Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers return to the friendly confines of Levi’s Stadium to host the Chicago Bears. Both teams are battling for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, despite their current seedings. These are two of the hottest teams in the NFL. There have been two combined losses since the beginning of November.
Week 17 will have a playoff-like atmosphere. The stakes will be high in a game that will rival the product the Rams-Seahawks put on the field in Week 16. Game of the Year, part II?
Caleb Williams and Brock Purdy are listed at 6’1”, while Williams is two pounds heavier than Purdy. They may have the same stature, but their journey to the NFL couldn’t have been more different.
Williams was a top-10 player coming into college, won the Heisman trophy at USC, and would go on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Then there’s Purdy, the tenth-ranked quarterback in the state of Arizona, drafted last, and didn’t start until there were multiple injuries at the position ahead of him as a rookie.
Last week was about consistency and staying ahead of schedule. The winner of this game will be determined by which quarterback can complete the big play more than the other.
The Colts’ pass rush and pass defense put up as much of a fight as the 3-win Titans did the week prior.
What made last week’s performance so impressive was how easily Kyle Shanahan manufactured offense without Ricky Pearsall.
Judging by John Lynch’s comments on Friday, Shanahan may have to do the same against the Bears, but this time without George Kittle.
The 49ers have somewhat gotten accustomed to playing without two of their three top weapons on offense this season, as both Pearsall and Kittle have missed various games.
One player is an ascending wide receiver in his second season. The other is 10 receptions away from passing Terrell Owens for the second-most in franchise history.
Kittle has consistently exceeded lofty expectations for himself. He leads all tight ends in receiving yards over expected at +156. That stat combines any improbable catches Kittle’s made this year, along with him gaining more yards after the catch than implied. Despite missing five games, Kittle has the third-most touchdown receptions at his position.
There’s a reason the 49ers will give Kittle until 4:55 p.m. PT on Sunday to determine whether he’s healthy enough to play. He’s one of the biggest mismatches in the NFL, and he proves it every week.
Kittle would be going against a defense that allows 7.5 receptions a game to tight ends. The Bears could be without their MIKE linebacker T.J. Edwards, who didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, but was limited on Friday with a glute injury. Edwards has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries all season, but has started the past three games.
Since Week 10, the Bears are ninth in dropback...
