NFL Preview | November 2, 2026
Week 8 closes with two NFC contenders that each made a blockbuster move this week. Chicago traded for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons on Thursday, and defending champion Seattle added six-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson two days earlier. Both are expected to play. Kickoff is 8:15 PM ET on ESPN from Lumen Field.
Two Deadline Blockbusters, One Monday Night
Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks | 8:15 PM ET | ESPN
KEY STAT
8
Interceptions for Sam Darnold, the most in the NFL, four of them under pressure. Chicago just added Jeffery Simmons to a front that already generates plenty of it.
Chicago is 5-2 after a 30-24 win over New England on Thursday night, and it has been a better team since Caleb Williams returned from his hamstring injury. In four starts he has completed 71% of his passes for 1,020 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, with 128 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground, and he has thrown for 300 yards in back-to-back games. D'Andre Swift has 476 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and the Bears are coming off 11 days of rest. Tight end Cole Kmet is on injured reserve and running back Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) did not practice Thursday or Friday. The defense is the question: it ranks near the bottom in pressure rate and allows the most long passes in the league, which is why Simmons, a three-time All-Pro, is making his debut here.
Seattle is 4-3 and has won one of its last three, most recently a 20-3 win over Kansas City. Sam Darnold has 1,290 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, and he has faced the highest pressure rate per dropback in the league. The line is a concern: left tackle Charles Cross (ankle) is out, and Nelson is a late addition at guard that could also shift Seattle's other starters. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 867 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, and the Seahawks' defense has been strong on a per-play basis, led by Leonard Williams. Edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu is doubtful and quarterback Drew Lock is questionable with his elbow. Seattle has covered only once in four home games this season, but it is 16-8 against the spread and 19-5 straight up on Monday night since 2005, per ESPN.
Chicago wins if Williams keeps the offense efficient and Simmons and the front get Darnold under constant pressure behind a line missing its left tackle.
Seattle wins if its defense slows Swift and forces Williams into tougher throws, and Darnold protects the ball against the Bears' new front.
Lean Chicago +3 (Lean), and lean the under 46.5 (Toss-up).
THE CARD · CHI @ SEA
The line SEA -3 · CHI +3 · total 46.5 · DraftKings
This season CHI 5-2 ATS, 3-4 O/U · SEA 2-3-2 ATS, 3-4 O/U
Rest & availability CHI 11 days, Kmet on IR, Monangai did not practice, Simmons expected to debut · SEA 8 days, Cross, Shaheed and Velus Jones out, Nwosu doubtful, Lock questionable, Nelson expected to debut
Lean CHI +3 (Lean) · Under ↓ 46.5 (Toss-up)
Driven by the schedule. Chicago has 11 days of rest, a hot quarterback and a new All-Pro defensive tackle against a Seattle line missing its left tackle, though Seattle has been strong on Monday nights. The Bears' defense has allowed the most long passes in the league, so the total splits between two teams that are both 3-4 to the over.
What to Watch For Monday Night.
Watch how many snaps Simmons plays in his first game for Chicago, how Seattle's line looks without Cross and with Nelson, and whether the Bears' defense can keep Smith-Njigba from getting loose deep. That closes out Week 8. We'll have the recap Tuesday, with every card graded and the season record updated.
