Sep 14, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings (26) and strong safety Danny McCray (29) and strong safety Brock Vereen (45) and strong safety Ryan Mundy (21) celebrate after causing a turnover against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi
On the defensive side of the ball, there were some big improvements from Week 1 to Week 2. I thought Shea McClellin had his best overall game in a Bears uniform. He flashed good speed and actually was able to set the edge on running plays. He notched his first sack of the season and should have had at least one more. Jared Allen also showed up for the first time in a Bears uniform. He was a lot more active and forced a fumble. Newcomer Willie Young built on a strong Week 1 and added two sacks of his own.
The Bears ended the day +4 on the turnover ratio, thanks in large part to the interceptions from Chris Conte and a pair of picks by rookie Kyle Fuller. Conte had a sick, flying interception:
Fuller saw a more prominent role after Peanut Tillman went down with what’s believed to be a season-ending triceps injury.
Da Windy City
It wasn’t all seashells and balloons for the Bears. The special teams still had their share of issues, most notably a blocked Pat O’Donnell punt that set up the first Niners score. On one sequence, they committed three penalties on the same attempted punt. Senorice Perry was still pretty indecisive in the return game and could be heading out the door if Chris Williams can break into the lead returner spot.
The other big story were the injuries. As already mentioned, Charles Tillman left the game with an arm injury. Chris Conte suffered a shoulder injury and didn’t return. Starting 3-technique Jeremiah Ratliff suffered a concussion. Special teamers Sherrick McManis and Trevor Scott left with injuries as well.
This was a big win, but the Niners did their best to help us spoil their housewarming party. They committed 16 penalties for 118 yards, giving the Bears 6 first downs by penalty, more than double the number of first downs they gained on the ground.
The Bears are right where we expected them to be, 1-1 after two weeks. They just took a different route to get there than we expected. Next week, they head to New York to face the Jets on Monday Night Football. They’ll need to overcome injuries and continue to build on solid performances on both sides of the ball to leave with another win.