The Chicago Bears’ Week 17 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers will feature two of the NFC’s top teams.
Both teams have 11-4 records and still have a shot to obtain the No. 1 seed in the conference. It's tough to ask for a better game this late in the season for a primetime matchup.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan are some of the top offensive masterminds in the game. Both will look to identify specific matchups to give their respective offenses the advantage.
For Johnson, one major advantage his offense should take advantage of is the 49ers’ inability to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks. San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's defense has just 18 sacks on the season, the fewest in the NFL.
But the lack of sacks is just the start.
Bears' massive advantage over the 49ers in critical Week 17 showdown
According to Next Gen Stats, the 49ers have three of the 10 defensive tackles with the lowest pressure rate generated this season (min. 200 pass rushes): Kalia Davis (3.2%, third-lowest), Jordan Elliott (4.0%, eighth-lowest) and Alred Collins (4.1%, ninth-lowest).
Also factor in that veteran guard Joe Thuney, who was just named to his fourth Pro Bowl, has allowed just a 4.4% pressure rate this season, the fourth-lowest among left guards with at least 200 pass blocks.
Caleb Williams’ ability to escape pressure also makes a glaring weakness for the 49ers even worse. According to Next Gen Stats, Williams has taken a sack on just 12.6% of his pressured dropbacks this season, the sixth-lowest in the NFL.
The Bears’ quarterback has also faced a league-high 54 unblocked pressures, but somehow has only been sacked once, tying him for the fewest among qualified quarterbacks, via Next Gen Stats. The 49ers have generated 23 unblocked pressures, a league low, and are the only team in the NFL not to register a single unblocked sack.
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Even though right tackle Darnell Wright was a late addition to the injury report with an illness and is currently listed as questionable for the game, the 49ers' lack of pass rush should present some opportunities for Williams to find some big plays downfield.