The Seattle Seahawks entered Week 8 with the perfect opportunity to make a statement. The Chicago Bears broke the internet with the Jeffery Simmons trade, and they also had a brand-new addition of their own in Quenton Nelson.
Taking down a Super Bowl contender at home would've sent the right message after an inconsistent start to the season. Unfortunately, Brian Fleury's offense never got going, the special teams unit struggled, and Sam Darnold's late-game woes resurfaced.
This was just one of those nights when everything that can go wrong goes terribly wrong, but it's not the end of the world. If anything, these four players deserve plenty of credit for putting in the work in this tough 34-17 home loss.
4 Seattle Seahawks players who stood out in the loss to the Bears
Zach Charbonnet
On the surface, Zach Charbonnet's numbers weren't impressive at all. He had just six carries for 23 yards, with 13 of those coming on a single play, and had three receptions on four targets for six yards. However, the tape tells a different story.
It was nice to see Charbonnet be his usual shifty and physical self after such a long injury layoff. He was out in pass protection, didn't shy away from contact, and looked as if he had never missed a game. His struggles weren't on him at all, and he should give this team a big boost if used more.
DeMarcus Lawrence
DeMarcus Lawrence doesn't know the word "quit." Right after a blocked field goal, he got his hands in the dirt, got to work, and gave Sam Darnold the ball right back by stripping the ball from Colston Loveland's hands.
This will most likely be his final season, but he can still make a massive impact on defense. Lawrence finished the game with four tackles (one solo), one run stop, one hurry, and gave his team an opportunity to get right back into it when everything seemed lost.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
For whatever reason, the Seahawks went away from Jaxon Smith-Njigba for most of the second half until the game was out of reach. Perhaps feeding the most dynamic wide receiver in pro football would've been helpful in a game where everyone else struggled to create separation.
Smith-Njigba doesn't need a ton of receptions to make defenders pay. He turned 11 targets into six receptions for 118 yards and a 43-yard touchdown, and Brian Fleury will have a tough time explaining why the defense didn't go back to him when the game was still within reach.
Ernest Jones
Ernest Jones was the heart and soul of the defense in this one, especially after Leonard Williams' departure. He never gave up on a play, showed his sideline-to-sideline range, and was in Caleb Williams' face in almost every dropback.
Jones broke up a pass when covering Luther Burden III and held Loveland to two catches and one drop for just 14 yards. He also had a game-high 13 total tackles (five solo), one hurry, and nearly recorded his fourth sack of the season.
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