The San Francisco 49ers secured a 42-38 win in a tightly contested game against the Chicago Bears on December 28 at Levi’s Stadium. Moreover, the Niners’ offense exposed a significant weakness for the Bears, leaving one former player worried about Chicago’s Super Bowl chances.
Brock Purdy went 24-for-33 on his pass attempts for 303 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The Bears’ defense had no answer for Purdy, who also had six carries for 28 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
After the loss to the Niners, former Bears player Patrick Mannelly shared his concern that Purdy was able to have his way with the opposing defense with his arm and legs, as Chicago didn’t have the 49ers signal-caller under constant pressure.
“They just still don’t have a pass rush,” Mannelly said on 670 The Score after the Bears’ loss on December 28. “Austin Booker got there once, batted a couple of balls, but that was at the line of scrimmage. And you’re right, when Trent Williams went out, I said, ‘Okay, I knew Brock Purdy could move. I didn’t know he could move that well.’
“I haven’t seen a whole bunch of Brock Purdy, but what a game for him. He had being able to move around the pocket and what he did early in the game as well. But I did. I thought those were huge advantages for this defense, and that’s why I’m disappointed.”
Bears’ Defense Overall Called Out After Loss to 49ers
Overall, the Chicago defense couldn’t stop the 49ers’ passing and rushing attack. On the ground, Christian McCaffrey recorded 140 rushing yards on 23 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per attempt while registering one touchdown. McCaffrey also hurt the Bears in the passing game with four receptions for 41 receiving yards.
As a result, Mannelly didn’t hold back on the Bears’ defense as a whole and didn’t just focus on the pass rush.
“Just no defense,” Mannelly added. “The game started out with a takeaway, which you love to see, which you have grown to know what the Bears do. But then, for the rest of the game, just zero defense at all. That was what was disappointing. You watched the tape going into this game, and I had a feeling it was going to be a high-scoring game, looking at their defense compared to our offense.
“You were hoping our defense would step up a little bit, knowing what’s in front of them with the playoffs. You saw what the 49ers did to the Colts the week before, and I was like, no, they’ll step up and play a little bit better. But just a shootout, and I wanted to see more defense.”
49ers’ Playoff Outlook Heading Into Week 18
With one game left in the 2025 NFL regular season, San Francisco control their destiny. A win over the Seattle Seahawks on January 3 at Levi’s Stadium and they get the NFC West division and the No. 1 seed in the conference. Moreover, the Niners have already beaten Seattle early in the campaign, so there’s positive momentum.
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