Time for a pride check

After three straight losses, the 49ers face a Pride checkered game at home against Chicago. This week Deebo Samuel said the team is better than their 5-7 record, here’s a chance to prove it. The young 4-8 Bears may have been shaken up by the firing of much-maligned head coach Matt Eberflus and are looking to make their own mark.

The question that arises in this matchup is who the 49ers are at this point. Are they the team that was buried in the cold and snow, losing 73-20 the last two weeks, or is Samuel right that they are capable of much more? Green Bay and Buffalo are the top 7 teams in the league and the Niners seemed overwhelmed.

Chicago plays games until the end but loses, the sign of a young team. Can the Niners find their best self? This game will show whether the team is able to play energetically and improve their performance to achieve a victory.

INJURIES

Trent Williams and Nick Bosa are out, the 49ers are 0 for the decade in which both miss a game, 0-5 since 2020. George Odom is out, Talanoa Hufanga and Aaron Banks are questionable.

RB Roschon Johnson, OL Ryan Bates and DB Elijah Hicks are out for Chicago. Key playmakers RB D’Andre Swift and WR DJ Moore are questionable.

49ERS ON OFFENSE

The Bears defense ranks 8th in the NFL, but has an Achilles heel: It can’t stop the run and is third-worst in the league at 4.9 yards per carry. Last week they gave Detroit 194 yards on the ground. With Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason out, the Niners turn to rookie Isaac Guerendo. He increases breakaway speed, but also has a weakness: He is a liability in pass protection.

Kyle Shanahan will have to make decisions about how to handle pass pros and whether Guerendo will feature heavily. He turned to Samuel at the start of this season without a clear second option, but Deebo has been ineffective on the ground this year.

For Brock Purdy, it’s a welcome return to mild weather in Northern California, with a forecast of 63 degrees cloudy and dry with no wind. Purdy says his shoulder is 100% healthy and he has no limitations. George Kittle only received a few hits in Buffalo and will have to be used especially in the red zone in this duel.

Chicago is an opportunistic defense and they rank sixth in the league in turnovers. The dry weather should help Purdy protect the ball, Guerendo needs to deliver a clean, high-rep game.

CHICAGO IN BREACH

Caleb Williams holds the ball longer than any quarterback in the league. While this represents an opportunity for the Niners’ pass rush, he is a dangerous threat as a runner. Williams has averaged 7.5 yards per carry in his last four games. He has talented weapons and his play has improved under new offensive coordinator and now interim coach Thomas Brown.

Leadback Swift is not at 100% and the Bears’ 2nd back, Johnson, is out. Swift has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry or less in four of his last five games. The Niners were burned by the run against Green Bay and Buffalo, but both teams have excellent offensive lines and powerful backs, Chicago does not.

Williams likes to spread the ball around and has a deep group of passing targets, including Moore, Swift, Keenan Allen, rookie Rome Odunze and tight end Cole Kmet. Without Bosa, can the 49ers get to Williams while covering targets and preparing to stop him as a runner? It’s a big task to do all of this.

Of additional concern, the 49ers’ red zone defense was red carpet, scoring nine touchdowns in the last nine possessions they faced.

Can the Niners defense beat Chicago without Bosa? Williams did an excellent job protecting the football. No interceptions in six consecutive games, an NFL rookie record set in 1950.

PREDICTION (7-5)

Against the same opponents, Chicago has played much closer games than the Niners. However, divisional games are trending in that direction. The more important pattern is team execution, and Chicago is playing better than the Niners in this game.

I agree with Deebo that the Niners are better than their record to a point. The clearly superior teams in Green Bay and Buffalo made the Niners look worse than they are in the cold and snow. So who are the real Niners? We’re about to find out. I think this team has a lot of pride and when it comes to showing up or being shown up, they will compete.

A defeat ends the season and not just a failed year, but the end of an era. They know that. For this reason, I think the Niners actually show up and get the win by running the ball on a vulnerable Bears run defense, erasing a close game.

49ers 24 Chicago 20

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