The San Francisco 49ers defense will have a significant challenge in Week 17 when they face Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. Williams and Co. are coming into this contest with confidence after their comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 16.
San Francisco’s defense has adopted the bend but don’t break motto, even though it has been without its big-name players, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, for most of the 2025 NFL season.
Ahead of a potential rematch in the postseason, Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke about facing a defense led by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
“It starts with play style with them,” Johnson told reporters on December 26. “It’s been that way ever since he’s been coaching. I think I went against the Jets one time when he was there. It’s a trademark of that defense. It’s a trademark of San Francisco’s defense. Now, these guys go all out every single snap. They try to get as many defenders in the frame at the end of the play that you possibly can.
“I think that that right there when you know it’s a play style like that, that’s a challenge in and of itself because they can they could potentially out-effort you if you allow them to do that. That’s a huge point of emphasis for us here this week. I think the front is a unique front where there’s a number of teams that do it.”
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Has Praise for Caleb Williams
Chicago have put together a strong 2025 NFL season and are in a prime position to win the NFC North during Johnson’s first year in charge. That success has coincided with clear growth from Williams, who has made noticeable strides as a quarterback.
Through 15 games, Williams has an 89.5 passer rating with 3,400 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions, according to StatMuse. Ahead of the December 24 matchup, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan praised Williams while noting that San Francisco’s defense will aim to challenge him.
“Caleb is one of the best throwers, one of the best athletic quarterbacks I’ve ever seen in terms of his height, weight, and speed,” Shanahan told reporters (h/t 95.7 The Game). “He makes some big-time throws, extremely scary on the perimeter. Can hold onto the ball for a while, not in a bad way, but by creating stuff, which makes coverages have to hold out forever.
“When you have a talented guy like that who’s got the speed and the size, run game, get some bootlegs and play actions off of it. You limit how many times you [get] to drop back. It makes sense why he’s playing such a high level.”
49ers Urged to Dial Back Christian McCaffrey Usage
Meanwhile, on the Niners’ side of the offense, they will lean on Christian McCaffrey, who is coming off racking up 117 yards rushing on 21 carries while recording 29 receiving yards on six receptions, along with two touchdowns in the win over the Indianapolis Colts on December 22 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Nonetheless, on the December 23 edition of “The Herd,” host Colin Cowherd believes that the Niners are overusing McCaffrey heading into their Week 17 game against the Bears.
“Seventh time this year, [McCaffrey has] had 27 plus touches,” Cowherd said. “No other player in the league has had more than three. He’s a 29-year-old with an injury history. The game was out of reach. They already have two fewer days to prepare for a very good team, Chicago. That game means something for the Niners.
“Christian McCaffrey next week will blow through Saquon Barkley’s touches of last year, which, if you’ve watched Saquon this year, he feels like a bit of a shot fighter. In fact, if you look at most touches among teams in playoff positions, McCaffrey not only leads the league, he’s a mile ahead of No. 2, James Cook… He’s the third-best running back I’ve ever seen, but they’re overusing him.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bears’ Ben Johnson Doesn’t Hold Back on 49ers Defense appeared first on Heavy Sports.