49ers-Bears Game Preview: Time For A Pride Check

The Niners need to run to victory.

Oct 27, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo (31) celebrates with San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) after scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

After three straight losses, the 49ers face a pride check game at home against Chicago. This week Deebo Samuel said the team is better than their 5-7 record, here’s the opportunity to prove it. The young 4-8 Bears should be galvanized by the firing of much maligned head coach Matt Eberflus and will look to make a statement of their own.

The question coming into this matchup is who are the 49ers at this point? Are they the team that got buried in the cold and snow in losing the last two weeks 73-20, or is Samuel correct that they are capable of far more? Green Bay and Buffalo are top-seven teams in the league and the Niners looked overmatched.

Chicago plays games to the wire but loses, the sign of a young team. Can the Niners find their best within? This game will reveal if the team is capable of playing with urgency and elevating their execution to close out a win.

INJURIES

Trent Williams and Nick Bosa are out, the 49ers are 0 for the decade when both miss a game, 0-5 since 2020. George Odom is out, Talanoa Hufanga and Aaron Banks are questionable.

For Chicago, RB Roschon Johnson, OL Ryan Bates, and DB Elijah Hicks are out. Key playmakers RB D’Andre Swift and WR D.J. Moore are questionable.

49ERS ON OFFENSE

The Bears defense ranks 8th in the NFL but has an Achilles heel, they can’t stop the run, 3rd worst in the league at 4.9 yards per carry. They gave up 194 yards on the ground to Detroit last week. With Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason out, the Niners turn to rookie Isaac Guerendo. He adds breakaway speed but also has a weakness, he’s a liability in pass protection.

Kyle Shanahan will have decisions to make on how to deal with pass pro and if Guerendo will be featured heavily. Earlier this season without a clear 2nd option he turned to Samuel, but Deebo has been ineffective on the ground this year.

For Brock Purdy, a welcome return to the mild Northern California weather with a forecast of 63 cloudy and dry with no wind. Purdy says his shoulder is 100% and he faces no limitations. George Kittle received few targets in Buffalo and needs to be featured in this matchup, particularly in the red zone.

Chicago is an opportunistic defense, they’re sixth in the league in turnovers. The dry weather should help Purdy protect the ball, Guerendo needs to have a clean game with the high reps.

CHICAGO ON OFFENSE

Caleb Williams holds the ball longer than any quarterback in the league. While that creates an opportunity for the Niners pass rush, he’s a dangerous threat as a runner. Williams has averaged 7.5 yards per carry in his last four games. He has talented weapons and his play has improved under new offensive coordinator and now the interim head coach Thomas Brown.

Lead back Swift is not 100% and the Bears 2nd back Johnson is out. Swift has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry or less in four of his last five games. The Niners were burned by the run against Green Bay and Buffalo, but both teams have excellent offensive lines and high impact backs, Chicago does not.

Williams likes to spread the ball around and has a deep group of passing targets including Moore, Swift, Keenan Allen, rookie Rome Odunze, and tight end Cole Kmet. Without Bosa, can the 49ers get to Williams while covering the targets, and preparing to stop him as a runner? It’s a tall order to get all of that done.

Of additional concern, the 49ers red zone defense has been a red carpet, nine touchdowns in the last nine possessions they’ve faced.

Can the Niners' defense turn over Chicago without Bosa? Williams has done an outstanding job of protecting the football. No interceptions in six straight games, tying an NFL rookie record that goes back to 1950.

PREDICTION (7-5)

When facing the same opponents Chicago has played much tighter games than the Niners. However, division games trend that way. The more important pattern is team execution and Chicago is playing better ball than the Niners coming into this game.

I agree with Deebo on the Niners being better than their record to a point, clearly superior teams in Green Bay and Buffalo made the Niners look worse than they are in the cold and the snow. So who are the real Niners? We’re about to find out. I think this team has a lot of pride and when faced with show up or be shown up they’ll compete.

A loss ends the season and with it a pronouncement of not just a failed year but the end of an era. They know that. Which is why I think the Niners do show up and get the win by running the ball on a vulnerable Bears run defense to gut out a close game.

49ers 24 Chicago 20

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