Windy City Gridiron
Hello, Chicago Bears fans! After the Lions’ loss to the Vikings and the Packers’ loss to the Ravens, the Chicago Bears are officially Kings of the North! With the division in hand, the Bears will face off against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday with playoff seeding in the balance. It is still possible for the Bears to claim the #1 overall seed, but only if they secure a victory against Brock Purdy and his West Coast attack tonight.
Here is what our WCG contributors think will happen:
GOOCH: 31-30, Bears. This is a tough matchup for the Bears’ defense, but the Niners are likely to be without George Kittle tonight. This allows the Bears to hang in there behind the strong rushing attack of Swift and KM. Caleb throws for 300 yards (I’m going to keep predicting it, darn it!) and two touchdowns. Booker sacks Purdy and Wright picks Purdy off in the 4th Quarter, as a statement play for the Pro Bowl Snub. Bears win another thrilling victory in the dream first season of the Ben Johnson era.
Josh: Purdy is methodical and faces no pressure, carving the Bears up for 45 minutes but settling for field goals in the red zone more often than not. Caleb is erratic and connects just enough to keep alive run-heavy drives. Then a defensive score on an improbable takeaway and a 50-yard pass that looks more CGI than real gives the Bears a lead in the final thirty seconds. Gervon Dexter seals the win on a batted pass on 4th down. Chicago 31-San Francisco 30. (edited)
Jack R Salo: 49ers 37-21. It sure feels like this Bears team can hang with anybody, but the 49ers control their own destiny for the 1 seed, and their offense is red hot. If the Bears are held scoreless in the first half like they were last Saturday, you can bet San Francisco is scoring more than 6. For the Bears, yeah, this one gets away from them, but focus quickly shifts to getting healthy and beating the Lions next week to take the North.
Lester: I think this one could be a shootout, and while neither defense is very good, the Bears’ bend-but-don’t-break D has been opportunistic all season. The Bears win after a timely takeaway… let’s call it 31-27.
Sam: This game is going to be tough. The Bears have a rest advantage, but the 49ers are hot on offense. If it comes down to what I trust more in the matchup, it’s the 9ers offense against the Bears defense. I think a shootout could commence, but maybe it ends up on the Bears’ wrong end: 49ers 35, Bears 30.
Give us your prediction in the comment section!
