The Chicago Bears fell short as the San Francisco 49ers pulled out a tightly contested 42-38 win on December 28 at Levi’s Stadium.
It was a shootout between the two playoff-bound teams, but it was the Niners who scored late in the fourth quarter at the 2:15-minute mark on a touchdown from Jauan Jennings that proved to be the difference.
Chicago did have an opportunity to score and take the lead as time expired, but couldn’t convert a touchdown, leading to the 49ers’ win. After the contest, Bears head coach Ben Johnson gave credit to San Francisco for coming away with the victory.
“They controlled the ball,” Johnson told reporters postgame. “They did a good job building the lead there, down by seven at halftime. We couldn’t stay on the field on offense. We were 0-for-3 on third downs. They were five for seven on third downs in that first half. And yet, [in the] second half, I did feel like we picked up our game a little bit as a team.
“We closed that gap and made it to where we could potentially win that thing there at the end. So, I was proud of the guys for that, but it just wasn’t enough. And when you go on the road against a good team like that, you got to be on top of your mess the entire time. And we just weren’t.”
49ers Exploited Bears’ Struggles to Generate Pass Rush
Moreover, the Bears’ defense couldn’t stop the 49ers’ offense. 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.”
The Bears’ Defense Struggled to Stop the 49ers’ Attack
Chicago struggled across the board defensively, failing to slow down the 49ers through the air or on the ground. Christian McCaffrey was the centerpiece of that success, piling up 140 yards on 23 carries and finding the end zone.
He also made an impact as a receiver, adding four catches for 41 yards to further stress the Bears. That performance prompted Mannelly to deliver a pointed critique that went beyond the pass rush, calling out the defense as a whole.
“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.”
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