Happy Thursday (and Boxing Day if you celebrate!), Seattle Seahawks fans! Hopefully you’ve had a good holiday week, because I sure as hell know you didn’t have a good Sunday after the Seahawks’ slim playoff hopes got even slimmer with their loss to the Minnesota Vikings. There’s scant time to mope and sulk, for the Seahawks have a primetime game to play against the hapless Chicago Bears.

It’s time for some predictions. Let’s first revisit what happened last week.

Bold prediction: Seahawks win the turnover battle

Not even close.

Seahawks offense prediction: DK Metcalf notches his first 100-yard game since Week 4

It was looking good when he had 3 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Goose egg after halftime.

Seahawks defense prediction: Sam Darnold is sacked at least three times

Exactly three times! Too bad two other sacks were wiped out due to penalties and led to touchdowns on the following play.

Enemy prediction: Andrew Van Ginkel picks off Geno Smith

Geno got picked twice, but neither came from Van Ginkel. Instead, he won NFC Defensive Player of the Week by sacking Smith twice.

Game prediction: Seahawks play Vikings close, come up just short

Yup, sadly.

Let’s see what Week 17 has in store for us.

Bold prediction: Caleb Williams’ interception streak ends

Caleb Williams has not thrown an interception in his last nine starts. He holds the NFL rookie record for most passes without an INT (326), which is very impressive. Doesn’t mean the Bears offense has been any good, but he’s taken care of the ball even if the downside is a very high sack rate. Geno Smith, meanwhile, has a shot to lead the NFL in interceptions now that Kirk Cousins is benched.

Streaks are meant to be broken, though. All it takes is a crazy tip drill or a route miscommunication or just a very bad throw for even the best to turn the ball over. The Seahawks were unable to pick off Sam Darnold last week and indeed any NFC North quarterback. Someone in the Seahawks secondary is due for a pick. I’m thinking Devon Witherspoon gets off the schneid.

Seahawks offense prediction: Jaxon Smith-Njigba reaches the century mark

As written earlier in the week by Field Gulls’ John Tapia, JSN only needs eight catches to surpass Tyler Lockett for the single-season franchise record for receptions. Lockett is the only Seahawk in history to have 100 catches in a season, and Smith-Njigba is poised to reach that mark either this week or next week. I’d rather he do it this week so we don’t have to do the “but 17-game season!” asterisk discussion.

Smith-Njigba has emerged as the number one option in the passing game and I don’t see much reason to believe that will change this week. Chicago has a really good cornerback in Jaylon Johnson, but he rarely lines up in the slot. Kyler Gordon is the Bears’ main slot corner but I go advantage JSN on that front.

Seahawks defense prediction: Sacks aplenty on Caleb Williams

Am I lazy for making another prediction about the Seahawks defense recording several sacks? Yes. Am I writing this particular line on Christmas night so this can run first thing in the morning? Also yes.

Williams’ sack rate is an astonishing 10.6% and he’s been dropped 60 times, and that’s acknowledging that he has shown Patrick Mahomes-esque elusiveness in between all of those sacks. A serious injury to Bears left tackle Braxton Jones has ended his season early, while left guard Teven Jenkins is also out. Our old pal Jake Curhan will be subbing in at left guard.

The Bears are playing backups on the left side of the offensive line. They have no excuses not to get to Williams several times, no matter how many quick throws to DJ Moore and Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze they attempt.

Enemy prediction: Darrell Taylor commits at least one penalty

Darrell Taylor definitely would’ve been better served staying here given the brief and painful Trevis Gipson experience. Alas, he likely wouldn’t have seen many snaps even with Uchenna Nwosu out, and his run defense woes would’ve been deemed intolerable by the coaching staff.

Taylor started out red hot with the Bears, recording two sacks of the sack-prone Will Levis, and forcing a game-ending interception off of Matthew Stafford thanks to a pressure that may or may not have been roughing the passer.

The sacks have not come since Week 1 but he’s gotten the odd pressure here and there. He’s also picked up a penalty in three of the last five weeks, including a roughing the passer that briefly shook up Brock Purdy, as well as a 4th down offside penalty that extended a drive. I think the former Seahawk commits a charitable act at some point and gives his old team some free yards just like the good old days.

Game prediction: Seahawks win a squeaker in a game that has no business being close

If you followed the 5 Qs and 5 As article on Windy City Gridiron, you’ll find my game prediction there. I expect the Seahawks to needlessly overcomplicate this game and necessitate another 4th quarter comeback. Turnovers, sloppy penalties, blown assignments, etc. will make this much closer than it needs to be. Boosted by Ryan Grubb’s latest edict to run the damn ball, combined with the recent collapse of the Bears defense, Zach Charbonnet flirts with a 100-yard day gets the winning touchdown to give Seattle a 23-20 win. Many of you will hop in the comments section and actually request I don’t even do an Enemy Reaction after such an alarming performance.