Last meeting
Robbie Gould booted the Bears into the 2006 NFC Championship Game, converting on a 49-yard field goal in overtime for a 27-24 win. Gould's 41-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the fourth quarter tied the game. Thomas Jones rushed for a pair of scores and Rex Grossman threw a touchdown pass to lead the Bears.
Streaks
The Bears have won the last two meetings, including last year's playoff win, but Seattle leads the all-time series 6-4.
Last week
Grossman replaced injured starter Brian Griese and lead the Bears to a 17-6 win at Oakland. Grossman connected with Bernard Berrian on a 59-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Seahawks blanked San Francisco 24-0 on Monday night.
At stake
The Bears are on the fringe of the NFC playoff race. Chicago trails NFC North front-runner Green Bay by four games, but it is still in the wild-card playoff race. The Seahawks lead the NFC West, but it appears the Cardinals won't go away easily. Seattle has a lot of ground to make up if it longs for a first-round bye, which does not appear likely.
Key matchup:
Bears quarterback Rex Grossman vs. Seahawks pass defense. With Griese still suffering from a bruised left shoulder, Grossman's back in for the Bears. And he doesn't get an easy matchup in his return as the starter. Seattle harrassed Alex Smith on Monday night, sacking the 49ers quarterback three times and holding him to just 114 yards on 12-of-28 passing. You can bet the Seahawks will try to pressure Grossman, who before losing his job in Week 4, had six interceptions compared to just one touchdown, and was sacked nine times.
