The Seahawks were outplayed by the Chicago Bears, who not only dominated on the field but also had their fans make their presence felt at Lumen Field. The loss just served to rub salt in Seattle’s wounds, given that it has now lost three of its last four, leaving it at 4-4.

With their position in the NFC playoff picture becoming increasingly precarious, these struggles have sparked discussions among several analysts, who shared their thoughts on the team’s sudden decline.

NFL Analysts Split on Seahawks After Crushing Bears Defeat

The Seahawks entered Monday’s game with a 21-6 record dating back to the beginning of last season, including their playoff appearances. However, their 34-17 loss against the Bears was unlike most of their previous losses, as they struggled in all three phases of the game.

The loss ended the Seahawks’ 30-game run without losing a game by more than 4 points in the regular season or playoffs, in what served as their most lopsided loss in nearly two years, since Seattle had not suffered a loss by more than four points since Dec. 15, 2024.

Seeing the Seahawks struggle, PFN analyst Ian Cummings believes Sam Darnold’s inconsistent performances could become a big problem despite the team’s defensive strength and offensive talent.

“Very few teams can beat the attrition of an inconsistent, turnover-prone quarterback under center,” Cummings said. “The Seahawks still have an elite defense, and they still have star power on offense with players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Quenton Nelson up front, but Sam Darnold is firmly on regression watch.”

As Cummings noted, Darnold ranks outside the top 20 in PFN’s QB Impact Metric entering Week 9. Cummings also noted that Darnold has reduced his fumbles compared to 2025, but his interception rate has climbed to 4.3%, nearly matching his 4.7% touchdown rate.

“Darnold’s contract actually makes re-assessment possible; he only signed a three-year deal with Seattle in 2025,” Cummings added.

However, PFN analyst Jacob Infante is not particularly concerned about Seattle’s chances of reaching the playoffs.

“I believe the NFC North will cannibalize itself to the point where, eventually, one of those teams works their way out of a Wild Card spot,” Infante said. “That said, Seattle has a lot of work to do if it is to re-establish itself as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

“The hope is that trading for Quenton Nelson and getting Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price back healthy will help the Seahawks get their offense back on track. As it stands, though, I don’t think their offense is good enough to make a deep playoff run.”

The Bears also exposed some weaknesses in Seattle’s defense from the opening possession. Chicago put together a 17-play opening drive, its longest to start a game since 2007 against the Green Bay Packers.

It was also the first time an opponent had scored a touchdown on its opening drive against Seattle since the San Francisco 49ers accomplished the feat in Week 1 of the 2025 season.

Chicago finished with 363 total offensive yards, becoming another team to produce a significant performance against a defense that had surrendered 301 or fewer yards in each of its first seven games.

However, Kyle Soppe isn’t ready to panic about Seattle’s situation.

“Am I concerned about the Seahawks?” Soppe said. “I don’t think so. Tough results during a tough stretch. Sam Darnold isn’t playing like a QB who can win big games in the winter, but we did see him do it less than 12 months ago, so he gets the benefit of the doubt.

“When the margins narrow in January/February, you need quality spots. JSN is that. This defense is that. Worried? No. Predicting a repeat? Also no.”

PFN analyst Brandon Austin also said he is not “overly concerned” about Seattle after the Bears’ loss.

“The recent losses have come against formidable opponents,” Austin said. “Still, they don’t look nearly as dominant as they did a season ago. The Seahawks should still be a playoff team, but I have serious concerns about Sam Darnold.”

Jason Katz, meanwhile, thinks Seattle is still “a Super Bowl roster” but shared his concern.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least mildly concerned about Sam Darnold’s penchant to turn back into a pumpkin,” Katz said. “One of those outings at the wrong time in January will end Seattle’s season. But they’re not about to trade for a quarterback, so what can they do other than stay the course?”

Seattle will look to bounce back from its disappointing loss when it hosts the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Nov. 8.