Bears Come Up Short in Wild Shootout Against 49ers

If you tuned into Bears vs. 49ers expecting fireworks, you got them — just not the ending Chicago fans were hoping for. In a back-and-forth thriller filled with explosive offense and frustrating defensive lapses, the Bears fell to San Francisco 42–38, officially ending their hopes of claiming the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

The night could not have started any better for Chicago. On the very first snap of the game, Jaylon Johnson jumped the route and tipped the ball into the hands of Edwards, who took it to the house for a pick-six just 20 seconds in. Soldier Field was rocking, and the Bears had an early 7–0 lead.

San Francisco quickly answered, though, marching 65 yards on a nine-play drive that exposed issues Chicago would deal with all night — soft run defense and wide-open passing lanes over the middle. Brock Purdy found Tonges wide open to tie the game at 7–7.

Chicago’s offense stumbled early, opening with a three-and-out after a solid run was followed by two failed pass attempts. The defense responded once again as Austin Booker swatted down a third-down pass — his second such play of the night — forcing San Francisco’s first punt in over a month. Unfortunately, the Bears offense couldn’t capitalize, going three-and-out again after two short runs and another incomplete pass.

With the door wide open, the 49ers took full advantage. A massive run by Christian McCaffrey set the tone, and Purdy finished the drive himself with a scramble to put San Francisco ahead 14–7.

The Bears finally found their rhythm on the next drive. Caleb Williams led a beautiful response, capped by a huge touchdown connection to Luther Burden III to even the score at 14–14. That momentum didn’t last long. The Bears defense once again looked like swiss cheese, allowing San Francisco to do whatever they wanted en route to another touchdown and a 21–14 lead.

To their credit, the Bears offense refused to fold. Monangai ripped off a couple of big runs before Williams drew the 49ers offsides for a free play and took advantage, firing a touchdown pass to Loveland to tie the game at 21–21 with 12:20 still left in the second quarter.

San Francisco responded with a demoralizing 15-play, 72-yard drive that seemed like it should’ve ended multiple times. The 49ers converted a fourth down and even survived a CJ Gardner-Johnson interception that was called back. The drive ended in a touchdown, pushing their lead to 28–21.

Chicago had a chance to answer but stalled after heavy pressure on third down gave Williams no time to find anyone downfield. Tory Taylor flipped the field with a great punt, pinning San Francisco inside their own 10, but the 49ers ran out the clock to take a 28–21 lead into halftime.

At the break, the story was clear: the Bears defense was wildly inconsistent, and San Francisco was breaking off big runs at will. McCaffrey eclipsed 100 rushing yards in the first half alone, while Tonges and Pearsall seemed perpetually open across the middle. Offensively, Chicago was finding a groove, but the run blocking and blitz pickup still needed work.

The Bears came out firing in the second half. A 10-play, 65-yard drive featured several weapons, including young receivers Burden and Walker, and ended with a DeAndre Swift rushing touchdown to tie the game at 28–28.

Once again, the 49ers answered immediately. An eight-play, 65-yard drive with minimal resistance put San Francisco back in front, 35–28. And once again, the Bears punched right back. Chicago put together a nine-play, 80-yard drive, converting a critical fourth down along the way, before Swift broke loose for a 20-yard touchdown run to tie it at 35–35.

Finally, after a rough night, the Bears defense made a stand. Austin Booker generated pressure on Purdy, forcing an incompletion and a punt. Chicago capitalized, driving into the red zone but stalling at the 10-yard line and settling for a field goal to take a 38–35 lead.

That lead didn’t last long.

With 5:22 left and all three timeouts, San Francisco needed just six plays to go 75 yards and reclaim the lead. The Bears defense continued to be more holy than a church on Sunday morning, allowing the 49ers to do just about anything they wanted. Still, Chicago got the ball back with 2:15 remaining, all three timeouts, and Caleb Williams under center — a dangerous situation for any opponent this season.

Williams led the Bears deep into the red zone. On one of the final plays, he connected with Loveland, who pitched the ball back to Swift to get inside the five-yard line. But precious seconds ticked away. With just four seconds left, Chicago had time for one final play.

Williams took the snap out of shotgun, avoided a sack, rolled left to escape another defender, and waited for someone to break free. No one did. With no other option, he launched a prayer into the end zone — but nobody was home.

Final score: 49ers 42, Bears 38.

While the loss officially kills the Bears’ hopes of the NFC’s top seed, there’s still plenty to believe in. This offense can hang with anyone in the league, and Caleb Williams continues to prove he’s built for these moments. The defense, however, remains a major concern. A lack of consistent pass rush and blown coverages that allow quarterbacks too much time will continue to be costly.

One final concern from the night: Luther Burden appeared to be injured on the final play and struggled to put pressure on his leg afterward. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious.

A painful loss — but one that also showed just how dangerous this Bears offense can be when it’s clicking.