The Chicago Bears don’t have to worry about inconsistency from the national media. Everybody everywhere thinks they’re going to lose on Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers. That isn’t a surprise. Most view the Bears as one of the worst teams in the NFL, with some predicting 3-14 or 2-15 records. They’re a heavy favorite for the #1 overall pick. The actual players on the team disagree. Belief in the locker room is this team’s talent isn’t getting enough respect.
Fair or not, their first chance to prove it comes at Soldier Field on September 11th. It is a tough opening act for them. Last season they opened against another NFC West powerhouse (the Rams) and got blown out by 20 points. This 49ers team throttled them 31-10 in the regular season last year and almost beat them again to reach the Super Bowl. So yeah, the Bears won’t have many believers when they run onto that field.
Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers is a weird one.
Backstory:
These are two teams in different stages of existence. The 49ers just went to the NFC championship. They have a roster most agree is capable of winning a Super Bowl. The Bears spent the past few months turning over almost two-thirds of their roster. It shouldn’t be a surprise everybody calls them a rebuilding team. When two opponents with these designations meet, it’s easy to understand why one is heavily favored over the other.
Chicago is looking for some revenge after last season. The Bears gave the 49ers a spirited game at Soldier Field, making it 23-22 at one point in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, a defensive collapse allowed San Francisco to put it out of reach 33-22. No doubt the team hopes to exorcise a few demons from that frustrating loss.
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Injuries to watch:
Velus Jones Jr. (hamstring) – The rookie wide receiver hasn’t practiced much for the past month. It wasn’t clear why. Now we know. Hamstring injuries can linger, especially for sprinters like Jones. He flashed such potential in the preseason win over Seattle. The Bears had hoped he could significantly contribute to their offense with his speed and versatility. Having missed another practice, that appears in doubt.
Georgia Kittle (groin) – This is a big one for San Francisco. Their superstar tight end is a menace when he’s on the field, and they need him to help make life for their untested young quarterback easier. Having missed his latest practice, it is becoming questionable if he can suit up on Sunday, given how dangerous groin issues can be. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they sat him just to be safe.
Key matchups:
Braxton Jones vs. Nick Bosa – Everybody watching has this circled. For good reason too. Bosa is a two-time Pro Bowler who had 15.5 sacks last year. Jones is a 5th round rookie who never played against top college competition. This screams mismatch. Still, the Chicago Bears seem confident in their young left tackle. If he can survive, it drastically helps their odds of pulling an upset.
Kyler Gordon vs. Deebo Samuel – The star 49ers receiver abused the Bears in the meeting last season, catching six passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Much of the damage came from attacking the middle of the field, specifically their nickel corners and linebackers. Gordon has lined up in the slot most of training camp and the preseason. If that trend holds, then he figures to see lots of Samuel. Quite the first test for the 2nd round pick.
X-factors:
Trey Lance – The former 3rd overall pick spent his first season on the bench. Now he is finally the starter. People should be hyped. Yet there is a constant undercurrent of concerns regarding Lance. He hasn’t appeared as ready as some would like. That might explain why San Francisco chose to keep Jimmy Garoppolo rather than trade him as expected. If Lance struggles, it could disrupt everything for the 49ers.
Cole Kmet – When looking back at the game last year, the Bears had lots of success against San Francisco using their tight ends. Kmet and Jesse James combined for six catches, 62 yards, and a touchdown. This new offense in Chicago is designed to help tight ends in the passing game. That should give Kmet significant opportunities. If he can take advantage of them, the Bears offense will be able to keep the 49ers off balance.
Prediction: 49ers win 23-20
Expect the Chicago Bears to play smarter than in years past. They’ll also have tons of energy. In the end, it will be the offensive wizardry of Kyle Shanahan and a stacked defense that carries San Francisco to a narrow win. The Bears’ defense will struggle to stop the run, and Lance makes enough throws to get by. Justin Fields will do the best he can, but constant pressure won’t allow him to do more than scramble or settle for short, quick passes. Still, there will be signs this team won’t be a pushover as many expect.
As a life long Bear fan, I place a lot of hope into the new coaches. I didn’t like Fox, Trestman or Nagy. Pace did acquire some talent in draft, but his lop sided trades made it pretty evident he was making moves to hang on to his job.
It will be interesting to watch the Re-staffed Bears. We will have to wait and see. IMO it takes a handful of games to have both the O & D to hit some sort of stride. Preseason displayed encouraging signs. It will take time. I believe the gloom & doom crowd will be surprised.
While I love the optimism and I consider myself a optimist as well, there is still the fog of war on this one. Can our O line be good? I fkn really hope so , just to make the Colin Cowshits of the world STFU. It would be great if their O line fails so maybe the story can be flipped on its ass!
I still see SF winning this one , but I am with you all. Stay competitive and play smart, its all we can ask for.
I’d be really happy with a competitive Game from start to finish that’s not a blowout … baby steps!
The Bears’ defense is going to eat like they’re at the buffet on Sunday. Yeah, Shanahan will try to run the ball down the Bears’ throats to minimize Lance’s growing pains, but, I’m sure Flus and Williams are preparing for that and will have a plan for it. #Coaching Matters.