Bears' Rushing Attack Faces Major Challenge vs. Seahawks Defense

The Seattle Seahawks have one of the best defenses in the NFL. 

The unit swarms, attacks the football and knows how to take away an offense's main threat. 

Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs after the Seahawks dominate 20-3 win in Week 7. The Chiefs were completely overwhelmed, failing to reach the red zone one time. Running back Kenneth Walker III, who won a Super Bowl with Seattle last season, entered that week as the NFL's leading rusher. He finished with 36 total rushing yards. 

This Week 8 primetime matchup on Monday Night Football presents a major challenge for the Chicago Bears. Head coach Ben Johnson's team will bring the No. 1 rushing offense to Lumen Field, looking for a much better result than the Chiefs. 

Here's a look at where the Seahawks rank in rushing statistics, according to Next Gen Stats.

The stats shouldn't be surprising considering what Seattle's defense has done all season. The most rushing yards the Seahawks have allowed to a rusher this season was 68 from San Francisco 49ers' running back Christian McCaffrey.

What's impressive, though, is the Seahawks' ability to stop the run without needing to stack the box with additional defenders, meaning they can keep more players in coverage and still neutralize a team's rushing attack. 

Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar shared what he believes the team must do to have success in Seattle.

"It will start with us, our communication,” Roushar told Roundtable Sports. “Communicate across the board, inside out. That will be numbers one. Number two, our ability to get off on the snap count. Those two have to play, and then we have to fundamentally be at our very best. We have to aim our pads, play with great leverage, we got to sustain and drive because they do a phenomenal job of getting off blocks and getting to the ball carrier.”

The Seahawks have a number of players that must be accounted for on the defensive front, including Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II. With Murphy, he leads the team with stops (19) and is 11th in the NFL in that category. The former No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft also leads Seattle's defensive linemen in total tackle (24). 

"He's playing lights out," Roushar told Roundtable Sports. "He's strong, he has strong hands, he can control inside the blockers to keep them off the second level, and for a big man, he's got really good running traits, so he's a heck of a challenge. So, you know, guys that have done a good job studying or looking at what these guys do, we know it will be a great challenge for us.”

For the fourth-straight game, the Bears will be without running back Kyle Monangai, who is still dealing with a thumb/toe injury he sustained in the Week win over the Jets. 

Running back D'Andre Swift should play a prominent role in this Week 8 matchup. With extra time to rest since the Thursday night win over the New England Patriots on Nov. 22, the Bears will need a healthy Swift to help Chicago come away with a second-straight primetime victory.