Chicago Bears' defense provides some reasons for hope
SEATTLE - Despite the lopsided score, it wasn't all bad - at least for the Bears' defense - in the 26-0 loss to the Seahawks.
The pass rush, which did not have a sack in the first two games, got 2 in the first quarter from defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins and 2 more in the third quarter from linebacker Pernell McPhee.
"A lot had been made of us not having a sack in two games," coach John Fox said. "Russell (Wilson) is not an easy guy to sack. I think we're making headway. I think we made headway in some phases of our defense. But we still have a long way to go."
Wilson still completed 20 of 35 passes for 235 yards and a 101.4 passer rating, but Jenkins and McPhee both had outstanding games. Press box statistics credited Jenkins with 10 tackles, tying him with safety Antrel Rolle for team honors. McPhee had 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 4 quarterback hits.
But after holding the Seahawks to 125 yards in the first half, the Bears surrendered 256 yards after halftime.
"That first half we came out and played excellent ball," Jenkins said. "We've just got to finish the second half, like we did the first half, and that's just what we didn't do. We've got to learn how to finish in order to have a chance."
Turning the tide:
Tyler Lockett's 105-yard kickoff return created a momentum swing for the Seahawks after a closely played first half.
"Any time you give up a kickoff for a touchdown, it's going to change the momentum," kicker Robbie Gould said. "We have to go back to work and spend a little more time emphasizing kickoff coverage. We need to pay attention to the little details, and the big part for us is we can't let it happen."
That score made it tougher for the Bears' offense to continue its ultraconservative game plan.
"It was tough, obviously, down (just) 6-0 coming into the second half and then having that return," quarterback Jimmy Clausen said. "But that's not an excuse to not move the ball and not get into the red zone and give us an opportunity to kick a field goal or score."
Running on empty:
After rushing for 87 yards on 21 carries in the first half, the Bears added just 11 yards on 6 second-half attempts.
"We wanted to utilize Matt (Forte) a lot," guard Matt Slauson said. "We felt like we could get physical on them up front, and we did a good job with it, in the beginning.
"But we couldn't finish drives. That was the biggest problem. We would put together a nice drive on the ground. We'd be really pounding it, and then we would stall."
Dealing with it:
The attendance of 69,002 set a record for CenturyLink Field, which added two small seating areas since last year, but the Bears handled the noise fairly well in the arena that has caused 137 false starts since 2005, most in the NFL.
"Any team coming in here is behind the 8-ball," said Bears right tackle Kyle Long. "I don't care who you are. If you shoot yourself in the foot - I had the false start early - that puts us in a bad position.
"That puts my teammates in a bad position, and our chance of success goes down exponentially."
The Bears, who had 14 penalties for a franchise-record-tying 170 yards a week earlier, were flagged six times against the Seahawks for 40 yards.
Injury update:
Starting offensive left tackle Jermon Bushrod was evaluated for a concussion in the third quarter and did not return. He was replaced by Charles Leno.
Defensive lineman Will Sutton, who started at nose tackle, left the game with a biceps injury late in the first half and did not return. Rookie Eddie Goldman got increased playing time as a result.
Sitting it out:
Inactives Sunday were quarterback Jay Cutler (hamstring), wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (hamstring), linebackers Willie Young and Jon Bostic (ankle), center Hroniss Grasu, offensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje and defensive lineman Brandon Dunn.