Thursday night football turned into a Thursday night defeat game this week, as the Chicago Bears won their second preseason game of the show season 27-11 over the Seattle Seahawks. The Bears’ year two quarterback Justin Fields only played one drive, but that’s all Chicago really needs. A streak of 14-0 in the second quarter extended the Bears lead to 17 first-half points, and the deficit was too big for the Seattle Reserve to overcome.
Seahawks quarterback Drew Luke was supposed to start this game on Genu Smith while the two continue their on-site battle, but former Denver Broncos fell with COVID-19 this week, so Smith started back in place.
Smith played the entire first half, completing 10 of 18 passes for 112 yards, and scored both ups and downs. Head coach Pete Carroll said before the game that Smith would play until the third quarter, but the quarterback came out of the locker room after the break, twisted his right knee and Jacob Eason took charge.
Chicago won in all three aspects of the game. The attack was more consistent, the defense sometimes curved, but did not break, and the special teams created many spray plays. Let’s take a look at what happened in Seattle Thursday night.
Jeno Smith doesn’t run away from the QB competition
With Lock sidelined by COVID-19, Smith once again started in the middle. Many had expected this to be the moment the vet would run away with a quarterback competition, but it didn’t.
We’ve seen both the good and the bad from the Seahawks’ attack, and it wasn’t all Smith’s fault. In one first-half run, the Seahawks converted fourth and 2 on the Bears’ 34-yard line to reach the 22-yard line, but the illegal use of a hands penalty nullified play and kicked Seattle out of the goal range. In the next round, Jason Myers missed a 47-yard field goal attempt after the Seahawks earned the first and 10 of the Bears’ 27-yard streak just a few times earlier.
Smith missed two deep passes and also faltered in his escape play for a big loss. He had nice throws that picked up a lot of yardage, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Seahawks edged out 17-0 in the first half, and that the Boers were in Seattle.
Our best guess is that Smith ends up winning the job, but he didn’t exactly that on Thursday night. One fan came prepared for an offensive, lackluster performance.
Justin Fields is fit for a limited job
Fields only played one turn Thursday night, completing 5 of 7 passes for 39 yards. Again, the offensive line didn’t exactly help Fields early on. He’s been under duress in nearly every passing game, but the Bears walked 52 yards down the field in 10 plays to kick a field goal—the first points in the game.
When Fields gets time to throw, he looks good. Check out this 19-yard hook with the end of the Cole Quit Court.
There are two things to note from first drive: The Bears went on to play in nearly every pass game. In addition, five games in possession, the offense faced 4th and 2. Then Fields did a good job of drawing Daryl Taylor’s offside to keep the leadership alive.
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett appear suddenly
ESPN wasn’t expecting to play Seattle’s top two wide receiver, but to the surprise of the broadcast crew and just about everyone else, Metcalfe and Luckett came out on the field for Seattle’s takeover of the game for the first time. However, neither was targeted, and the Seahawks went three times.
Bears flashed bullish WR / PR Velus Jones Jr
Not many see Chicago as having one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL, but keep an eye out for the Tennessee Rookies. Even if Jones Jr. doesn’t have the effect of catching the ball in the first year, he might star as a returnee.
Check out the 48-yard penalty comeback as Jones Jr took down the touchline in the first quarter:
Special bear teams landing
While the bears seemed good at returning boats, the Seahawks weren’t. Seattle screwed up its punt last week, and had another Thursday night that actually cost her seven points!
Seahawks LG Damien Lewis went injured
This is not what you want to see in pre-season. The Seahawks made their starting left keeper Lewis down next to Caleb Johnson early in the second quarter, and the broadcast indicated that his teammates were quick to call the medical staff as soon as the whistle blew. In the Tacoma News Tribune, medical staff placed a pneumatic cast on Lewis’ leg/ankle, and he was removed from the field. But there was good news after the game, according to Pete Carroll, who said an X-ray was negative and Lewis had a sprained ankle.
Lewis started in all 13 games he played for the Seahawks last year.
In the first round, LT Charles Cross suffers a penalty shootout
The Seahawks committed five offensive hits in the first half. Kroos had four of them with three false starts and one holding a penalty. And he took his fifth penalty – another false start – in the third quarter. Playing left-handers – especially when he’s a novice player – is difficult. Cross has all the intangibles to be a left-handed franchisee, but he wouldn’t do that if he was going to paint the yellow clothes a lot.
What’s Next
The Bears are wrapping up pre-season on the road against the Cleveland Browns next Saturday. The Seahawks will also be on the road to take on the Dallas Cowboys, wrapping up the show’s season next Friday.
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