The Seattle Seahawks lost to the Chicago Bears 34-17 on Monday Night Football, their worst scoreline in nearly two years. They hadn’t lost by more than four points since Dec. 15, 2024. The Seahawks lost in every phase while Bears fans took over Lumen Field. As Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said in his postgame press conference:
“There’s no other way to sugarcoat it. When you look at the things it takes to win in our league, we didn’t do those things, and they did.”
No honorable mentions. We’ll discuss more individual performances as we evaluate the film this week.
Without further ado, here are your Studs and Duds for Week 8.
STUDS
Nehemiah Pritchett
Here’s how you give a Stud in a crushing loss. Fourth-year cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett has shown as much improvement
as any player this season through eight weeks. He only played 14 of a total 71 defensive snaps in this game, but made a clutch pass breakup and recorded two tackles. He could earn his way into more snaps going forward, especially since he could allow Devon Witherspoon to shift inside. That’d give the defense more speed rushing the quarterback in the backfield, enable safety Nick Emmanwori to do the same from his current outside linebacker-esque alignment, and solidify their plan against slot receivers, in-breaking routes, and elite arm talent — all of which Bears quarterback Caleb Williams exposed in Week 8.
Jarran Reed
Another defensive player who stepped up when his name was called. When All-Pro defensive tackle Leonard Williams caught a “stinger” (as Macdonald called it after the game), 11th-year defensive tackle Jarran Reed stepped in and played nearly half the game. In 33 snaps, he collected seven total tackles, including four solo and two tackles for loss. He dealt with the Bears’ elite interior offensive line (left guard Joe Thuney, center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Jonah Jackson) as admirably as anyone could. When you do your job at a level that helps the defense cope with losing a player of Leonard Williams’ caliber, that in and of itself makes you a stud. However, his impact was also a vital reason the Seahawks’ Dark Side defense extended their streak of games without allowing a 100-yard rusher to 37 after Bears running back D’Andre Swift rushed for just 69 yards on 27 carries.
Irv Charles
Seahawks wide receiver and special teamer Irv Charles was as close to making an impact play as one could get without capitalizing in this game. He was always one of the first or most vicious pursuers or tacklers on punts and kicks. He leveraged his massive frame to physically impose his will against a team with good technique. He also had a myriad of “almost” great plays for the Seahawks. He blocked a punt, although it unfortunately bounced so far that Seattle didn’t gain the field position they should’ve. On a night where all three phases looked as out of sorts as they have in years, that was an opportunity he took advantage of and could be a sign of more dominance to come. Charles did commit a selfish unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that hampered a nice kickoff return from running back George Holani, and deserves the criticism he will get there — but his aggression was necessary between the whistles, and he wasn’t far from being the hero because of it.
DUDS
Brian Fleury
There’s been less and less to latch onto with each of the Seahawks’ four losses under Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. The rushing and passing attacks are both statistically poor, other than the occasional highlight-reel play by wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The tape is even more damning. The offensive line has struggled mightily in three of the last four weeks. The running back rotation’s technique and effort are there, but the run game can’t get going — even with extra blockers. The passing attack is the most worrying aspect, though. It’s a one-man show with Smith-Njigba to the point that quarterback Sam Darnold had just two passing yards to other targets in the first half. The route concepts are entirely different from those of 2025, when Fleury’s predecessor Klint Kubiak would consistently stretch defenses horizontally with every receiving option on the menu. Fleury’s routes don’t attack the middle of the field enough. He also put far too much pressure on Darnold to read the field in Week 8, after a near-perfect adjustment in Week 7 had him releasing the ball as quickly as he ever has. The planning and execution just don’t look the way a modern offense should in 2026. The Shanahan principles that are present, like increased fullback usage and prioritizing that position in the operation’s shifts and motions, look like they are built for the San Francisco 49ers personnel, not the Seahawks. It needs to move into the future and fit the team.
Seahawks’ Tackling
This was surprising to watch. The Seahawks defense, vaunted as the best in the league, had a poor night of tackling all-around. The Bears managed to use their usual game-winning violence against them. As the Seahawks flew around the field, the Bears offensive weapons stayed patient and made subtle cuts to escape several ankle-bite tackles that would usually work. The Bears defense shows a different way of playing — not nearly as aggressive, but taking good angles to leverage, prioritizing contain, and trusting it to force ballcarriers back toward fellow defenders — which shows the other end of the spectrum succeeding, too. Credit is due to Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who creatively envisioned attacking the technique of Seattle’s defense rather than trying to pick apart their alignments and assignments. The Dark Side defense will have an opportunity to respond by polishing this next week.
Nick Emmanwori
After looking like a perennial All-Pro in Week 7, second-year safety Nick Emmanwori failed to impact the game with the same athletic tools he took it over with the week before. Johnson consistently ran it away from Emmanwori to begin the game, rendering the defender unsure of what his best options were. He wasn’t flying around, and that’s just how the Bears wanted it. Then, they started attacking his hip mobility, which struggles in tight areas. That’s exactly how wide receiver Luther Burden III caught his touchdown for them. Emmanwori also had a costly unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth quarter that extended another Bears drive. They ended up scoring three plays later. His tackling and angles were also poor at times. The Bears figured out a plan to neutralize and attack Emmanwori. He’ll still be able to make plays no one else in the NFL can, but there will always be a counter — especially when facing great teams.
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This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks Studs and Duds in brutal 34-17 loss to Bears on MNF
