Monday Night Football Preview: Bears Travel to Seattle for Week 8 Clash
Monday Night Football brings the Chicago Bears to Seattle for a Week 8 matchup, featuring two major roster additions as Quenton Nelson joins the Seahawks and Jeffery Simmons joins the Bears. Both teams enter the contest riding recent momentum swings. The Seahawks dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs following a two-game skid, while the Bears secured a victory over the New England Patriots.
Whenever Ben Johnson takes part in a fixture, observers frequently anticipate high-scoring affairs. It is a reasonable expectation given that Johnson operates as an offensive genius, even when facing Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks. Consider the most recent encounter between Johnson and Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks: Week 4 of 2024, when his squad put 42 points on the board against them. That alone would nearly hit the over on this upcoming week’s money line. However, that 2024 contest also lacked numerous vital defensive contributors that Macdonald and the Seahawks will field against the Bears this week, such as DeMarcus Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Nick Emmanwori, and Ernest Jones.
Ground Game Control Points to Lower Scoring Output
The other thing to consider with this money line is the amount of possessions each team will have. Both offenses love running the ball. During the 2026 campaign, the Bears lead the entire league in rushing attempts per contest with a mark surpassing 35 carries, whereas the Seahawks place fifth overall by logging more than 29 carries per game. Seattle has added Quenton Nelson to the trenches, and Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet are potentially making their returns to the field. Combined, these elements suggest two ground-heavy attacks chewing up significant game clock, which translates to restricted possessions and fewer chances to score. Expect the under 46.5 total points at -110.
The passing game features prominent individual targets. Jaxon Smith-Njigba enters the contest following a performance against Kansas City where he recorded nine receptions, 150 yards, and one touchdown. He totals 58 receptions, 867 yards, and eight touchdowns on the season, averaging 123.9 yards per game. The Bears give up an average of 225.9 passing yards per game, ranking 18th in the league. With Bears starting cornerback Malik Muhammad II listed as limited in practice, Smith-Njigba could frequently face backup coverage, pushing projections toward the over 150 receiving yards line at +390.
Sam Darnold Offers Rushing Yards and Play Action Opportunities
Quarterback Sam Darnold offers additional yardage through the ground game. Although less mobile than opposing signal-callers, Darnold carried the ball twice for 17 yards last week, converting both attempts into first downs. With the acquisition of Quenton Nelson and the potential return of running backs Charbonnet and Price, an ascending run game could open up play-action bootlegs, giving Darnold opportunities to clear the over 20 rushing yards line at +630.
In the red zone, Zach Charbonnet stands as an option for Seattle when healthy. Following a missed appearance last week, an extra week of practice positions Charbonnet to potentially play. With Seattle’s struggles in the redzone, Charbonnet carries a +500 line to score the game’s first touchdown.
