Oh yeah, there's a football game this week for the Bears.

After their major trade, the fact they're playing the defending Super Bowl champions can't be forgotten. Neither can one play in particular from their last game, the win over the other Super Bowl LX participant. This was, of course, the 48-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson to end the first half.

A missed tackle by Jaylon Johnson on that play horrified Bears fans, who have noted the team-high seven missed tackles already by the veteran cornerback. And now the Bears are facing Seattle receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is fifth in the NFL in yards after the catch.

In days gone by, the Bears could simply put their lockdown cornerback on an opponent's top receiver but that was Johnson. This version of Johnson doesn't allow for this.

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen isn't worried about Johnson's tackling, or at least says this.

Not glossed over! He's playing like a loaf.

— SissyZ 🌴 (@ZiSissy) October 25, 2026

What, me worry says Allen

“I think everybody at times has some up and down moments," Allen said. "And so, we try to focus on where do we need to improve and how do we need to improve? And I said this a couple of weeks ago, there's 11 guys out there on the football field that affect the game on every single play. And I think sometimes it's easy to try to point out a particular individual.

"And yet I know Jaylon would say himself that there's some things that he has to improve on. So we all have to do that. And that's our focus is. Our focus is not on, 'OK, who can we find out here where we can start placing some blame on some things?' All right, let's work as all 11. And how do we improve as a collective group? And that's what we're trying to do.”

Jaylon Johnson is a massive problem, and that’s an understatement.

The missed tackle % is enough to make you vomit. pic.twitter.com/ycvFoFizaH

— Ryan (@RyanHeckmanNFL) October 26, 2026

Johnson wasn't the only one who played the pass poorly. It seemed Stevenson ran past virtually everyone from the linebackers through the safeties. It was the Hail Mary play flipped upside down and the Bears couldn't handle it.

"Yeah, look that's always been a focus and I think all those things start, No. 1, with execution and doing everything right," Allen said. "And when you do everything right you eliminate the space and therefore not a lot of open field space for guys to run in. So I think that's where it starts."

It's at least good Allen has a concept of how to halt this issue. Despite the Stevenson play and several others this year, and the fact the Bears had given up the most yards per pass in the NFL this year heading into Week 8, they haven't been the worst team at limiting yards after catch. They ranked 17th in yards allowed after the catch, so close to the middle or right at it.

RHAMONDRE STEVENSON‼️

📺 Prime Video pic.twitter.com/heXDiTFnzW

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 23, 2026

Allen has one other tool now for keeping teams from piling up YAC or even making catches downfield, and that's interior pass rusher Jeffery Simmons. One of the ways teams get yards after catch is completing quick, timing passes. The only type of rush capable of getting to passers on such plays is the interior. The Bears haven't had a good interior rusher like Simmons since Akiem Hicks in 2018-19, and even Hicks wasn't close to being as quick off the ball as Simmons.

"I think it will help in terms of pass coverage," Allen said. "You know, if we're able to affect the interior of the pocket a little bit more, get a little bit more quick pressure on the quarterback, maybe some quick wins, I think that speeds up the process for the quarterback.

"It makes it easier for us to do some things on the back end."

Jeffery Simmons 10 Fastest Sacks since 2024: pic.twitter.com/WSpz3hnfHE

— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) October 29, 2026

It's still not going to be easy to stop Njigba. The Chargers were the only team to hold Njigba to less than 100 receiving yards this year. He torched everyone. At least the 49ers held him to five receptions, like the Chargers. The other five Seattle opponents couldn't keep him to less than eight receptions. Last week he went for nine receptions and 150 yards against the Chiefs, and has eight TD receptions.

For all of his defense of Johnson, of the impact he thinks Simmons can make, Allen readily admitted they're up against it this week stopping JSN.

"Listen, I think he does a really good job of creating access on the line of scrimmage," Allen said. "I think he does a really good job of creating separation at the top of the route. I think what makes him exceptional is his ability with run after catch. He can take a short throw and it's 40 or 50 yards later before somebody is finally getting him down on the ground.

Tom Brady explains what makes Jaxon Smith-Njigba so special.pic.twitter.com/Oc3gAykDyc

— Kalshi Football (@KalshiFB) October 28, 2026

"There's several examples of that. One the opening game of the season they throw a little quick hitch on a spot route on a short-yardage plays and he makes somebody miss and the next thing you know the game's tied."

Taking away the ball is the key

Allen went on to list great hands and ability to work one-on-one matchups in the red zone as other Njigba strengths. The bottom line for the Bears is pretty simple this week.

They need to come ready to defend the pass because their own offense is going to find itself tested to the extreme by what looks like the best all-around defense in the league. They won't get away with tactical wins by holding the ball on offense and keeping their defense off the field when the opponent has so effective of a weapon available.

Yet, the Seahawks are only one game over .500 and three losses show one key to beating them. That's getting Sam Darnold to cough up the football in the air or with their pass rush. Seattle committed 10 turnovers in its three losses and three in its four wins.

It's going to need to be rush and cover, and they appear to have the rush taken care of going forward thanks to a trade. The cover is their question.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to be a really, really big problem for the Bears when they visit the Seahawks.

"They're not going to stop him," @BigAntHerron says. "What they have to do is hope they can force Sam Darnold into a mistake — or mistakes, plural." pic.twitter.com/VPu7XID579

— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) October 26, 2026