Hawks beat Bears 23-17 in overtime thriller

CHICAGO -- The Seattle Seahawks kept it close Sunday at Soldier Field.

And, unlike five out of six previous road games, close was good enough for the win.

The Hawks defeated the Chicago Bears 23-17 in overtime Sunday in a scrap-and-claw battle that saw two scores in the final minute of regulation.

In a game that saw limited offense throughout, it was Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson who largely carried the team to their second road victory of the year. Wilson went 23-for-37 with 293 yards and two touchdown passes, including a 13-yard pass to Sidney Rice with 7:40 to go in overtime to secure the Hawks victory.

Though the Hawks went into the half with a 10-7 lead, the team was stifled by a strong Bears defense that kept Marshawn Lynch to just 87-yards on 19 carries. The Seahawks trailed 14-10 when the Bears punted the ball with under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, pinning the Hawks down on their own 3-yard-line.  But Wilson, heralded as one of the strongest and most surprising rookies of the season, led the Hawks on a 12-play, 97-yard drive touchdown drive with 32 seconds left in the game to put the Hawks up by a field goal.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Bears quarterback Jay Cutler connected with star wide receiver Brandon Marshall in the waning seconds of the quarter to set up a 46-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.

The overtime momentum quickly shifted back to the Hawks. The team won the overtime coin toss and marched down the field in a 12-play, 80-yard drive to secure the win in a brutal final play that may have injured wide receiver Rice.

If the playoffs started Sunday, the Seahawks would have faced the Bears at Soldier Field in the first-round matchup.

The Seahawks will head home to face the Arizona Cardinals Dec. 9 at CenturyLink Field.