Admin December 27, 2024
NFL Week 17 picks: Why you should consider Lions, Panthers and Colts
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his three best bets ahead of Week 17 games. Find out why he likes the Lions, Panthers and Colts to cover the spread.
Santa Claus didn’t deliver any offense to the Seattle Seahawks or Chicago Bears.
The Seahawks defeated the Bears 6-3 in an offensive struggle in the final “Thursday Night Football” game of the season. It doubled as the lowest-scoring game of the season.
Geno Smith passed for just 160 yards in the win, which kept the Seahawks’ (slim) playoff hopes alive.
Here are the winners and losers from the Week 17 game:
Winners
Seahawks’ defense
The Seahawks defense sacked Caleb Williams seven times and held the Bears’ listless offense to 179 total yards and three points.
Four Seahawks players had six tackles. Seahawks CB Riq Woolen had the game-sealing interception.
Defensive lineman Leonard Williams was the best defensive player for Seattle. He had five tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and four QB hits.
Jason Myers
In a game with nothing but field goals, Myers made both his attempts, including one from 50 yards out at the end of the first half. Myers’ 50-yard field goal ended up being the difference in the game.
Zach Charbonnet
Charbonnet was a lone bright spot for the Seattle offense. The reserve running back produced 76 yards from scrimmage.
NFL on Amazon Prime, Netflix
The NFL had a successful regular season streaming live games. Fresh off having the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history on Christmas Day, the NFL capped off another regular season of “Thursday Night Football” on Amazon Prime.
Losers
Bears
The Bears have now lost 10-straight games. Their losing streak matches the New York Giants’ for the longest active losing streak in the NFL. Chicago hasn’t tasted a victory since Oct. 13.
Bears’ passing game
Williams, the Bears’ rookie QB, had only 93 passing yards midway through the fourth quarter. The Bears’ offense was booed by frustrated Chicago fans after Williams completed a 2-yard pass to WR DJ Moore on a third-and-24 play.
They were booed again when Williams threw an interception that ended the Bears’ comeback bid.
Williams finished with 122 passing yards and one interception. He and the Bears couldn’t get anything going all night.
The Bears have no offensive identity or cohesion. It’s plagued them the entire year.
Caleb Williams’ sack total
Williams is approaching David Carr’s dubious NFL record for most times sacked in an individual season.
Williams was sacked seven times Thursday night, bringing his total to an NFL season-high 67 sacks – the fourth most ever for a QB in a single season.
Carr owns the record, set when he was sacked 76 times in 2022.
Offense
If you like offense and touchdowns, this game wasn’t for you.
The 6-3 scoreboard was more representative of a Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox ballgame.
Neither team scored in the second half Thursday.
Chicago had 101 total yards of offense in the first two quarters. Most of the Bears’ yards came on a 67-yard field goal drive.
The Bears were only able to muster up 78 total yards in the second half.
The Seahawks weren’t much better. Seattle gained 87 yards after halftime and had just two first downs in the third quarter and only one in the fourth quarter. Yet, the Seahawks still managed to win.
There were 13 combined punts.
Bears fans
Thursday was the Bears’ final home game of the season. Chicago fans had to witness their beloved Bears drop their 10th-straight game. To make matters worse, spectators at Soldier Field watched the game in the rain.
The Bears are on the road in Green Bay for their regular season finale. They might end the year on an 11-game losing streak.
Kenneth Walker fantasy owners
The Seahawks placed Walker on injured reserve Thursday after he sustained an ankle injury in last week’s game.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for fantasy players with leagues in the semifinals or championship round.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.