Seahawks 34 Bears 6

The Bears had made such terrific additions to their roster this offseason that I was prepared to pick Chicago as the NFC North Champions this season. After the thorough shellacking the Seahawks handed them, you might think that my prediction was perhaps foolish or at the very least, premature, but I stand by that decision.


It's not that the Bears are bad-- its that the Seahawks are that good.

Russell Wilson is looking like a legitimate MVP candidate.  He was 15 for 20 with 202 yards through the air and a pair of passing TDs.  He added another rushing touchdown as did Marshawn Lynch in his limited action. The offense doesn't so much look 'improved' as it does polished. Golden Tate's absence was entirely unnoticed with Jermaine Kearse looking ready to take the next step along side a healthy Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin.

The defense lost a lot more than the offensive side of the ball in the offseason-- but you wouldn't know it from watching this game.  Jeremy Lane and Byron Maxwell are official, card-carrying members of the L.O.B. by now and Tharold Simon just needs more opportunities before he joins them.

Earl Thomas might be the best fit for return duties.  He had a spectacular punt return that should have been taken to the house, if not for a particularly athletic Bears punter making a last minute save. Rookie Cassius Marsh continued to impress.  Marsh along with O'Brien Schofield and Heath Farwell recorded sacks.  

I was left with only one question in the aftermath of this game:  will the Seahawks keep 3 quarterbacks on their roster? Terrelle Pryor has looked promising, although inaccurate at times.  He has tremendous athletic ability and is young enough to expect continued growth under Darrell Bevell's tutelage.  Let's not forget-- we gave up a draft pick for him.  A seventh round draft pick, but a pick nonetheless.

Still, Tarvaris Jackson probably gives you the best chance to win between the two.  We'd like to believe that we know what we have in Jackson and we seem to like what he offers as a back up.  His coaches like him, his teammates like him and the fans like him-- so long as he remains the back up.

Ideally, you'd want to keep both on the roster, but that would mean taking depth away from another position. I don't think that would be a wise move.  Do you try to trade one of them?  I would've preferred that we tried to convert Pryor to another position in hopes of getting more out of his size and ability but the front office obviously sees something in him as a quarterback and we've learned to trust their judgment. 

UPDATE: The Seahawks made mandatory cuts to reduce their roster to 75 players: OT Wade Smith, CB Terrell Thomas, OT Cory Brandon, RB Demitrius Bronson, S Mike Dobson, DE Jackson Jeffcoat, WR Kevin Smith, CB Thomas Wolfe were the casualties.