The Seattle Seahawks on Thursday made just enough plays to boost their fading NFL playoff hopes by beating the struggling Chicago Bears.
They will be rooting for the Arizona Cardinals to beat the Los Angeles Rams this weekend.
Riq Woolen intercepted Caleb Williams’ late pass as the Seahawks squeezed past Chicago 6-3 to hand the Bears their 10th straight loss.
Photo: AFP
Jason Myers kicked field-goals on the game’s first possession and near the end of the second quarter. Leonard Williams had two of Seattle’s seven sacks, while Woolen sealed the win in the closing minute.
Chicago (4-12) had a fourth down at the Seattle 40 with 20 seconds remaining. The Seahawks (9-7) brought the blitz, and a leaping Woolen picked off a pass intended for Keenan Allen at the 22, ending Williams’ NFL rookie-record string of passes without an interception at 353.
“We’re in the mode of control what we can control,” Seattle 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. We’re praying that it’s for the division championship.”
Geno Smith threw for 160 yards, and the sluggish Seahawks came away with a win they sorely needed after dropping two in a row.
They came in trailing the NFC West-leading Rams by a game with two remaining.
“We still are seeing it as a possibility,” Williams said. “In a way, we’re trying to say, ‘Let’s control the controlables and let the other things fall into place as they will.’”
Seattle’s most likely route to the playoffs is by having the Rams lose to Arizona today and beating Los Angeles to close the regular season.
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