Nobody in Seattle was waiting on a James Lynch interception. Not the Seahawks, not the Bears and, you’d guess, not Lynch himself. But with about six minutes left Monday night, the 295-pound defensive tackle cradled a tipped pass and sealed a 34-17 win over the defending champions.
James Lynch Interception Capped a Four-Man Chain Reaction
Seattle had crept within 20-17 early in the fourth quarter. Chicago answered with a touchdown to go back up ten, and then came the play. On third down, Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat flushed Sam Darnold out of the pocket. Austin Booker got a hand on the throw, and the ball fluttered into Lynch’s arms. He returned it 16 yards to the Seattle 6, and D’Andre Swift scored from five yards out with 4:41 left to make it 34-17.
Four defensive linemen were part of that play, and the least famous one finished it. It was also the Bears’ lone interception of the night, the one thing a dominant defensive game had been missing.
Why James Lynch Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here
Lynch is the son of a former Nebraska linebacker (his middle name is Husker), and he punted in high school. The Vikings made him a fourth-round pick in 2020 after a 13.5-sack junior season at Baylor. He tore his ACL in 2023 training camp and missed the whole year. Minnesota waived him the next summer, and he caught on with Tennessee, where he played every game for two seasons.
The Bears signed him in March to a one-year, $1.3 million deal, and by summer projections had him as a roster cut. Monday night, he outlasted the projections.
Jeffery Simmons Helped Make It Possible, and Lynch Explained Why
Lynch spent two seasons beside Simmons in Tennessee, and when Simmons arrived at Halas Hall, he stretched next to Lynch at his first practice. After the game, Lynch laid out what a player like that does for everyone else: offenses have to account for him, and that opens chances elsewhere. “He’s a special player, and it’s nice to have him on our side,” he said.
Monday’s interception was that logic in action. Simmons and Sweat collapsed the pocket, Booker tipped the ball, and Lynch was the one standing in the right spot.
The James Lynch interception won’t make anyone’s Hall of Fame reel. It wasn’t a pick-six, and it didn’t need to be. It left the Bears 6-2 and off to their best start since 2012. Depth is easy to praise in September. It’s harder to find in November, when the ball is tipped and somebody has to be standing there. On Monday night, it was James Lynch.
James Lynch Interception: The Cut Candidate Who Sealed Win Over Seattle