After a tumultuous week and a half at Halas Hall, the Chicago Bears (4-8) are ready to turn the page to week 13 where they will be on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers (5-7). Trying to end a six-game losing streak that dates back to the last weekend in October, the Bears will have their hands full with the 49ers - who are on a three-game losing streak themselves - but new leadership might be the kick that this team needs to get back into the winning column.
Following the firing of Matt Eberflus on Friday, the Bears were quick to promote then-interim offensive coordinator Thomas Brown to the head coach position. Sunday marks the first opportunity for the young coach to stamp his identity on this talented Bears roster, not just the offense. Of course, on the other sideline sits Kyle Shanahan (who has recently gained traction in the rumor mill as a potential Bears coach in 2025), and despite the 49ers' plethora of injuries, the coach figures to try to get his team back into playoff contention.
Sunday will be a real test for the Bears, both in terms of on-the-field play and coaching from the sideline, but the visitors should be able to pull off the upset against a beat-up 9ers squad. To return to Chicago with their first win in the United States since October 6, the Bears must accomplish the following three keys to success:
1) Support Williams with the Run Game
Brown has gotten some of rookie Caleb Williams' best football over the past three games, including 827 passing yards, 142 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and no picks while averaging a respectable 64% completion percentage. Williams has quickly become the leader of the offense, but supporting the young passer with a strong rushing attack remains a priority for a former running back like Brown.
The run game has been productive under Brown to the tune of 111 rush yards per game and a 4.71 yards per carry average under his watch, and Sunday might provide the best opportunity thus far for the unit to get rolling on the ground. In terms of rush yards allowed per game, all three of the Bears' most recent opponents rank amongst the top 25% of NFL defenses, but the 49ers' have allowed 120 rush yards per game, which puts them right in the middle of the pack.
The Bears will certainly look to support Williams with a strong rushing attack against one of the league's middling rush defenses, but the availability of the team's top rushers is a problem. Lead back D'Andre Swift is listed as questionable for Sunday's game, while reserve rusher Roschon Johnson has already been ruled out. Williams himself will likely be asked to have a part in the team's rushing attack as well, and the former Heisman Trophy winner has shown a strong ability to pick up yards in the run game. If he and the backfield can get the ball moving on the ground consistently, it should only make Williams' job as a passer that much simpler.
2) Get the Ball Back from Purdy
Former Mr. Irrelevant selection Brock Purdy has had a tough season compared to his breakout sophomore campaign a season ago, although it is hard to place much of the blame on the Iowa State product. With a revolving door at the running back, wide receiver, and offensive line positions, Purdy has had little consistency to support him through 11 games, and Sunday marks another change to the lineup for the 49ers offense.
Without either of their top two rushing threats in Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason, the 49ers will also enter Sunday without two starting linemen in Trent Williams and Aaron Banks. Other key players, such as Brandon Aiyuk and Jon Feliciano, have already been lost for the season due to injury, meaning that the home team will be without several week-one starters versus the Bears.
With Purdy at the helm, the 49ers have looked presentable, but the quarterback has struggled comparatively due to the inconsistency in the availability of players around him. Purdy is in line to finish the season with fewer passing yards and touchdowns than a year ago, while potentially throwing more picks. Ball security has been somewhat of an issue for the third-year quarterback, and the Bears secondary could swing the game by forcing some mistakes out of the Pro Bowler.
3) Provide Support and Energy from the Sideline
To put it plainly, coaching errors have been a prime catalyst in the Bears' mid-season losing streak. From a complete breakdown on the final drive versus the Washington Commanders to failing to call a timeout before the offense's final play on Thanksgiving Day, there have been several moments where the coaching staff let down the players by failing to execute in crucial situations.
Of course, the players actually play the games, so it is hard to put 100% of the blame on the coaches who have recently been fired, but the Bears have been in so many games that they were simply out-coached down the stretch. With Brown leading the charge, fans can only hope that the team will have better situational awareness and attention to detail, especially in big moments.
Still, the sideline is going to look very different on Sunday, with Brown moving down to the field from the booth and wide receivers coach Chris Beatty serving as the team's new interim coordinator (Williams' third OC in just his rookie season). With coaches shuffling around, there is certainly potential for some of the finer points to slip through the cracks, so the sideline as a whole will have to lean on the entire coaching staff and players to make sure that the guys on the field are in the best position to succeed.