Huge wins like this make me love the game even more. The Bears went into a brand new stadium and beat one of the best teams in football. The season has new life. The week one loss is still a bit of a head-scratcher, but, for now, let’s break down how the Bears took care of business in Santa Clara.
Sep 14, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) is sacked by Chicago Bears defense end Willie Young (97) in the fourth quarter at Levis Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears offense couldn’t move the ball. In fact, the first six offensive possessions ended in punts. Jay looked off, overthrowing balls left and right. The Bears tried feeding the rock to Forte, but he wasn’t able to move ball. The Niners defense was flying around the field. It wasn’t until the Bears drove down the field and Brandon Marshall made an absolutely spectacular one-handed touchdown grab to get the Bears on the board. It was 7-17 going into halftime. Marc Trestman’s halftime speech must’ve been incredible, because it looked like the Bears fielded an entirely different team in the second half. Jay Cutler’s sharp throws propelled the Bears a comeback win. But, he didn’t do it alone. An “unhealthy” Brandon Marshall scored three touchdowns. Cutler did an excellent job spreading the ball around.
Mel Tucker deserved the game ball. The halftime adjustments made by the defense were the key to this win. The Bears pass rush was relentless. The defensive line had a monster game (Which I called in the staff picks, by the way. Seriously. Go look.). Willie Young is proving to be an excellent free agent addition, as he was abusing the 49ers offensive line. Jared Allen forced a fumble. Ego Ferguson, Will Sutton, Jeremiah Ratliff, and Stephen Paea were stout up front, minimizing any huge runs up the middle. After a terrible outing in week one, the Bears linebacking corps looked much improved. Lance Briggs made a huge stop early in the game. Shea McClellin played decently, but I’m convinced his play will improve throughout the season. The defensive MVP was our new first-rounder Kyle Fuller. Fuller made two stellar interceptions on Kaepernick, and if this is any indication of future play, we may have found the heir to Peanut Tillman.
Injuries piled up this game. Peanut has a triceps injury, and unfortunately it was the same injury that kept him out last year. He’ll be evaluated, and hopefully he can return later in the season. Jeremiah Ratliff suffered a concussion. And, Chris Conte suffered a shoulder injury. All were taken out of the game.
I have a feeling this win is going to set up big things for our beloved Chicago Bears.