Seahawks' defense dominates in low-scoring win over Bears

SEATTLE (AP) — It wasn’t pretty, but the Seattle Seahawks pulled off a 6-3 slog of a victory Thursday over the Chicago Bears.

The win featured an outstanding effort from Seattle's defense, a near disappearance from the offense and a game-sealing pick that ended Caleb Williams' rookie record for the most pass attempts without an interception at 353.

The Seahawks sacked Williams seven times to tie the team’s season high as the Bears lost their 10th consecutive game in the lowest scoring contest of the season.

The Bears had a chance to pull off an upset when they had the ball at Seattle's 40-yard line late in the fourth quarter, but Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen picked off Williams with 20 seconds left.

It was a nice bounce-back win for Seattle, but had little impact on their postseason outlook. The more important game will come Saturday, when the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals face off with Seattle’s postseason fortunes on the line.

A win by Arizona keeps the Seahawks in the hunt — but still needing a win over the Rams next weekend to clinch the NFC West. A Rams win this weekend would dash Seattle’s hopes as Los Angeles would win the tiebreaker over Seattle even if the Seahawks win the regular-season finale.

“We’re in the mode of controlling what we can control,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “We know what’s coming next week. We’re going to spend this weekend getting our minds and bodies and spirits right to go play a game.

"Yeah, we’re praying that it’s for the division championship.”

Leonard Williams continues to be a force for the Seahawks. The defensive tackle dominated the Bears' offensive line with two of Seattle’s seven sacks, four quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.

Williams been the key to Seattle’s defensive resurgence. A unit that was among the worst in the league earlier in the season has become one of the NFL's most productive in the second half with Williams' big-time impact up front being a major reason Seattle is still in the playoff hunt.

“He should be up for all the accolades,” Macdonald said. “I don’t know what the awards are out there, but I would give it to him,” Macdonald said. “He’s just a phenomenal player, phenomenal human being. I’m glad he’s a Seahawk. Glad he’s with us.”

Seattle’s offense was full of stops and starts, but two field goals proved to be enough. Geno Smith managed just 160 passing yards and nearly threw yet another interception in the red zone on Seattle’s first drive of the game.

Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh combined for 103 yards on 22 carries, with McIntosh’s 25-yard first-quarter run marking Seattle’s longest offensive play of the day. Charbonnet, starting in place of the injured Kenneth Walker III, was held to just 3.8 yards per carry.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has spent the season trying to figure out how to get the running game going, with little success.

The Seahawks' defense put up a lockdown performance after struggling in losses against Green Bay and Minnesota, holding the Bears to just 179 yards of total offense and finishing with 10 quarterback hits.

Along with Leonard Williams big day, Devon Witherspoon had six tackles with a sack and three tackles for loss as the Seahawks recaptured some of the momentum it had lost the past two weeks.

Under constant pressure from Seattle’s pass rush, Caleb Williams threw for 122 yards, while completing 16 of 28 pass attempts.

WR DK Metcalf. He had a tough day, with just three receptions for 43 yards. He also drew a pair of personal fouls on a single play, one coming after he head-butted Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in the second quarter.

Metcalf hasn’t had more than 70 yards receiving in a game since Seattle’s win over Atlanta on Oct. 20. He has only had more than four receptions in three games this year, and has just four touchdown catches in what has been a bit of a disappointing season for the sixth-year receiver.

The Seahawks put Walker (ankle) on injured reserve Thursday, marking the end of his regular season. Walker has to miss at least the next four games, but could return if Seattle makes it deep into the playoffs.

7 — Seattle’s seven sacks made it 67 on the year for Caleb Williams, 15 more than any other quarterback in the league and fourth-most in league history.

The Seahawks finish the regular season at the Los Angeles Rams on either Jan. 4 or 5.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald speaks during a press conference after an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams speaks during a press conference after an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen, left, shares a moment with his mother following an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in Chicago. The Seahawks won 6-3. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Just days away from his return to tennis at the Brisbane International, Nick Kyrgios hasn't minced his words in referring to doping-related charges against Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, labelling breaches of the sport’s anti-doping program as “disgusting for our sport."

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) levelled charges against world No.1 Sinner and former world No.1 Iga Swiatek. Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March, but avoided a ban because the ITIA determined he was not to blame.

Swiatek also accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.

“Two world No.1s both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport. It’s a horrible look,” Kyrgios said at his Brisbane International press conference on Saturday. “Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it but no one wants to speak about it, it’s awful.”

Kyrgios, 29, has not played tournament tennis since June 2023 due to wrist and knee injuries. He was asked about his motivations for speaking out on the Sinner and Swiatek situations.

“Someone like me … I would never even in my entire life ever try and dope in this sport,” he said. “Especially going through an injury like I went through, obviously there are things out there that could speed up healing, help me get back to prime level, help my recovery.

“There’s so many things out there that are prohibited in our sport that I could have been doing to get me back quicker … (but) that’s just not who I am. I’m always against that."

Sinner had successfully argued that his physiotherapist had accidentally contaminated him during treatment with clostebol which had transferred from a cut on his own hand.

Kyrgios raised questions over what happened next.

“I (pay) my team hundreds and thousands of dollars to be the professionals they are, to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Kyrgios said. “So they knew it happened. Why did they wait five to six months to do anything about it? He kept his team for five months … that doesn’t make sense."

Kyrgios will take on 21-year-old Giovanni Perricard of France in the first round in Brisbane.

It will be the first tour-level appearance by Kyrgios since the Stuttgart Open in June 2023. Kyrgios has been mostly sidelined with career-threatening wrist and knee injuries since the 2022 U.S. Open quarterfinals.

Kyrgios is also entered in the Australian Open beginning Jan. 12. It would be his first Grand Slam singles tournament in more than two years.

Kyrgios, who won the Brisbane International in 2018, will partner Novak Djokovic in doubles in Brisbane. Djokovic beat Kyrgios in the 2022 Wimbledon singles final.

Djokovic is the No. 1-seeded player at the Brisbane International and will play Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the opening round following the singles draw held Saturday.

Kyrgios and Djokovic are in the top half of the singles draw and are not slated to play each other until the semifinals should they both win through.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

FILE - Nick Kyrgios of Eagles returns the ball to Grigor Dimitrov of Falcons during a match of Day 3 of the World Tennis League at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Dec. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)