(670 The Score) The Bears (4-11) will be looking to snap a nine-game losing streak when they host the Seahawks (8-7) on Thursday at Soldier Field, with kickoff set for 7:15 p.m. CT.
Here are three storylines to follow in the matchup.
Pulse check
Bears receiver Keenan Allen, a 12-year NFL veteran, was asked what he wants to show in the stretch run of a lost season.
“You just got to prove it to all 32 teams,” Allen said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. The last name on your back is really what matters. I’m not ever going to quit. Just going to keep going.”
Amid a nine-game losing streak and a really ugly past month, Bears players have seemed resigned to the fate of a disappointing 2024 campaign. There have been too many players who seem checked out, which will be evident on film for talent evaluators around the league to consider.
That starts at Halas Hall, where the Bears must take inventory on whom they should welcome back in 2025. Players who were part of the collective breakdown and aren't part of the solution moving forward should be let go if their contracts allow.
Beyond that, Bears players need to play with a greater sense of pride and purpose in acknowledging what's at stake for them individually. NFL general managers across the league will sour on anyone who gave a poor effort that contributed to a losing culture at Halas Hall.
In the NFL, there’s always plenty to play for.
Caleb back in primetime
The first two primetime games of Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' NFL career haven’t gone well.
Williams threw for a combined 365 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in losses to the Texans and Vikings, who combined to sack him nine times.
The 23-year-old Williams will play his third primetime game Thursday, and it will be his first at Soldier Field. For him, the focus continues to be on improving at the end of his rookie season.
“(Turnovers) are obviously a part of the game, but trying to eliminate those only helps our chances of winning. I say that's one,” Williams said. “Being able to just keep being efficient, the most that I can, and that doesn't just mean when I throw the football. That's with all the alerts, the time, the play clock, making sure cadence and things like that, helping offensive linemen out, whatever the case may be. Alerts, all of that.
“I would say I'm a lot more comfortable with that. Getting up there, being faster with the cadence and things like that. Getting up there, sending the motions of when they need to be snapped or sending the motion and using my cadence with the motion to be able to undress, to be able to figure out what they're in or figure out what they're about to do or have an idea at least. I think through this year and through this time, I think I've gotten more comfortable — actually a lot more comfortable I feel like with those things.”
Williams has thrown for 3,271 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions over 15 starts as a rookie. He has an 89.3 passer rating.
Williams is riding a nine-game interception-less streak, becoming the seventh quarterback in NFL history to accomplish that feat. Tom Brady and Derek Carr share the record of 10. Williams is also the sixth rookie in NFL history to have at least 300 passing yards and multiple touchdowns in four games.
There should be opportunities for Williams against the Seahawks, who are 12th in scoring defense and 17th in total defense.
Take a stand
Prior to the season, the Bears boasted of their goal to have a top-five defense in the NFL. Those aspirations are long gone.
Chicago ranks 13th in scoring defense and 26th in total defense. The Bears have allowed 30 or more points in four of their last five games.
The identity of this Bears defense was lost long ago, and it has been one of the most disappointing aspects of this season. A unit that seemed poised for a breakthrough when the season began has checked out lately.
The Seahawks have a productive passing game led by veteran quarterback Geno Smith, who has thrown for 3,937 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 93 receptions for 1,089 yards and six scores. Meanwhile, Seattle’s running game has been among the worst in the league, and the health status of running backs Kenneth Walker (ankle) and Zach Charbonnet (elbow) are in question for Thursday.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on X @CEmma670.