The Chicago Bears’ 34-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football was a statement win for this team. However, Bears head coach Ben Johnson was not looking to make a statement since this team is still growing.

“When the pressure’s high, we want to be at our best. And all three phases did that,” Johnson said. “We didn’t come here to make a statement, we’re still building.” 

This may have been Chicago’s best overall win of the year with contributions from all three phases. Austin Booker made two big plays for the Bears, blocking a field goal in the fourth quarter and tipping the ball, which led to an interception by James Lynch.

Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons also had an amazing debut for the Bears with two tackles for loss, including a sack as well as recording a quarterback hit and six total tackles. His presence also elevated Montez Sweat, who he was teammates with at Mississippi State. Sweat had his best game of the season by far with three quarterback hits and a sack.

Offensively, Chicago could not be denied in the red zone, scoring on all four of their red zone trips, including three rushing touchdowns from running back D’Andre Swift. Quarterback Caleb Williams had his third game of the season with completion percentage greater than 70 yards. He also become the first quarterback to throw for over 200 yards against Seattle.

Still, there are things to improve on. Their secondary has been dealing with injuries, including being without their top cornerback in coverage, Malik Muhammad. However, the biggest point of improvement is reducing their penalties. Chicago had 10 penalties in this game, making this their fifth game of the season with at least eight penalties. The Bears were able to overcome these penalties, but they could be even better if they were not penalized so much.