Tag: Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers

30 Most Important Bears of 2023: No. 11 Jaquan Brisker

At No. 11 in our 30 Most Important Bears of 2023 is Jaquan Brisker, a player who could be on the verge of stardom this season.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2023 NFL season, which features plenty of new and returning faces within the organization. There are a number of players, coaches and front office members that are crucial to the team’s success this season.

Every day from now until the start of training camp, we’re counting down our 30 Most Important Bears for the 2023 season. We’ll recap their 2022 season, look ahead to 2023 and tackle the biggest question facing them this year.

Up next at No. 11 is safety Jaquan Brisker, the standout rookie from last year who could be on the verge of stardom this season.

Bears winning in Week 1 has historically meant good things for the season

A victory in week one has usually meant a good season is on the horizon for the Chicago Bears.

The Chicago Bears in week one are just like a groundhog in early February. If they don’t get scared off by their shadow and secure a win to start the year, it usually means a good season is on the horizon.

They did just that against the San Francisco 49ers, winning 19-10 in an ugly game with even uglier weather conditions. The Bears came from behind with three unanswered touchdowns to upset the 49ers. The victory gave Chicago and head coach Matt Eberflus a 1-0 start on the season against a team many have considered to be a Super Bowl contender.

A win to start the season doesn’t guarantee the rest of the year will be successful. The good vibes may easily evaporate next week following the prime-time matchup against the Green Bay Packers and the Bears could find themselves in a skid. But more often than not, a victory in week one led to a good season, at least record-wise.

Since 2000 and not including this week’s victory, the Bears have started the season 1-0 just eight times. Clearly the Bears have trouble starting out on the right foot, but the good news is when they have won their opening game, they finished the rest of the season with a .500 record or better in every year but one.

Below are the seasons the Bears started 1-0 along with their final record.

  • 2002 (4-12)
  • 2006 (13-3)*
  • 2008 (9-7)
  • 2010 (11-5)*
  • 2011 (8-8)
  • 2012 (10-6)
  • 2013 (8-8)
  • 2020 (8-8)*

*Made playoffs

The only Bears team to not finish with a .500 record or better was in 2002 when they played their home games at the University of Illinois while Soldier Field was being renovated. The rest of the years, the Bears wins have resulted in competitive seasons.

The only downside to this trend is the Bears have only made the postseason in three of those seasons. But for a team that many picked to finish near the bottom of the league, a record of 9-8 or 10-7 would be a welcome surprise, even if a playoff berth isn’t in the cards.

Momentum is real in the NFL, and Eberflus has his team playing hard right out of the gate. Perhaps they can string some victories together and find themselves in a favorable position as the season draws on. History is on their side and wouldn’t you know it, the Bears didn’t see their shadow on a cloudy and rainy day.

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7 Takeaways from the Bears’ comeback victory over the 49ers

From Justin Fields outdueling Trey Lance to the impactful play of the Bears rookies, here are our takeaways from Sunday’s win.

A new era of Chicago Bears football began on Sunday as the team kicked off the 2022 NFL season with a new regime in place against the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Matt Eberflus made his regular-season debut and braved the elements at Soldier Field. Torrential downpours made conditions tough for both teams, but it was the Bears who were able to overcome them when it was all said and done.

After a sluggish first half with no points and very little offensive production that resulted in a 7-0 lead for the 49ers, things began to turn around. With key adjustments by the offensive staff, quarterback Justin Fields settled into a groove and the Bears scored 19 unanswered points to defeat win 19-10.

It was an ugly win for an ugly game, but thanks to timely offense and clutch defense, they got the job done and start the year off 1-0. Here are our takeaways from the game.

WATCH: Khalil Herbert scores TD off Eddie Jackson INT

Much like the rain, the Bears are pouring it on against the 49ers thanks to Eddie Jackson’s pick and Khalil Herbert’s score.

Just like the rains at Soldier Field, the Chicago Bears are starting to pour it on against the San Francisco. The Bears scored their third touchdown of the second half thanks to an interception from safety Eddie Jackson.

The 49ers were driving in the fourth quarter when quarterback Trey Lance was intercepted by Eddie Jackson to give the Bears a short field and an opportunity to add to their lead. It was Jackson’s first interception since 2019.

From there, running back Khalil Herbert did the rest of the work, carrying the ball 18 yards on the drive that culminated with a three-yard score. Herbert’s touchdown put the Bears up 19-10, but kicker Cairo Santos missed the extra point.

The Bears offense has been on a tear ever since halftime, outscoring San Francisco 19-3. They lead late in the game 19-10 and are trying to hold on to go 1-0 in head coach Matt Eberflus’ debut.

WATCH: Justin Fields buys time to find Dante Pettis for Bears 1st TD

The Bears are finally on the board against the 49ers thanks to an impressive play from Justin Fields to Dante Pettis.

It’s been a rough afternoon for the Chicago Bears offense against the San Francisco 49ers, but things might finally be changing in the second half.

After generating next to no offense for the first 30 minutes of the game, the Bears finally got on the board thanks to a miraculous play by Justin Fields. On a long third down, the second-year quarterback was flushed from the pocket, but had the awareness to find wide receiver Dante Pettis wide open on the opposite side of the field. Pettis took the ball 51 yards for the first Bears score of the year to make it a 10-7 ballgame. It was the first pass caught by a Bears wide receiver all day.

Prior to that touchdown pass, the Bears had just 17 yards of total offense. Entering the fourth quarter, the Bears trail the 49ers by three points.

5 Bold predictions ahead of Bears vs. 49ers in Week 1

From Justin Fields’ efficient day to Justin Jones making an immediate impact, here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. 49ers.

We’re just hours away from kickoff between the Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers to open up the 2023 NFL regular season. As we inch closer to game time, analysts and experts are making their final predictions as to what might happen Sunday afternoon on the lakefront.

The 49ers are coming off an impressive season that saw them nearly make it to the Super Bowl, but are undergoing a major change at quarterback. The Bears, meanwhile, have made sweeping changes to their front office and coaching staff and are set to begin a new era with a young roster.

Though the 49ers are the favorite to win by nearly a touchdown, strange things can happen in week one. Here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. 49ers.

6 key 49ers players to watch against the Bears in Week 1

We’re taking a look at six important 49ers players to watch during Sunday’s season opener against the Bears.

The Chicago Bears open the 2022 NFL regular season against an opponent that was on the doorstep of playing in Super Bowl LVI in the San Francisco 49ers.

Coming off a 10-7 season, the 49ers are loaded yet again with a playoff-caliber roster and are looking to start the season off on a positive note. They do have some notable changes, however, that are worth watching, including their quarterback swap.

But there’s more players on the 49ers to watch than just the quarterback, although all eyes are going to be on that situation all season long. Here are six key opponents to watch when the Bears and 49ers meet up on the lakefront this Sunday.

Deebo Samuel named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following win vs. Bears

This is the third time this season that an opposing player has been named a player of the week against the Bears.

With Week 8 in the books, the NFL announced its players of the week among the NFC and AFC. And with the way the San Francisco 49ers beat down on the Chicago Bears defense on Sunday, it’s not a surprise to find wide receiver Deebo Samuel among those honored.

Samuel was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his dominant effort against the Bears. Samuel had six receptions for 171 yards, including turning a screen pass into an 83-yard gain, which set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Jimmy Garoppolo.

This is the third time this season that an opposing player has been named a player of the week. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his near-flawless performance against the Bears on Sunday Night Football in Week 1. Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his dominant 4.5-sack effort against Justin Fields in Week 3.

Chicago will be looking to rebound following another brutal loss when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.

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Game balls: 4 standouts from the Bears’ loss to 49ers

The Bears lost their third straight game, but there were things to be encouraged about, including the progression of rookie Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears lost their third straight game, a 33-22 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, which dropped the Bears to 3-5 on the season with a Monday Night showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the horizon.

While the outcome was brutal and there wasn’t anything to like about the defense’s performance, there were some encouraging things to come out of Chicago’s third straight loss, including the emergence of rookie quarterback Justin Fields.

Here is who earned game balls from the Week 8 loss to the 49ers:

5 takeaways from the Bears’ brutal loss to the 49ers

From Justin Fields’ progression to DeAndre Houston-Carson making a case to start, here are our takeaways from the Bears’ loss to the 49ers.

I think the Chicago Bears celebrate Halloween a bit differently than most others. Usually, the popular phrase around the holiday is “trick or treat.” But in this case, they flipped it on everyone to say “treat or trick.”

The Bears welcomed the San Francisco 49ers to town and did in fact give fans an early treat. Led by special teams coordinator Chris Tabor while Matt Nagy stayed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Bears found themselves with an early lead.

They were able to jump on top of the Niners 13-9 at halftime, showing promise on the offensive end. But then the defense completely fell apart as fans were tricked into believing a win was possible. The Bears lost 33-22 and dropped to 3-5 on the season.

It was a bad loss, but there were actually a few positives that are worth hanging your hat on moving forward. Here are my takeaways from Sunday’s loss.