Bears suffer demoralizing loss to Seahawks

SEATTLE — The Bears had a nice game plan for competing with the Seahawks on Sunday, but without the benefit of an offense, even their best-laid plans couldn't prevent a 26-0 defeat.

The loss left the Bears at 0-3 for the first time since 2003, while the Seahawks improved to 1-2 by winning their home opener. It was the first time the Bears have been shut out since 2002, with the immortal Henry Burris under center.

Against the Seahawks, the Bears' “offense” had 10 possessions, and all 10 ended in Pat O'Donnell punts.

“Yeah, that's not good, obviously,” said quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who started in place of injured Jay Cutler. “We needed to get the ball down in the red zone to try to give us an opportunity to kick a field goal or score, but it just didn't happen.”

The red zone was only a rumor to the Bears' offense, which never moved past the Seahawks' 45-yard line and ran just two plays from Seattle territory. The offense managed just 146 total yards, including only 48 through the air.

The offensive ineptitude brought back memories of some of the worst performances in recent history. The 17-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 17, 2000, with Cade McNown at the controls, comes to mind because the Bears failed to cross midfield in that game and had 104 yards of total offense.

Clausen was more proficient than McNown, who completed just 9 of 29 passes in that late-season fiasco. But Clausen rarely challenged Seattle through the air, especially deep. He threw just 17 times and completed 9 for 63 yards while being sacked twice for minus-15.

“It was tough (to throw),” Clausen said. “Our focus was to run the ball against these guys. They're a great defense and have a great pass rush. We wanted to run the ball, and that's what we were trying to do.”

It worked for a while, as Matt Forte ran 15 times for 64 yards and the Bears trailed only 6-0 at halftime, as the defense permitted Seattle just 125 yards of total offense.

“I thought our defense hung in there,” coach John Fox said. “We fought hard in the first half.”

But Tyler Lockett returned the second-half kickoff a franchise-record 105 yards for a touchdown, putting the Seahawks up 13-0 en route to the lopsided victory.

It was the second 100-plus-yard kickoff return the Bears have allowed in as many weeks.

“I don't know how far it was,” Fox said of the turning point kick-return TD, “but I know the guy wasn't touched. The ball was put where it needed to be. We will look at it on the plane on the way home. It wasn't really a good way to start the second half. (And) then we just couldn't generate anything.”

With the Seahawks focusing more on Forte, he managed just 10 yards on 5 second-half carries, and there was nothing else in the Bears' depleted arsenal that was a threat to Seattle's smothering defense.

The Bears have gone six consecutive quarters without a touchdown with Clausen at quarterback and without Pro Bowl wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury.

Without Cutler and Jeffery, the Bears lack any big-play ability, and that was evident against the Seahawks. Because they could never sustain a lengthy drive, the Bears ran just 46 plays and none of them could be categorized as “big.” Clausen's 21-yard pass to tight end Zach Miller in the third quarter was the Bears' only gain of more than 12 yards.

“Our job is to score touchdowns,” said Forte, who finished with 74 yards on 20 carries, “so six quarters without one, obviously the frustration is going to build. We're 0-3, but is this an 0-3 team? I don't think so.

“We haven't proved a lot, but we've still got a long way to go. I'm not really concerned about what our record is right now. We're going to have to look at the film and figure it out and, like coach always says, ‘We'll get somebody in who does want to (play hard).'

“We've just got to see who wants to really get to the nitty-gritty and grind these games out and pick up some wins.”

Forte wasn't the only one feeling exasperated.

“It was frustrating,” Fox said. “It's something we have to look at. We'll see where we are health-wise next week as we move forward.”

If Sunday is any indication, the Bears won't be moving forward very far.

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