Let’s look at what happened in this game:
Seattle fumbled on the opening drive of the game, with the ball being stripped on a first-down run. Not only did a first-down run stall a drive, but the bears continue to strip the ball and players don’t seem to prepare for this.
As a result of the fumble and momentum change, the bears scored a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. They completed a 23-yard pass to Brandon Marshall on 3rd-and-12, when Marshall should have been triple-teamed all game since he is their only real weapon.
Up 7-0 midway through the first quarter, the bears fumbled a punt at their 12, and Seattle came away with the ball. The refs gave the ball to the bears, which both announcers questioned. This could have cost the Seahawks a touchdown.
A first-down run stalled another Seattle drive.
Midway through the second quarter, on a bear punt, a bear player pulled a Seahawk player down by the facemask, but the refs called a low-block penalty on the Seattle player, forcing Seattle to start from their own 6.
With 9 seconds to go in the half, tied at 7, Seattle threw a touchdown pass, but the touchdown was overruled on review, so Seattle had to kick a field goal. It is extremely questionable if there was conclusive evidence, and Pete Carroll, prior to heading off the field, was angry and asked the refs how they could determine the receiver’s hands weren’t under the ball.
In the first half, Marshall caught 7 passes for 94 yards, and the announcers questioned a number of times why the Seahawks weren’t double-teaming him more. I would have triple-teamed him.
The bears scored a TD in the third quarter to take a 14-10 lead. They were stopped at their own 9, but a hands-to-the-face penalty gave them a first down. Later in the drive, a Seahawk roughed Cutler after he slid, giving the bears another 15 yards. This was a gift TD.
With 20 seconds left in regulation, the bears at their own 14, and the Seahawks up 17-14, Marshall caught a 56-yard pass that allowed the bears to kick the tying field goal at the end of regulation. All game I said he should be triple-teamed, and the announcers said again how they were shocked that the Seahawks didn’t double- or triple-team Marshall. Jeffery, Hester, and Bennett were all hurt, so their other receivers were all backups, yet they still didn’t cover Marshall properly.