When the Chicago Bears traveled to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 17, there was quite a lot on the line. There were strict playoff implications and, at kickoff, there was absolutely a postseason vibe.
Also going into this matchup, the 49ers offense had been on a tear. Kyle Shanahan's offense had not punted ... the entire month of December. That's right -- for the entirety of December, San Francisco had yet to punt.
And then, on the 49ers' third drive of the game, quarterback Brock Purdy fired a pass in the direction of former Bears tight end Jake Tonges on a third-and-6. Defensive end Austin Booker got his hands up and batted down the pass.
Just like that, the 49ers were forced to do something they had not done since November 30 in a blowout win over the Cleveland Browns.
Dennis Allen's defense started out hot and cold against the 49ers
The Bears defense wasted no time sending a message in this one. On the game's very first play, Purdy dropped back and saw his pass tipped and intercepted by linebacker TJ Edwards. Then, Edwards took the pick all the way back for a score.
It was as good of a start as you could've asked for if you're a Bears fan. And, if you're a 49ers fan, there was little doubt Purdy and the offense would bounce back.
And that's just what they did.
The 49ers came right back and drove down the field, tying the game up at 7-7 with a touchdown pass from Purdy to Tonges. Shanahan was in his bag for that drive and the 49ers made it look easy.
But, the defense had some big positives right out of the gate. Getting an interception returned for a touchdown and then forcing the 49ers to do something they hadn't done in nearly a month? Fans would take that 10 times out of 10.
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There continue to be worries when it comes to the "bend but don't break" style of defense, as the Bears do give up chunk plays. But, so long as Allen's group continues to get takeaways, they'll be just fine.