Game Overview ::
By MIKE JOHNSON >>
- This will be the first game for the Bears since firing Matt Eberflus from their head coaching position and since basically being eliminated from playoff contention.
- Chicago will likely be without RB Roschon Johnson this week, which could give D’Andre Swift a bigger workload if he is able to play through his quadricep injury.
- Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams has averaged 28 DraftKings points over the last two weeks after surpassing 20 points only three times in his first 10 games.
- The Bears have the league’s 30th-ranked run defense by DVOA, which presents a huge opportunity for new starting RB Isaac Guerendo.
- The status of 49ers OT Trent Williams and DE Nick Bosa will have big impacts on the likely success of each team’s respective offense.
HOW CHICAGO WILL TRY TO WIN ::
This will be the first game for the Bears since firing Eberflus from their head coaching position and since basically being eliminated from playoff contention. Interim head coach Thomas Brown stepped in as the offensive coordinator once Shane Waldron was fired and is now in charge of the entire operation. The players seem to respond well to him and early returns on the offensive side of the ball have been great, so this is a team that could make some noise to end the year. The Bears currently have less than a 1% chance to make the playoffs, so while we know their season is “over”, for the people in that organization that is nowhere near the case. This is a team with a 4-8 record who still has it within their reach to have above a .500 record in the rookie season of prized #1 pick, QB Caleb Williams. Obviously, that is not a “likely” outcome as they have games left after this week against the Lions, Vikings, Packers, and Seahawks – but nonetheless this team is not about to fold. We also must admit that despite the recent firing of their head coach, this team has been extremely competitive. A big part of Eberflus being fired has been the team’s inability to close out games and some head-scratching decisions at the end of tight games. As ugly as those things were, this is a team that realistically could/should have beaten three playoff teams over the last three weeks. So what we are dealing with here is a talented, hungry team that should be reenergized and still bring it. Williams is playing great football and this is a chance for Brown to make his case for a head coaching position in the future, so expect Chicago to bring it this week.
As for how the Bears will attack, their passing game has come to life recently and Williams has been really good since Waldron was removed from the equation, recording a QB rating of 95 or higher in all three games against the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 13-ranked DVOA defenses in the league. The 49ers’ defense is a shell of itself thanks to a litany of injuries, including All-Pro LB Fred Warner, who is playing through a fractured ankle, and Bosa, an All-Pro DE who seems likely to miss his third straight game. The 49ers have struggled to stop the run this year, ranking 24th in run defense DVOA and being gashed multiple times this season – which is uncharacteristic for them. The Bears’ running game has improved throughout the season but struggled against the stout fronts of Minnesota and Detroit. Johnson, a second-year running back, suffered a concussion on Thanksgiving and is likely to miss this game, while Swift, who’s still the clear starter, missed the first two practices of this week with a quadriceps injury. If Swift is unable to go, career special-teamer Travis Homer will likely lead the backfield, but the team would likely have to throw at a higher rate than they want to. Ultimately, a lot of this game from the Bears’ side will depend on how the injuries play out for their offensive players and the 49ers’ defense. Swift being on the field would give them a strong chance of moving the ball on the ground and sustaining drives early. While the end product was solid the last two weeks, the offense struggled for the first half of both games. The other angle to consider for this game is whether the team looks to get rookie WR Rome Odunze more involved as Eberflus is no longer fighting for his job and priorities from above may be to push the limits of what Odunze can give them. The Bears’ offense has become very condensed if everyone is healthy, with Swift likely to dominate the backfield, TE Cole Kmet out there nearly every play, and a high rate of 11-personnel (three WRs) with Odunze, Keenan Allen, and DJ Moore running almost every route.
You must be logged in to view collective notes about a game.
You must be logged in to add notes about a game.