Geno Smith’s stat line — 17-for-23 for 160 yards — looked better than the Seahawks’ overall offensive production Thursday night in Chicago. (AP Photo/Name Y. Huh)
Caleb Williams and Geno Smith are in many different stages of their careers. The crossroads they and their teams will face this season reflects that as well.
But anyone watching Thursday night’s game knows neither team can be satisfied with what they saw from their quarterback. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Chicago Bears 6-3 in an ugly, miserable game between two flawed teams. Each quarterback was having a tough time and everyone was wondering what the future held for both of them. However, only one of those teams has to decide whether their quarterback will return.
No points had been scored in the second half when the Bears finally put together a drive in the final minutes, trailing by three points. Williams made some big plays to keep the drive alive, the first time Williams produced much at all. But the drive stalled and with 20 seconds left the Bears passed on a 57-yard field goal attempt to go for it on fourth-and-10. Williams threw an interception on a desperation pass, the fitting end to a terrible night for both offenses.
For Smith, there will be more discussion about whether he is the right player for the Seahawks (9-7), especially since he turns 35 next season, or if there is a better option available. Thursday night’s performance will not silence his critics.
The Williams conversation will be more complicated. He was the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft; He is in no danger of being replaced. But the Bears (4-12) need to figure out how to bring in a new coaching staff that will get more out of him than we saw in his rookie season, and then get a sense of how much the team has failed Williams this season, or how much Williams the team failed.
The offseason will be full of teams asking themselves serious questions about their current quarterback situation and what they can do to fix it. The Bears and Seahawks have probably already started talking about it. If they haven’t, they should after what everyone saw on Thursday.
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Had that final throw not been intercepted, Caleb Williams would have become only the third QB in NFL history with 10 consecutive games with at least 20 pass attempts and no interceptions (Tom Brady in 2010 and Derek Carr in 2018).
The Bears have lost their tenth straight game, while the Seahawks keep their playoff hopes alive by moving to 9-7. They will need some help this weekend and next weekend.
The Seahawks win their lowest scoring game of the season by running an offense that at one point at least resembled functionality.
Geno Smith: 17 of 23 for 160 yards, three sacks
Caleb Williams: 16 of 28 for 122 yards, one interception, seven sacks
INTERCEPTION: Seahawks seal the game with an arm spike from Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams throws it high after being hit with more direct pressure, but it’s a Seahawk who comes down with it this time. Riq Woolen gets the choice and that is enough for this game.
That also breaks Williams’ interception streak, which may have been the last good thing to say about a rookie season that didn’t go to plan.
Caleb Williams throws to no one on third down and it’s suddenly 4th and 10 with 20 seconds left after a Seattle timeout. The Bears could have gone for a 58-yard field goal to tie the game, but it looks like they’ll turn the offense back.
The Bears used two timeouts within 2:14 of their deficit, and neither was used to stop the clock.
What the hell? The Bears burned their final timeout after some confusion at the line of scrimmage with 31 seconds left. Williams saved them a few times, but this drive was a time management disaster for the Bears.
Once again Caleb Williams takes something out of his helmet. Scrambling again, he throws across his body and Rome finds Odunze for a first down on 3rd and 14. We now have just 40 seconds left.
The next action: Caleb Williams is fired for the seventh time tonight. Luckily we reached the two minute warning.
Wow, it was an adventure getting there, but Caleb Williams makes a great throw under pressure on DJ Moore to get a huge scoop. That was probably his best play of the game.
Wait, now the Bears burn their second timeout of the half to actually go for it on 4th and 5.
And Bears right guard Jake Curhan is called for a false start, leaving him on 4th and 5. So the Bears are punting with 2:14 left. What a train wreck.
Caleb Williams is stopped just short of a first down on a third-down scramble and the Bears look to go for it on 4th-and-inch. They first call a timeout with 2:14 left. This is starting to look like their last real chance of the game.
In case you’re wondering, a score of 6-3 would produce the fewest combined points in a game in Seahawks history. Seattle lost 6-3 in Cleveland in 2011.
The Seahawks got a nice play from DK Metcalf, but the drive still resulted in a punt. Bears ball, at their own 11, with 5:12 left.
CB Josh Jobe is unsure about returning due to a knee injury #Seahawks participation. That’s why S Rayshawn Jenkins was on the field driving in nickel to get the third sack.
The blitz reaches Caleb Williams for the sixth sack of the night for the Seahawks, adding to his NFL-leading total of 66. The Bears punt on 4th and 16 and we only have 8:16 left in this game.
Josh Jobe is indeed being treated for some sort of injury in the blue tent. No announcement in the press box yet. Appears to be left knee/ankle area.
