The Chicago Bears opened Monday night in Seattle by doing what they do better than any other team in the NFL. They took the ball, and refused to give it back.
Chicago's first possession of the day lasted for 17 plays and 80 yards, ate 8:32 off of the clock, and ended with Caleb Williams finding Luther Burden III for a one-yard touchdown. Williams completed eight of his 10 passes on the drive for 58 yards.
Per ESPN Insights, it was the Bears longest opening drive since 2007, and the first opening drive touchdown that Seattle has allowed since Week 1 of 2025.
The Bears scoring drive lasted 17 plays, their longest opening drive since 2007 against the Packers.
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) November 3, 2026
They are the first team to score a TD on their opening drive against the Seahawks since the 49ers in 2025 Week 1. pic.twitter.com/Tfa6b6OAN1
It was not even their longest drive
Here's the part that should scare the rest of the league. The Seattle march wasn't Chicago's longest drive of the season, by duration, or play count. Back in Week 4 against the New York Jets, the Bears closed the game with a final drive that burned 9:07 off of the clock, capping a dominating 42:45 day.
In Week 5 against Green Bay, The Bears ran a 16-play drive that went for 78 yards and ate 9:10 off of the clock.
Possession is the Bears' identity
Pro Football Reference lists the Bears as having the highest time of possession per drive, averaging 3:09. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins follow closely behind, however those three teams are the only in the NFL to average over three minutes per drive.
Monday night in Seattle was the same story again. The Bears held the ball for just over 35 minutes, the opening drive was their 11th of five or more minutes this season, and they held Seattle to running only 56 plays. Every marathon drive is a series that keeps the opponents offense off of the field, and it's working.
One of the hardest tests comes on Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs just rushed for 324 yards against the Falcons, and held the ball for 35:16 without completing a single pass. Two teams that treat the clock like a weapon meet at Soldier Field, and only one of them gets to keep it.
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