If there’s such a thing as a Super Bowl runner-up hangover, then the Seattle Seahawks are definitely experiencing it. Down 0-2 in the standings and with fewer victories than the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Seahawks set their sights on getting that elusive win No. 1 when they play their first home game of the year next Sunday against the visiting Chicago Bears. Like the Seahawks, Chicago will also be gunning to get off the schneid after losing their first two games thus far this season.
For more Week 3 game previews, you can also read our breakdown of Bills vs. Dolphins and Steelers vs. Rams.
[sc:Football ]Chicago Bears vs. Seattle Seahawks Preview
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle
When: Sunday, September 27, 4:25 PM ET
Line: Chicago Bears (+15) at Seattle Seahawks (-15); total: 43.5 – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Chicago Bears
[sc:NFL240banner ]Life with Jay Cutler under center for Chicago isn’t that great to say the least for the Bears. But would it be better without the 32-year-old quarterback? That’s just one of the questions the Bears will have to answer should Cutler be forced to miss any games due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Chicago’s 48-23 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.
For the meantime, the Bears will have to pin their hopes on backup Jimmy Clausen, who passed for 121 yards and an interception on 14 of 23 passing against Arizona. He was also sacked twice and fumbled a possession once. Despite the ton of bad rep Cutler has gotten throughout his tenure with the Bears, the Vanderbilt product is still a much better quarterback when healthy than Clausen is right now.
Hopefully for Clausen, he’ll get help from a healthy Alshon Jeffery next week against the Seahawks. Jeffery missed the Arizona game because of a hurting hamstring, thus leaving Cutler and Clausen without the team’s best target. Jeffrey had 78 receiving yards on five receptions in Week 1’s 31-23 loss to Green Bay.
Matt Forte, meanwhile, wasn’t as explosive against the Cardinals as he was when he poured in 141 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Packers game. Forte registered just 61 rushing yards without a score, a disappointing performance partly caused by an Arizona defense that didn’t respect the Bears’ passing game. Having Jeffrey back in the fold would go a long way in terms of taking away some of Seattle’s focus on Chicago’s backfield.
As of this writing, Chicago is fourth in the NFL with only 187.0 passing yards allowed per game. That said, preventing opponents from catching touchdown passes remains a big problem for the Bears, as they’ve given up seven passing touchdowns so far this season—most in the league.
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Betting on the Seattle Seahawks
For the first time since 2011, the Seahawks have gone 0-2 to open their season. With the defending NFC champs’ backs on the rope early this year, a game in CenturyLink Field appears timely. After all, the Seahawks are 7-0 SU in their last seven home games.
Strong safety Kam Chancellor’s absence has been visibly difficult for Seattle’s defense to cope with. The usually dominant unit is giving up 276.0 passing yards per game thus far this season—a far cry from the 185.6 they’ve allowed in 2014.
Even if Chancellor continues to play hard ball with the Seahawks’ front office, Seattle and what’s left of its secondary should have an easier time dealing with a Jimmy Clausen-led air attack than the one orchestrated by Aaron Rodgers. In Seattle’s 27-17 loss to the Packers in Week 2, Rodgers dissected Seattle’s defense for 234 passing yards and two touchdowns.
On the flipside, Russell Wilson passed for 206 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the loss to Green Bay. Surprisingly, prized offseason acquisition Jimmy Graham was a relative non-factor in Week 2, hauling down just one pass for 11 receiving yards.
Look for Graham to get more looks from Wilson against a Chicago team that does a very bad job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Chicago has yet to record a sack this season, thus pointing to a weak front seven.
Marshawn Lynch, meanwhile, will look to take advantage of Chicago’s faulty defense against the run. Chicago is currently 22nd in the NFL with 124.0 rushing yards allowed per game.
Seattle is 4-1 SU and ATS in its last five games against the Bears.
Writer’s Prediction
Seattle (-15) wins, 32-18.
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