The Chicago Bears are 4-2, their best start in over a decade. They’ve won three in a row and have spent the bye week getting healthy. Even better, their upcoming schedule is filled with more winnable games like the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals. However, things get a lot tougher after that. They still have six games against the NFC North, which is undeniably the deepest division in football, with Green Bay, Detroit, and Minnesota now all having five wins. Yet it doesn’t stop there.
One of the most imposing matchups in the second half will be against the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. That is a team that has played in a conference final four of the last five seasons. They are considered the cream of the crop. However, this season is going wrong for them in several ways. They were hit with further devastating news after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk likely tore his ACL, ending his season.
The Chicago Bears will catch the 49ers at their most vulnerable.
Losing Aiyuk is bad enough. Don’t forget they’ve been without star running back Christian McCaffrey all year due to Achilles problems. Deebo Samuel has also been battling health problems all year. This is not the team that finished last season an overtime away from a championship. Even their vaunted defense is only 17th against the past. They are still well-coached, but the Bears have no reason to fear this version of San Francisco. They match up well with them.
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Much of this depends on if the defense can contain Kyle Shanahan’s usual wizardry. His ground game remains one of the best in the league, even without McCaffrey. The Chicago Bears are 11th against the run but have sometimes shown weakness. If they can put the game on Brock Purdy’s shoulders, with key weapons out of the picture, this game could be decisive for the Bears’ playoff hopes.
Hey Erik, just curious, I know you’re trying to point out that the 49ers just had several debilitating injuries. And you were hoping that the Bears pounce on them. Which is a nice thought. However, the way you’ve worded your article makes it sound like the 49ers game versus the Bears is just around the corner. When you look at the schedule after Sunday’s game which is six days away vs the Commanders, it will be six more weeks before the Bears play the 49ers. Today is Monday morning, so you were looking at a potential matchup that is almost… Read more »
I’m an Aiyuk fan, and I’ll be the first to admit I think his holdout obviously impacted his start to the season. How many WRs had a lousy year after a contract impasse in the offseason? I’ve said it before, I have devalued the WR position.
Well, injuries or not, San Francisco is due a few years of relative adversity, given that they used 3 first round picks to acquire Trey Lance, who was a bust, and got a 4th back for him, so I’m not surprised to see them take a bit of a tumble. Seriously, imagine any team, and then remove their last three firsts, and see how good they are. They probably will still make the playoffs, but I don’t anticipate a long run from them unless they do something phenomenal in the trade market. Hey, maybe Velus Jones is just what they… Read more »
Hey mercenary fans, the good and positive news keeps on flowing, if not oozing, in favor of the Bears. If this luck continues, then nothing will stop us now, but possibly the next presidential election outcome.
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