Week 14 brought another loss for the Chicago Bears, who extended their streak to seven games following a demoralizing 35-13 road defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. In the first game with interim head coach Thomas Brown leading the way, the Bears turned in one of their worst performances of the season and seemed completely outclassed against a banged-up 49ers squad.
With four games remaining in the year, it is difficult to see where the Bears go from here in terms of on-field performance, but there will still be opportunities for younger core players such as Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, and Darnell Wright to develop and gain real experience.
16.2
The Bears' offense struggled for the majority of Sunday's loss and were only able to average 16.2 total yards per drive over 10 attempts.
Finishing Sunday with just 162 total yards, the offense averaged 3.12 yards per play, less than the 3.33 necessary to average a first down on every new set of downs. Moving the ball was difficult for the Bears, who finished the first half with just four yards, the lowest number any team in the league has posted in the first half this season.
7
The Bears offense again struggled to protect their star rookie quarterback, who finished the game with 7 sacks.
This season, Williams has had three games with 7+ sacks, five games with 5+ sacks, and has been sacked 2+ times in every game except their win versus the Carolina Panthers. Currently, Williams' 56 sacks taken are the most amongst QBs by 15, and the rookie is on pace to finish with 73 sacks, which would be just shy of David Carr's league record (76).
50%
Odunze turned in one of his best performances against the 49ers, with 50% of his receptions being touchdowns.
Granted, most of the rookie's production came in the second half when the game was already essentially out of reach, but the receiver nonetheless showed his capabilities as a red zone threat. Finishing with four catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns, Odunze had his first multi-touchdown game on Sunday, which was also his sixth game with 4+ receptions and his seventh with 40+ yards.
The receiver's production was one of the lone bright spots from week 14, and his improvement as a pro was on display. Specifically, his first touchdown catch - a toe-tap snag in the back right corner of the endzone - was eerily reminiscent of his failed attempt on a similar play against the Cincinnati Bengals back in the preseason. His first score in San Francisco showcased how the talented pass-catcher has continued to hone his craft as a pro, and his best football should still be on the horizon if he continues to do so.
60
Defensively, the Bears had a tough time stopping the 49ers, who finished with six scoring drives, each of which went for at least 60 yards.
Of San Francisco's six scoring drives, five started in between their own 25 and 30-yard line, with Williams' fumble giving the opposition their sole starting field position beyond the 35-yard line. Regardless of where they started with the ball, the Bears could not prevent the "big plays", and ultimately allowed them to walk up and down the field.
Including seven passes of 20+ yards, the 49ers had eight "big plays" across their six scoring drives alone. The Bears had allowed such plays before but had always stiffened up in the red zone, where they were often able to keep the offense to field goal attempts. Sunday was a different story, as the Bears allowed five touchdowns in six red zone attempts. Clearly, the defense has taken a step back, and toughening up between the 20s will help keep the opponent out of scoring position.
369
With a number of injuries to offensive players, the 49ers relied mainly on the trio of tight end George Kittle, receiver Jauan Jennings, and rookie running back Isaac Guerendo, who combined for 369 total offensive yards.
With each player accumulating 90+ offensive yards, Sunday marked just the second time this season that the Bears have allowed three players to finish with such a total and the fourth time that the defense has allowed two players to do so. Allowing the big plays has been a problem for the Bears, who have been gouged defensively over their losing streak, especially so since they started divisional play in week 11.
Over that stretch, the defense has allowed on average 418.5 total yards per game. Additionally, Sunday marked the third consecutive game in which they allowed 400+ total yards and the second time in three games that they allowed 450+. The Bears must do a better job of trying to take away premier offensive threats while keeping the opponent to more modest offensive production, especially as they look to face their division for the second time over their final four games.