The Chicago Bears continue their challenging 2026 schedule by facing a 2025 Super Bowl participant for the second consecutive week, this time matching up against the champions, the Seattle Seahawks.
Seahawks Defense and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Offense
The Seattle defense ranks among the top five in nearly every metric, leading the NFL by allowing just 233 total yards per game, meaning the Bears will need a methodical approach to put points on the board. On the other side, the Seahawks’ offense sits around the league average in scoring and total yards, but that statistics hide the impact of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Following the departure of Kenneth Walker to the Kansas City Chiefs, Smith-Njigba has stepped up to lead the NFL in reception yardage with 867 yards—over 200 yards ahead of Ceedee Lamb in second place. This gives Smith-Njigba an average of 124 yards per contest and puts him on pace for over 2,100 yards this season, a milestone that has never been reached.
Bears Defense and the Role of Dillon Thieneman
The Chicago defense has exceeded expectations overall, but struggles against the pass by ranking 18th in the league while giving up 226 passing yards per game. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson has experienced a difficult season so far, frequently conceding chunk plays downfield rather than locking down opposing receivers.
Because cornerbacks like Johnson, Malik Muhammad, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon are unlikely to completely shut down Smith-Njigba, the primary objective for Chicago will be limiting the damage. Rookie defensive back Dillon Thieneman has performed exceptionally well throughout his debut campaign by cleaning up plays on the back end and preventing short gains from turning into touchdowns with open-field tackles.
Smith-Njigba has recorded explosive catches of 82, 45, 38, and 33 yards through the first seven games, often utilizing slot crossing routes to break away after the initial catch. A Chicago victory will depend heavily on Thieneman supporting the cornerback room to curtail those massive gains.
