Bears hand Seahawks first loss of season

CHICAGO — The game was so out of hand that they began to file out of the stadium at the end of the third quarter.

And that was after their voices had grown hoarse from all the yelling and their hands sore from all the clapping.

So thorough was the Chicago Bears' 37-6 crushing of the Seahawks Sunday night that the Soldier Field faithful were free to head home early and rejoice. That thud you heard in the Pacific Northwest was the sound of the Seahawks' three-game, season-opening win streak grinding to a halt.

It just wasn't the Seahawks' night.

"There were a couple of instances in the game where we got something going and then all of a sudden, we had a 15-yard loss," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "We got into tough situations. It was just a case of one of their really fine players beating one of our guys."

That was just in pass protection. The Seahawks, forced to throw the ball to try and get back into the game, allowed quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to be sacked five times. The Seahawks mercifully replaced Hasselbeck with backup Seneca Wallace midway through the fourth quarter.

"We get in bad situations and give the defense a chance to tee off, they're going to bring pressure," left guard Chris Spencer said. "They have a good defense."

Hasselbeck absorbed some of the blame as well. He threw two costly second-quarter interceptions that led to 10 points and spent much of the night running for his life.

Hawks by the numbers


6

Fewest points scored since 14-3 loss to Washington in 2002.

31

Largest margin of defeat since 41-3 loss to N.Y. Jets in 1997.

64

Points allowed in last five quarters after yielding just 19 in season's first 11 quarters.

Chicago's Ricky Manning Jr. had both picks. He duped Hasselbeck into the first one.

"He kind of put his hands on Darrell [Jackson, receiver], as if he was taking him," Hasselbeck said. "He okey-doked me and played the route. As I was letting the ball go, I knew it. I thought, 'Just make the tackle.' "

Hasselbeck did, and the Bears eventually kicked a field goal for a 13-3 lead. But the second interception was more costly.

With 5:13 left in the second quarter, Hasselbeck was pressured and rolled to his right. He threw into heavy traffic toward the middle of the field, where Manning was waiting again.

"Frustration got the better of me," Hasselbeck said. "It was frustrating having so many three-and-outs, having so many third-and long situations. So the game was getting out of reach, and I tried to make something happen, and I made something happen for them. That was dumb, and I need to know better than that. I do know better than that."

The Bears forced six three-and-outs. The Seahawks faced at least a third-and-10 situation seven times.

It was the Seahawks' worst defeat since a 41-3 loss to the New York Jets to open the 1997 season. More recently, the Seahawks were destroyed Chicago-style in November of 2004, when the Buffalo Bills rocked them 38-9 at Qwest Field.

Where offense, defense and special teams failed them against Buffalo, the special teams weren't so much of an issue Sunday. But two field goals weren't going to get the job done, and that was clear by halftime.

"I think we have a good defense. I believe that," Holmgren said. "I think we are a developing defense. They got after us pretty good rushing the football, and we're going to have to take a look at that and see. We gave up too many yards [362]. Their offense was very productive, and we'll have to make those corrections and get better the next time, that's for sure."

Sunday night's game had bigger implications. It was for supremacy in the NFC. It was to remain unbeaten. It was to gain an early foothold on home-field advantage for the playoffs. It was to show a national television audience the defending NFC champions were still the team to beat in the conference.

They've lost that distinction. At least for now. They also lost a chance at some major time off for the upcoming bye week. A win might have meant at least six days off. Instead there will likely be an extra practice or two.

"I'm not going to go back and reinvent the wheel," Holmgren said. "It's not the first game we lost, so you handle it like you always handle it and go back and work hard and correct the things you can correct."

It's just that the team and its fans aren't used to losing much anymore, and certainly not in blowout fashion. The Seahawks had won 14 of the past 15 regular-season games and six of the past seven on the road going back to 2005. This was a place the Seahawks hadn't been for some time.

The game was no must-win situation for the Seahawks, but the Bears are a team the Seahawks could see in the postseason — maybe on the road after Sunday's loss.

"Just give credit to the Bears, and that was it," Holmgren said. "And if we get another crack at them, I hope we play better."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com