.

Swift scored from 5 yards out on the next play to make it 27-17. On Seattle's next drive, Booker tipped a Darnold pass over the middle and James Lynch intercepted it, returning it 16 yards to the Seattle 6.

Swift scored his third touchdown, another 5-yarder, with 4:41 left. Seattle's last drive ended on downs when Simmons broke up a fourth-down throw to Smith-Njigba.

The numbers

Williams was 24 of 34 for 247 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions and one sack. Swift ran 27 times for 69 yards and three scores, and Chicago ran for 126 yards in all. Odunze led the Bears with 87 yards on four catches. Burden and Loveland each had seven catches, for 56 and 65 yards.

Darnold was 17 of 34 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, and he was sacked three times, by Simmons, Sweat and Devin Bush. Smith-Njigba had six catches for 118 yards. Jadarian Price, back from IR, led Seattle with 29 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Chicago outgained Seattle 363-252, went 7 of 15 on third down and 4 for 4 in the red zone, and held the ball for 35:03. The Bears were penalized 10 times for 85 yards, and Seattle five times for 43. Ernest Jones IV led Seattle with 13 tackles.

Injuries

Bears DL Grady Jarrett (groin) was listed as doubtful to return, and DT Kentavius Street (knee) as questionable. For Seattle, DT Leonard Williams was listed as questionable to return with a stinger.

The Bears may not be done

Chicago went all in for Simmons, and there are signs it isn't finished. Jordan Schultz reported Monday that the Bears are still looking to make more moves, and Ian Rapoport said on NFL GameDay Morning on Sunday that Chicago may not be done.

Khalil Mack has to be a name to watch. The Chargers are 0-7, Mack has history in Chicago, and another edge rusher across from Sweat, with Simmons in the middle, would make this front even scarier. Nobody has reported talks between the teams, and Jim Harbaugh has said he wants Mack to stay in Los Angeles. The trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET.

What's next

The Bears host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football on Nov. 8 (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). The Seahawks host the Arizona Cardinals that afternoon (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).