LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks need a win to help keep their flickering playoff hopes from getting extinguished.
Caleb Williams and the Bears need a victory to end their long losing streak.
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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet celebrates his touchdown reception from quarterback Caleb Williams during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) scores an 18-yard touchdown ahead of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams walks off the field after his team's 34-17 loss to the Detroit Lions in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass while pressured by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
The Seahawks will try to regroup and stay in the playoff chase when they visit struggling Chicago on Thursday night.
Seattle (8-7), coming off back-to-back losses, trails the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams (9-6) by one game with two to play. The Seahawks were in control of their postseason fate before Minnesota beat them 27-24 last week.
“The destiny’s out of our hands right now. That stings,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “But we’ve got a lot to play for, still. We’re just gonna keep hammering away until this thing cracks. I think it’s right there. We want to be ready when that happens. Hopefully, we get an opportunity to get into the dance and go do some damage.”
The Seahawks need help.
Their best path to the playoffs is by winning their final two games, starting with a Chicago team that's reeling with nine straight losses after falling to NFC-leading Detroit, and having the Rams lose to Arizona on Saturday night. Seattle then visits Los Angeles to close the regular season.
The Bears (4-11) simply need a win. It's been nothing, but losses for them since they beat Jacksonville in London in Week 6.
First, Chicago fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. And then its head coach during a season for the first time when the Bears let Matt Eberflus go the day after a Thanksgiving loss at Detroit. They're 0-3 with interim coach Thomas Brown.
If the Bears drop this game, they'll have their second double-digit losing skid in three seasons under general manager Ryan Poles. They lost the final 10 games two years ago as part of a franchise-worst 14-game slide that stretched into 2023. Chicago has never lost more than 10 in a row in a single season.
“I think it would just be good for morale,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “Obviously, it doesn’t mean much for playoffs or anything like that. It really won’t have any indication on anything going into next year. But just good for morale. It would just be I think an uplifting thing for the locker room at this point.”
The run game continues to be a sore spot for Seattle.
The Seahawks are averaging 91.9 yards rushing. Only the New York Jets (88.7) and Las Vegas Raiders (77.5) are worse.
Against Minnesota, the Seahawks threw the ball on 45 of their 60 offensive plays. Their 15 rushes produced just 59 yards.
Running back Kenneth Walker III left last week's game with an ankle injury after sitting out the previous two because of a calf problem. He also missed two weeks in September with an oblique issue.
The Seahawks have also had to deal with a host of issues on the offensive line, including injuries and the sudden retirement of starting center Connor Williams in the middle of the season.
Things seemed to improve in Week 14 when Zach Charbonnet ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns in a win against Arizona. But the issues surfaced again in losses to Green Bay and Minnesota.
Williams has a chance to set the Bears' single-season passing record, assuming he plays the final two games.
The No. 1 overall draft pick is sixth on the Bears’ list with 3,271 yards. Erik Kramer holds the franchise record of 3,838 in 1995.
A more immediate concern is that Williams finishes the season on a stronger note. To that end, he shrugged off several shaky outings by throwing for 334 yards and two touchdowns last week.
Williams' 326 consecutive attempts without an interception are an NFL rookie record and the most ever by any Bears player. But he has also been sacked a league-leading and club-record 60 times.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was benched for the first series last week after breaking an unspecified team rule.
“There’s some team rules throughout the week, and just felt like it was the best thing for the team and for him to not start the game,” Macdonald said. “He was great, he understood, took accountability in that moment with his teammates.”
Woolen, a Pro Bowl pick as a rookie in 2022, is having an uneven season.
The Bears could have their hands full trying to contain Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Besides the fact that Smith-Njigba became the 10th Seahawks player last week with 1,000 yards in a season, Chicago is struggling to defend the pass. That wasn't the case earlier in the season.
The Bears had a top-10 pass defense as recently as Nov. 17. It's now 23rd. The Bears have given up 865 yards passing and 102 points in the three games since Eberflus was fired.
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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald reacts during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet celebrates his touchdown reception from quarterback Caleb Williams during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) scores an 18-yard touchdown ahead of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams walks off the field after his team's 34-17 loss to the Detroit Lions in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass while pressured by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — People gathered in prayer and visited mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday to mark 20 years since the massive Indian Ocean tsunami hit the region in one of modern history’s worst natural disasters.
Many wept as they placed flowers at a mass grave in Ulee Lheue village, where more than 14,000 unidentified tsunami victims are buried. It is one of several mass graves in Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s northernmost province, which was one of the areas worst hit by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake and the massive tsunami it triggered.
“We miss them and we still don’t know where they are. All we know is that every year we visit the mass grave in Ulee Lhue and Siron,” said Muhamad Amirudin, who lost two of his children 20 years ago and has never found their bodies.
"This life is only temporary, so we do our best to be useful to others,” Amirudin, visiting the grave with his wife, said.
The powerful earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami that killed around 230,000 people across a dozen countries, reaching as far as East Africa. Some 1.7 million people were displaced, mostly in the four worst-affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone.
Even though 20 years have passed, survivors in Indonesia are still grieving the loved ones they lost to the giant wave that flattened buildings all the way to the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.
Hundreds of people gathered to pray at the Baiturrahman Mosque in downtown Banda Aceh. Sirens sounded across the city for three minutes to mark the time of the earthquake.
Infrastructure in Aceh has been rebuilt and is now more resilient than before the tsunami struck. Early warning systems have been installed in coastal areas to alert residents of incoming tsunamis, providing crucial time to seek safety.
The rebuilding efforts were made possible by the support of international donors and organizations, which contributed significant funds to help the region recover. Schools, hospitals, and essential infrastructure destroyed by the disaster have been reconstructed.
In Thailand, people gathered at a memorial ceremony in Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village in Phang Nga province that bore the brunt of the devastating wave in the country.
The tsunami claimed the lives of over 8,000 people in Thailand, including many who remain missing, leaving a deep scar in the nation’s history. Nearly 400 bodies remain unclaimed.
Mourners shed tears and comforted each other as they laid flowers at the village’s tsunami memorial. Around 300 people joined a modest ceremony with Muslim, Christian and Buddhist prayers.
Urai Sirisuk said she avoids the seaside memorial park the rest of the year because the loss of her 4-year-old daughter still cuts deep every time she's reminded of it.
“I have this feeling that the sea has taken my child. I’m very angry with it. I can’t even put my foot in the water,” she said.
But, she said, “I still hear her voice in my ears, that she’s calling for me. I can’t abandon her. So I have to be here, for my child.”
In India, hundreds gathered at Marina beach in the southern city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state. They poured milk into the sea to propitiate gods and offered flowers and prayers for the dead as drums beat in the background.
According to official data, 10,749 people were killed in India, including nearly 7,000 people in Tamil Nadu alone.
“It has been 20 years since the tsunami,” said 69-year-old Sadayammal, who uses one name. “We are here to pay respects to the people who lost their lives.”
In Sri Lanka, survivors and relatives of tsunami victims gathered at the coastal village of Pereliya and laid flowers at a memorial that commemorates nearly 2,000 passengers who died when their train, the Queen of the Sea, was hit by the wave. Only a few dozen people are believed to have survived.
Anura Ranjith joined the mourners to pay respects to his younger sister, Anula Ranjani, and her 9-year-old daughter who were passengers on the train. Ranjith never heard from them after that day.
“I looked for them everywhere for years and still, no information about them. Their loss is a great sorrow and pain for me. I am still grieving,” he said.
Overall, more than 35,000 people died in Sri Lanka in the tsunami. People across the country observed two minutes of silence on Thursday in memory of those who lost their lives.
Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associated Press journalists Tian Macleod Ji in Phang Nga, Thailand, Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok, Aijaz Hussain in New Delhi, Bharatha Mallawarachi in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Eranga Jayawardena in Pereliya, Sri Lanka, contributed to this report.
Relatives of tsunami victims offer floral tributes at a memorial built in memory of those who died during 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami as they mark the 20th anniversary in Peraliya, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A relative of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami offers flowers during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Relatives pray for their dead relatives in 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, standing by a mass grave during a memorial of the 20th anniversary of the calamity in Peraliya, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Relatives of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hug each other during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
A man carries flowers to offer at a memorial built in memory of those who died during 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, on the 20th anniversary of the calamity in Peraliya, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Dayaratne Halambage shows a portrait of his daughter who died during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at a memorial of the 20th anniversary of the calamity in Peraliya, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Railway workers and locomotive drivers carry flowers to offer at a memorial built in memory of those who died during 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami as they mark the 20th anniversary in Peraliya, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A woman weeps during a prayer marking 20 years of the massive Indian Ocean tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
Tsunami survivor Kumudu Priyantha holds photographs of his three daughters and wife who died during 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami during its 20th anniversary in Peraliya, Sri Lanka, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
A relative of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami participates in its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
People pray at a mass grave of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami during the commemoration of the 20th year since the disaster in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
Relatives of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami pray during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Relatives of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hug each other during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Relatives of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami participate in its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wannichakorn)
A relative of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami shows an expression during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Relatives of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hug each other during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
A relative of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami cries during its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
A relative of victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami stands at Ban Nam Khem beach, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
A relative of a victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami participates in its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
A relative of victim of a 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami participates in its 20th anniversary at Tsunami Memorial Park at Ban Nam Khem, Takuapa district of Phang Nga province, southern Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
People pray at a mass grave of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
Women comfort each other as they visit a mass grave of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami during the commemoration of the 20th year since the disaster, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
A woman sprinkles water on a stone marking a mass grave of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
People pray at a mass grave of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
A man prays at a mass grave of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
A woman weeps as she prays at a mass grave at victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
An elephant which belongs to forest ministry removes debris Monday Jan. 10, 2005 in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)
A survivor rummages through the debris at the commercial area of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province in northwest Indonesia, Dec. 31, 2004.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)
Destroyed houses are seen in this aerial view of the town of Meulaboh in Aceh province, Indonesia, which was flattened by tidal waves, on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2005. (AP Photo/Dudi Anung, File)
Islets are formed of what used to be part of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province in northwest of Indonesia, as seen from a commercial plane on Thursday Dec. 30, 2004 following Sunday's earthquake-triggered tsunami. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)
