2024 Week 14: Bears 13, 49ers 38
Leading up to this game I thought the 49ers would get killed, they had so many players on IR, so many KEY players on IR, and instead of folding the banged-up 49ers whomped the Bears, it was never close.
Chicago (4-9) now has less than a 1% chance of making the playoffs and no longer controls their own destiny, meaning they can win out and still not make it.
The 49ers (6-7) are still alive but are last in the NFC West, they have a nice schedule to end the season but I think the injuries are going to catch up to them, and they get one, maybe 2 more wins this year.
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QB Report:
- Brock Purdy (20/25 for 325 yards, 2 TDs; 5 rushes for 11 yards) seriously impressed me in this game, multiple injuries to the OL including the best LT in the NFL, top two RBs including the best RB in the NFL, and multiple receivers going up against one of the best defenses, arguably the top pass defense in the NFL, and he throws for 300 yards and two TDs. This is the most impressive game of his career.
- This game will be written off as a ‘system’ win because every against-the-odds victory by Kyle Shanahan is because of his system, and not because of the players. Why everyone thinks that any old QB can do just as well if not better than Purdy because he was a 7th round draft pick is beyond me. I can’t look at the San Francisco media after games like this it’s too frustrating.
- Caleb Williams (17/23 for 134 yards, 2 TDs; 4 rushes for 27 yards) had another one of those games where he does nothing in the first half and then comes out firing to try and come back from a multiple-possession deficit, and they almost never do. Chicago had more punts than yards in the first half (4 yards, 5 punts). It’s not a sustainable way to run a team. When Caleb is ‘on’ it’s spectacular, but his issue is that he’s off his game way too much… something I was concerned about when scouting him. He’s not able to rise above good defenses, only the bad to okay ones.
RB Report:
- Isaac Guerendo (15-78-2; 2 catches for 50 yards) is the real deal, but it’s also a favorable matchup… what Chicago excels at is pass defense, and they lack in the run game. Guerendo hurt his ankle late in the game and with the quick turnaround on TNF I don’t expect him to be good to go.
- If that’s the case then Patrick Taylor (7-25-1) would be the starter, he got most of the snaps and a good amount of the third down snaps as well. Ke’Shawn Vaughn (2-4-0) was claimed last week and came in for a few touches late so a slight bump to him. I don’t think any of them are all too exciting, but gun to my head I’d pick Pat Taylor.
WR Report:
- Rome Odunze (4-42-2/5) scored his first touchdown since Week 3, and came away with two of them. Rome has been and still is the odd-man out between DJ Moore-Keenan Allen-Cole Kmet.
- Given all of the injuries to the San Francisco offense I stayed away from Jauan Jennings (7-90-2/8) this week and he has one of his best games of the year. I’ve been saying this literally all season… Jauan Jennings is Brock Purdy’s favorite target.
D/ST Report:
- Yetur Gross-Matos (4 tackles, 3 sacks) had 3 sacks in this game, thanks to Nick Bosa being out, and Caleb Williams takes a ton of sacks… he’s the most sacked QB in the NFL this year and most of them are on him, he holds on to the ball too long
image source: (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)