CHICAGO (AP) – The Seattle Seahawks were waiting for their shot at Jay Cutler, and when it came, they treated him like a tackling dummy.
Sound familiar, Bears fans?
The Seahawks sacked Cutler six times, and Matt Hasselbeck threw for a season-best 242 yards in a 23-20 victory over Chicago on Sunday.
“We knocked the quarterback around all day long,” coach Pete Carroll said, putting it mildly.
As bad as this one was, it didn’t quite measure up to the beating Cutler suffered two weeks earlier in a concussion-inducing, nine-sack first half against the New York Giants.
Cutler sat out the rest of that game as well as last week’s win at Carolina, and the Seahawks came into this one sensing an opportunity.
“We were licking our chops, the way the Giants had success,” said Lawyer Milloy, who had a sack.
Cutler was in trouble much of the afternoon, completing just 17 of 39 passes for 290 yards, yet he insisted he felt all right no matter how sickening this performance was. At least the Seahawks were blitzing, something the Giants rarely did two weeks ago.
Either way, it was another ugly afternoon for the Bears.
“I felt fine physically,” he said. “There was never any concern with that. I felt fine out there playing. We didn’t get it done today. It’s very simple.”
For all the blows he absorbed, Cutler did not take the game’s biggest hit.
That came in the closing minutes when Devin Hester ran a punt back 89 yards, equaling an NFL record with his 13th kick return for a touchdown. During the play, Earl Bennett lowered his shoulder and leveled punter Jon Ryan. Ryan stayed down for several minutes before walking off with a rib injury.
Carroll said he wasn’t sure how serious it is.
The Seahawks (3-2), coming off a bye week, got a needed lift by beating a team that was tied for the league’s best record.
“We’re growing,” Hasselbeck said. “We’re building on everything that we’re doing. We’re finding out who we are. As Pete would say, ‘We’re making us’ by how we do, by how we perform.”
Seattle had made several big moves since a loss to St. Louis two weeks ago, trading receiver Deion Branch back to New England and acquiring Marshawn Lynch from Buffalo hoping he could ignite a stagnant running game.
Lynch ran for 44 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth that made it 23-13 and capped a 92-yard drive.
“It’s been rough on me the last two years,” he said. “But to come over here in first game out and get a win and get in the end zone and have a great performance from those guys up front, is something that I feel that I can build on, and hopefully we can become great.”
Hasselbeck provided a big lift, completing 25 of 40 passes. Mike Williams set career-highs with 10 catches and 123 yards. Justin Forsett also ran for 67 yards and a touchdown.
It was a rough day all around for the Bears, who fell to 4-2 with their second loss in three games.
Cutler was sacked three times in the third quarter alone, including one by Jordan Babineaux for a safety early in the half that bumped Seattle’s lead to 16-13.
“It’s on me,” Cutler said. “It’s on the offensive line, it’s on the receivers. We’ve got to go in tomorrow, look at the film, make some corrections somewhere along the line and figure it out. I’ve got to get the ball out quicker. We’ve got to identify who’s coming and who’s not and receivers have got to see it.”
The Bears were 0 for 12 on third downs. And with Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs nursing a left ankle injury, a defense that has been solid couldn’t bail them out.
“Everything concerns me on a day like today,” coach Lovie Smith said.
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