It’s late December and the Chicago Bears are playoff-bound.
With two games remaining, there is still all-important seeding to play for. The Bears have a (remote) chance at the No. 1 seed and no matter how remote, we know coach Ben Johnson is going to go for it.
The San Francisco 49ers have the No. 1 seed and a possible division title to play for.
A lot of teams talk about “playoff atmosphere” in December and I think this game will fit the bill. It should be good experience for a young Bears team to
go on the road and get a taste of what’s coming in January.
Our team has what it’s going to take for Chicago to get a big victory on the road.
Josh: The 9ers offense is explosive and goes through CMC. Allen needs to find a way to minimize big plays. Meanwhile, Chicago needs to control time of possession by running the ball. Caleb needs touchdown drives instead of field goals.
Jack R Salo: Nine of the 49ers games have hit the over total, including three of their four losses. Their defense is missing key pieces like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, but Christian McCaffrey & company are doing enough on offense to make most games into shootouts. The Bears will probably need to average one touchdown per quarter to keep up. The 49ers have a matchup with the Seahawks next week, and the Bears had a two-day head start to prep for this game. The Bears need to make sure it’s the other guys who come unprepared.
Lester: The ‘Niners passing defense hasn’t been very good this season, but that shouldn’t get the Bears off their run-the-ball mindset. They can run it on anyone, and they need to give San Fran a healthy dose of Swift and Monangai. Play physical, and hit them with some timely shots downfield. The ball control will keep the 49ers offense on the sideline, which Chicago needs because their defense will struggle to stop Brock Purdy and company.
Sam: Control the clock, control the line of scrimmage and Chicago can eek out a win. The 49ers have one of the most potent offenses in the league. The defense will struggle to get stops, so the offense needs to get touchdowns instead of field goals.
What do you think it’s going to take to beat the 49ers on Sunday Night Football?
