In one of the most entertaining games of the year, the Chicago Bears struggled in the final seconds and lost to the San Francisco 49ers 38-42. Here are my notes from a wild shootout.
offense:
-
The running game’s failure to make an impact early is both surprising and concerning. This proved to be an unfortunate aspect of the game except for a handful of runs. Wish they would invest more in running the game, but with Caleb playing so well and the small forward scoring at will, I get it.
-
Speaking of Caleb, he was feasting. Despite Odunze going down, Zaccheus and DJ Moore being sick, and Luther Burden III being injured, Caleb had one of the best games of his career. He was accurate and decisive throughout. He plays with insane confidence, especially on his deep ball.
-
Free throws are a big factor throughout the game. It wasn’t anything crazy from a yardage standpoint, but multiple ticks disrupted the Bears’ O’s offense and lengthened the Bears’ D’s drive. Thinking DJ was late, the call was not called even though the penalty was nowhere near as severe as the entire game.
-
The Burden 3 and Loveland have performed as advertised this season, but they have both fallen miserably on Kaleb’s perfect throws this season. Kmet also has one.
-
Swift once again looked like a far superior RB in this game. Swift remains a big fan of Monangay, but is parting ways with the team as the season winds down. I thought Swift should have been targeted early on on the final play of the game as well, but everything fell apart so quickly that it’s hard to blame Kaleb for trying to extend it and let things happen.
-
Overall, a very good day in the office for the offense and Ben Johnson. Hopefully Chicago can keep this momentum going into the final week of the season and into the playoffs.
defense:
-
On the first play from scrimmage, Jaylon Johnson forced an incompletion ball that bounced into the hands of TJ Edwards in one of the D’s best plays of the season. Obviously, this is the best start to the season.
-
Unfortunately, after that, they didn’t do enough.
-
Tremaine Edmunds was hurt all night, especially when covering backup TE (and former Bear) Jake Tonges, and when covering Christian McCaffrey. I had high hopes and expectations for Maine, but ended up being very disappointed. He even lost control on a late rush, leaving Purdy scrambling for a touchdown.
-
CMC played a great game, both against the run and the pass. I think he’s going to be a big problem in the passing game, but the way he runs around the Bears is reminiscent of his younger days. Looked like a league MVP last night.
-
Gervon Dexter Sr. had a great game and seemed to improve in the run game.
-
Austin Booker still looks to be a part of the rotation. He withstood multiple pressures on the Los Angeles field and successfully completed several passes. Solid gameplay.
-
The sweat didn’t seem to keep Purdy arguing all night long.
-
Loved seeing CJGJ in CMC coverage late in the game, but it was too little, too late.
-
Purdy was given too much time in the passing game and he was picking on our D all night long. When he wasn’t around, McCaffrey cut us into random little pieces. Hopefully Dennis Allen can get his players ready for the playoffs and we’ll likely see the 49ers again.
Special teams:
-
Tori Taylor is having a great day at the office. In addition to a big punt that resulted in a bad bounce, he was also helping with the position battle on the field.
-
For the most part, there was a good coverage team throughout the day.
-
Huge fan of Josh Blackwell. But if you’ve been reading these recaps all season, you know I don’t think highly of him as a returner. Last night he showed me again why. A bit smaller in stature, not choppy and not as explosive or decisive.
-
Jaylon Jones’ huge success in punt coverage is great to watch. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him act.
