Seahawks, Bears seek to rebound from opening losses

The Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears each held fourth-quarter leads on the road in Week 1, but one of them will exit Monday night's battle at Soldier Field with an 0-2 record.

The Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears each held fourth-quarter leads on the road in Week 1, but one of them will exit Monday night's battle at Soldier Field with a 0-2 record.

The Bears' collapse surely was more crushing, as they led by 20 in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth before a gimpy Aaron Rodgers willed the Packers to a miraculous 24-23 victory. Once eyeing a share of the NFC North lead, Chicago would slip two games out with a loss to Seattle at Green Bay hosts 1-0 Minnesota on Sunday.

"In this league, you've got to have a short memory," Bears receiver Allen Robinson said. "There's a lot of games. You've got to forget about it. We've got a big task this week at home."

The Seahawks picked off Case Keenum three times in their opener against Denver but couldn't keep a 24-20 fourth-quarter advantage, losing 27-24. A sluggish run game (16 carries for 64 yards) and six sacks of Russell Wilson led to inconsistency on offense, as 117 of the team's 306 yards came on two plays. The other 53 snaps averaged 3.6 yards per play.

Pete Carroll defended his offensive line's performance, however, saying Wilson was responsible for some of the sacks.

"I think our protection is better than it's been," Carroll said. "Six sacks doesn't show you that, but the four-man rushes that [the Broncos] did, we did very well on and we'll be able to clean some things up."

There's no rest for the much-maligned front five, which says goodbye to Von Miller (three sacks, two forced fumbles) and hello to Khalil Mack and a Bears front that had four sacks at Lambeau Field. After Mack stole the show in the first half of his debut -- tallying a strip-sack, fumble recovery, and pick-6 -- his new teammates remain in awe.

"Did you see Khalil's, where he just snatches the ball from [DeShone Kizer]?" defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said this week. "Who does that? You dream about that type of play, you know? Pretty cool."

Mack should play a bit more this week after getting eased in (42 of 60 snaps) at Green Bay. Linebacker Roquan Smith, a first-round selection in the NFL draft in April, missed the preseason with a holdout and hamstring tightness, but he also could get more work after seeing just eight snaps in his debut.

"Whatever Coach feels like is best for me as far as playing time-wise, if it's one quarter or an entire game, whatever that may be, I'm just with it," Smith said.

For Seattle, Earl Thomas should return to an every-snap role after playing 64 of 74 in a return from his own holdout. He made the most of his chances, baiting Keenum for a pick and tipping another pass that teammate Bradley McDougald, who later nabbed two interceptions of his own, couldn't corral.

However, the Seahawks will be walking wounded elsewhere. Linebackers Bobby Wagner (groin) and K.J. Wright, who had a knee scope shortly before the season, have been ruled out. Rookie fifth-round selection Shaquem Griffin started for Wright last week but was pulled late in favor of Austin Calitro after he "got fooled on a couple things," as Carroll put it.

The Seahawks signed linebacker Mychal Kendricks on Friday to reinforce the position. Kendricks, who made his name as a long-time starter with the Philadelphia Eagles, was cut by the Cleveland Browns in August after he was charged with insider trading. He pleaded guilty before a federal judge earlier this month and faces up to 25 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December.

Wideout Doug Baldwin, who injured his right knee against Denver after missing all of the preseasons with left knee soreness, is also out. That should mean more work for Tyler Lockett and newcomer Brandon Marshall, both of whom scored in the opener.

Cornerbacks Shaquill Griffin (thigh) and Tre Flowers (hamstring) are questionable and doubtful, respectively, after both players started and played 70-plus snaps last week. With cornerback Dontae Johnson already on injured reserve, the Seahawks have only three other healthy players at the position, though they promoted safety Shalom Luani from the practice squad Saturday.

To make space for Luani, the team released starting defensive tackle, Tom Johnson. Johnson -- who the Seahawks intend to re-sign after Monday, per an NFL Network report -- played 39 snaps in the opener and is already guaranteed $1.85 million for this year.

Other than tight end Adam Shaheen (foot, injured reserve), the Bears are mostly healthy. Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd will continue to play with a club on his broken right hand.