By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Newly acquired defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons recorded six tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss in his first game as a Chicago Bear, helping lead a dominant defensive effort in a 34-17 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.
The performance validated the Bears’ blockbuster trade for the three-time All-Pro, who arrived from the Tennessee Titans just five days before the game in exchange for two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round selection.
“His impact was profound,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said after presenting Simmons with a game ball, according to the team’s website.
Simmons said he spent long hours at Halas Hall learning the defensive scheme after passing his physical Thursday afternoon.
“I was in the building ‘til almost 10 o’clock Thursday night just trying to get the game plan and catch up,” Simmons said, according to ChicagoBears.com. “Then when I ran out of the tunnel, I kept telling myself, ‘It’s just football. Go out there and be me.’”
When Simmons was on the field at Lumen Field in Seattle, the Seahawks averaged just 3.0 yards per play. On the first play of Seattle’s second possession, Simmons sacked Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. He and linebacker Devin Bush combined for a run stop on the next play, leading to a punt.
The Bears defense did not allow points on eight of the Seahawks’ 11 drives. The unit forced five punts, a blocked field goal by defensive end Austin Booker, an interception by defensive tackle James Lynch and a turnover on downs late in the game.
“He just wants to win, and that’s his best quality,” Lynch said, according to the team’s website. “He’s gonna give everything he’s got for us to get a W.”
On offense, quarterback Caleb Williams completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards with one touchdown and a 101.0 passer rating. Running back D’Andre Swift rushed for 69 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.
Williams engineered a 17-play, 80-yard opening drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden III. The drive consumed 8:32 of clock and marked the first time in 16 games that Seattle allowed an opening-drive touchdown.
The Seahawks closed the gap from 20-9 to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter after recovering a Colston Loveland fumble. The Bears responded with two touchdowns in the final 8:28. A key play came when Kalif Raymond caught a quick pass from Williams on the line of scrimmage and darted 39 yards to the 5, setting up Swift’s second rushing score.
Lynch then intercepted a Darnold pass that Booker had deflected, returning it 16 yards to the Seahawks’ 6-yard line. Swift scored his third rushing touchdown on the next play to make it 34-17.
“When the pressure’s high, we want to be at our best and all three phases did that,” Johnson said, according to ChicagoBears.com.
Simmons’s former Mississippi State teammate, defensive end Montez Sweat, recorded three quarterback hits and a sack. Two additional sacks were negated by penalties.
“I definitely got my opportunities. I definitely got some 1-on-1s,” Sweat said, according to the team’s website. “I was looking forward to taking advantage of that.”
The 34 points, 363 total yards and 22 first downs were the most the Seahawks had allowed in any game this season.
Johnson said Wednesday at Halas Hall that Simmons would only improve as he grows more comfortable in the defensive system.
“You felt it on the sideline,” Johnson said, according to ChicagoBears.com. “That’s always the ultimate compliment you can give a player is when you are elevating the people around you, and he does that.”
The win improved the Bears’ record to 6-2. Chicago hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7:20 p.m. Sunday at Soldier Field.
Source: Chicago Bears Official Website
