Thirteen punts. Zero touchdowns. Just nine total points in what became the NFL’s ugliest game of 2024. Seattle survived Chicago 6-3 on December 26 at Soldier Field, keeping their playoff hopes alive through a defensive struggle that featured more punts than explosive plays. Geno Smith completed 17 of 23 passes for 160 yards without turnovers while Caleb Williams took seven sacks behind Chicago’s crumbling offensive line. Leonard Williams notched two sacks as Seattle’s pass rush dominated all night. Jason Myers’ two field goals delivered the only scoring Seattle needed.
Table of Contents
- Quick Stats Summary
- Game Details
- Quarterback Statistics and Performance
- Running Back and Rushing Statistics
- Complete Receiving Statistics
- Defensive Statistics and Impact Players
- Team Statistics Comparison
- Scoring Summary and Special Teams
- Advanced Efficiency Breakdown
- Game’s Defining Moments
- Historical Context and Season Impact
- Individual Performance Notes
- What This Game Means Going Forward
Quick Stats Summary
Final Score: Seattle Seahawks 6, Chicago Bears 3
Top Passer: Geno Smith (160 yards, 17/23, 0 TD, 0 INT)
Top Rusher: Zach Charbonnet (57 yards, 15 carries)
Leading Receiver: DJ Moore (54 yards, 6 catches)
Sack Leader: Leonard Williams (2 sacks, 4 QB hits)
Game Clincher: Riq Woolen interception with 20 seconds left
Game Details
Soldier Field, Chicago | Attendance: 56,346
Thursday Night Football, Week 17 | December 26, 2024
Weather: 47 degrees, 88% humidity, 5 mph wind on grass surface
Seattle improved to 9-7 and clinched their third consecutive winning season. Chicago fell to 4-12, their 10th straight loss tying the franchise’s longest single-season skid. The game featured no touchdowns, matching the second such occurrence in 2024.
Quarterback Statistics and Performance
| Player | Team | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating | Pressure % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geno Smith | SEA | 17/23 | 160 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 92.7 | 25.0% |
| Caleb Williams | CHI | 16/28 | 122 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 53.0 | 34.2% |
Smith’s 73.9% completion rate kept Seattle’s offense functional despite minimal downfield attempts. His longest completion traveled just 23 yards, but the conservative approach worked in rainy conditions. Taking three sacks for 17 yards, Smith faced pressure on 25% of dropbacks yet never put the ball in danger.
Williams spent the night running for his life. Seven sacks cost Chicago 46 yards, dropping his net passing to just 76 yards. The constant pressure prevented rhythm, forcing rushed throws and poor decisions. His interception on the final play snapped an NFL rookie-record 353 consecutive passes without a pick. According to NFL.com’s game analysis, Williams faced pressure on 34.2% of dropbacks with Chicago’s offensive line offering little protection.
The quarterback statistics reveal two different approaches: Smith playing within the system with quick releases, Williams trying to survive behind a line that gave up 67 sacks through 16 games.
Running Back and Rushing Statistics
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Average | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Charbonnet | SEA | 15 | 57 | 3.8 | 11 | 0 |
| D’Andre Swift | CHI | 12 | 53 | 4.4 | 12 | 0 |
| Kenny McIntosh | SEA | 7 | 46 | 6.6 | 25 | 0 |
| Caleb Williams | CHI | 5 | 37 | 7.4 | 16 | 0 |
| Geno Smith | SEA | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 16 | 0 |
| Roschon Johnson | CHI | 4 | 5 | 1.3 | 3 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | CHI | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 11 | 0 |
Seattle rushed for 122 yards at 4.9 per carry versus Chicago’s 103 at 4.5 per attempt. The Seahawks attacked on the ground early, piling up 91 rushing yards in the first half before Chicago’s defense tightened. McIntosh brought efficiency at 6.6 yards per carry, with his 25-yard burst creating the game’s longest rushing gain. Charbonnet handled the workload with Walker III sidelined by ankle injury.
The rushing numbers show Seattle controlled the early tempo through their ground game with 91 first-half yards, then managed just 31 yards rushing after intermission. Chicago couldn’t establish consistency, with Williams’ scrambling accounting for 37 of their 103 rushing yards.
Complete Receiving Statistics
Seattle Seahawks Receivers
| Player | Targets | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noah Fant | 5 | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 15 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | 3 | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 23 | 0 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 6 | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 19 | 0 |
| Tyler Lockett | 4 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 15 | 0 |
| Zach Charbonnet | 3 | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 11 | 0 |
| Pharaoh Brown | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 |
Chicago Bears Receivers
| Player | Targets | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJ Moore | 8 | 6 | 54 | 9.0 | 18 | 0 |
| Keenan Allen | 8 | 5 | 25 | 5.0 | 16 | 0 |
| D’Andre Swift | 5 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 24 | 0 |
| Rome Odunze | 4 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 15 | 0 |
| Gerald Everett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Fant’s four catches for 43 yards led Seattle’s modest receiving production. Smith distributed targets across five receivers, none catching more than four passes. Metcalf’s 23-yard reception provided the game’s longest completion, but his night included a costly 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty. The veteran shoved Tyrique Stevenson multiple times before delivering a headbutt, drawing flags that nearly derailed a scoring drive. Since 2019, Metcalf has accumulated four unnecessary roughness penalties, more than any offensive player in that span.
Moore provided Chicago’s lone receiving bright spot, catching six of eight targets for 54 yards. Allen saw eight targets but managed just 25 yards, his production stifled by Seattle’s coverage. The receiving statistics show an offensive struggle where neither team created explosive plays downfield.
Defensive Statistics and Impact Players
Seattle Pass Rush and Tackle Leaders
| Player | Sacks | QB Hits | Tackles | TFL | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Williams | 2.0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Witherspoon | 1.0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Uchenna Nwosu | 1.0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jarran Reed | 1.0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Derick Hall | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Coby Bryant | 0.0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ernest Jones | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrice Knight | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Love | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Boye Mafe | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Seattle’s seven sacks came from six different players, overwhelming Chicago’s offensive line from every angle. Williams tallied his fourth multi-sack game of 2024, bringing his season total to nine. Pro Football Reference data shows Williams generated six quarterback pressures on 33 pass rushes despite facing double teams on 18 of those snaps. His ability to beat two blockers consistently disrupted Chicago’s protection schemes all night.
Witherspoon doubled his season tackles for loss total, blowing up plays in the backfield throughout the first half. His seven-yard sack of Swift in the first quarter killed Chicago’s opening drive. Nwosu recorded his first sack of the season after missing most of 2024 with injuries, dropping Williams for 14 yards in the third quarter.
Chicago Defensive Statistics
| Player | Sacks | QB Hits | Tackles | TFL | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montez Sweat | 1.0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Darrell Taylor | 1.0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Byron Cowart | 1.0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Edwards | 0.0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tremaine Edmunds | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kyler Gordon | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jaylon Johnson | 0.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Byard | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Chicago’s defense kept the game close, holding Seattle to just six points and 265 total yards. Three sacks and constant coverage forced Smith into conservative throws. Taylor forced a fumble on Pharaoh Brown in the third quarter, though Gordon’s attempted touchdown return got overturned. The Bears’ defense did everything needed to win except get help from their own offense.
Team Statistics Comparison
| Category | Seahawks | Bears |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 265 | 179 |
| First Downs | 12 | 11 |
| Third Down | 5/13 (38%) | 5/15 (33%) |
| Fourth Down | 0/0 | 1/2 |
| Possession | 29:40 | 30:20 |
| Penalties | 3-25 | 4-23 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Red Zone | 0/1 | 0/1 |
Chicago’s 179 total yards marked their lowest output since Week 7 of 2017 against the Giants. The Seattle Sports breakdown tracked just two Bears drives exceeding 16 yards all game. Both teams converted third downs at similar rates but couldn’t sustain drives long enough to reach scoring position consistently.
The possession time shows Chicago controlled the clock slightly at 30:20, but gained nothing from it. Seattle’s efficiency advantage made the difference: fewer plays, more yards, better field position.
Scoring Summary and Special Teams
| Quarter | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:59 | SEA | Jason Myers 27-yard FG | SEA 3-0 |
| 2 | 2:32 | CHI | Cairo Santos 42-yard FG | 3-3 |
| 2 | 0:21 | SEA | Jason Myers 50-yard FG | SEA 6-3 |
Myers made both field goal attempts from 27 and 50 yards. Santos connected on his lone 42-yarder. Both teams punted 13 times combined as Michael Dickson averaged 48.0 yards on six attempts with a 58-yard long. Tory Taylor punted seven times for a 46.7 average with a 50-yard long. Field position became critical as neither offense could consistently move into scoring range.
Advanced Efficiency Breakdown
Passing Metrics and What They Reveal
| Metric | Smith | Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Completion % | 73.9% | 57.1% |
| Yards/Attempt | 7.0 | 4.4 |
| Air Yards/Att | 3.2 | 7.2 |
| Completed Air Yards | 40 | 14 |
| YAC | 120 | 108 |
| Drops | 0 | 2 |
| Bad Throws | 2 | 6 |
These numbers expose two completely different gameplans. Smith’s 3.2 air yards per attempt shows Seattle wanted the ball out fast, letting receivers create after the catch. His 120 yards after catch from just 40 completed air yards means Seattle’s playmakers did the heavy work. The conservative approach worked: no drops, high completion rate, no turnovers.
Williams attempted deeper throws at 7.2 air yards per attempt but connected on only 14 completed air yards. Chicago needed big plays but couldn’t execute them. His six bad throws versus Smith’s two reflected constant pressure forcing rushed decisions. The drops and incompletions show Chicago’s offense falling apart under Seattle’s defensive pressure.
Ground Attack Efficiency Details
| Metric | SEA RBs | CHI RBs |
|---|---|---|
| Yards Before Contact | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Yards After Contact | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| Broken Tackles | 3 | 0 |
| Runs 10+ Yards | 2 | 2 |
Seattle’s offensive line created better running lanes, giving backs 2.5 yards before contact versus 2.0 for Chicago. The Seahawks’ backs broke three tackles while Chicago’s backs couldn’t break any. These efficiency numbers explain why Seattle committed to the run early while Chicago abandoned it quickly.
Game’s Defining Moments
Seattle’s opening drive set the tone. An 11-play, 71-yard march featured Charbonnet and McIntosh gashing Chicago’s defense for 53 rushing yards. Smith nearly threw it away when he floated a pass right into Tremaine Edmunds’ hands in the red zone. The linebacker dropped an easy interception that would’ve kept Seattle off the board. Instead, Myers salvaged three points with his 27-yard field goal.
Chicago finally responded with a 13-play, 67-yard drive in the second quarter. Williams hit Swift on a screen for 24 yards on third and seven, keeping the drive alive. Two plays later, he found Moore for 18 on third and nine. The drive’s highlight came when Williams scooped a bouncing snap like a shortstop and flipped to Allen for 16 yards. Santos tied it 3-3 with 2:32 left in the half.
Williams fired a 17-yard touchdown pass to Odunze moments later, sending Soldier Field into celebration. Officials flagged Jake Curhan for holding, wiping out Chicago’s only trip to the end zone. Seattle capitalized before halftime when Myers drilled a 50-yarder with 21 seconds left for a 6-3 lead.
The third quarter produced the game’s strangest sequence. Brown caught a short pass and got stripped by Gordon at Chicago’s 38. Players from both teams stopped moving, assuming officials had blown it dead. Gordon kept running and crossed the goal line. Officials signaled touchdown, sending the announced crowd into pandemonium. After review, they ruled Gordon down where he recovered the fumble at the 38. Six points vanished. Chicago went three-and-out when Nwosu’s first sack of the season dropped Williams for 14 yards on third down.
Seattle’s offense stalled repeatedly after intermission, managing just three first downs in the entire second half. Chicago got the ball at their own 11 with 5:12 remaining and Williams showed heart. He converted fourth and five with a 14-yard strike to Moore, then hit Odunze for 15 on third and 14.
Facing fourth and 10 from Seattle’s 40 with 20 seconds left, Williams launched deep for Allen. Woolen leaped and intercepted at the 22, clinching Seattle’s win per the Seahawks official recap. Williams’ turnover-free streak ended at 353 attempts, an NFL rookie record that died on the season’s final meaningful play for Chicago.
Historical Context and Season Impact
Williams’ 67 sacks allowed through 16 games broke Chicago’s franchise record of 66 from 2004. His total ranks fourth in NFL history regardless of experience level, an unprecedented level of punishment for a rookie quarterback. Despite Chicago spending the ninth overall pick on Odunze and trading for veteran Allen, the offensive line’s failures doomed the season.
Seattle’s defense held opponents to 179 yards, their fewest allowed since restricting the Giants to 177 in Week 7, 2017. The 76 net passing yards (including sacks) marked Seattle’s stingiest performance since Week 14, 2018 versus Minnesota (60 yards).
The Seahawks improved to 6-1 on the road under first-year coach Mike Macdonald. At 9-7, Seattle needed Arizona to upset the Rams two days later on Saturday, December 28 to create a winner-take-all Week 18 finale for the NFC West crown.
Chicago’s 10-game skid tied their longest single-season losing streak in franchise history. Fans chanted “Sell the team!” as frustrations boiled over in the fourth quarter. Interim coach Thomas Brown finished 0-4 after replacing the fired Matt Eberflus, unable to stop the bleeding.
Individual Performance Notes
Smith managed the game without spectacular numbers, completing 73.9% of passes for 160 yards. His 16-yard scramble on third and five in the third quarter extended a critical drive when nothing else worked. The veteran absorbed three sacks but protected the football when Chicago blitzed seven times. His efficiency kept Seattle in control throughout.
Williams ran for his life behind Chicago’s turnstile offensive line all night. His mobility produced 37 rushing yards on five carries, but constant pressure prevented any rhythm. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Williams completed just one pass beyond six yards downfield until the final possession. The rookie showed toughness taking hit after hit, but his offensive line gave him no chance.
Leonard Williams dominated from the interior, recording two sacks, three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits despite double teams on more than half his pass rushes. His two sacks gave him nine for the season, one shy of double digits. PFF graded his performance at 81.1, second only to Gordon’s 92.4 among all players. Williams’ consistency throughout 2024 has made him one of the league’s premier interior defenders, with his 15 tackles for loss setting a career high.
Witherspoon’s six tackles and three tackles for loss doubled his previous season total for negative plays. He knifed into the backfield for a seven-yard loss on Swift in the first quarter, shed Allen’s block to drop Moore for three yards on a swing pass, and chased Williams out of bounds for a zero-yard sack on third down. The second-year cornerback showcased the versatility that made him the fifth overall pick in 2023.
Moore caught six of eight targets for 54 yards, providing Chicago’s only consistent offensive production. His 14-yard catch on fourth and five nearly extended the Bears’ final comeback attempt before Woolen’s interception ended it. The veteran receiver remained one of the few Bears who performed throughout the season despite everything collapsing around him.
What This Game Means Going Forward
Ugly wins count in December. Seattle’s 6-3 survival kept playoff dreams alive with one game remaining, but 160 passing yards and zero touchdowns won’t beat the Rams if Los Angeles controls their playoff destiny. The Seahawks’ defense proved elite, holding six of their final eight opponents under 20 points. Whether that’s enough depends on Arizona’s performance against Los Angeles two days later.
Williams took another beating behind Chicago’s crumbling protection, his 67 sacks cementing 2024 as a lost season. The rookie showed flashes of talent with 37 rushing yards and several clutch third-down conversions, but no quarterback succeeds when getting hit on 34% of dropbacks. Chicago’s offseason must prioritize offensive line reconstruction or risk wasting Williams’ development.
For comprehensive statistical analysis across all NFL games, Match vs Player Stats provides detailed player performance data and game breakdowns.
Defense suffocated offense on a cold December night at Soldier Field. Seattle’s pass rush generated seven sacks, Geno Smith avoided mistakes, and Jason Myers’ two field goals proved enough. Caleb Williams absorbed another beating, Chicago’s offense couldn’t score a touchdown for the second straight week, and a 10-game losing streak tied franchise history. The 2024 season’s lowest-scoring game won’t be remembered for offensive fireworks, but Seattle’s defensive dominance and Chicago’s offensive line failures created a Thursday night showcase of complementary football versus systematic collapse.
