Bears fall just short in tight 42-38 battle with 49ers

Would it be a 2025 Bears game if you weren’t nervous down to the very last snap of the game?

Despite Chicago having clinched the NFC North and a playoff spot heading into their Sunday night game against the 49ers, there was still plenty of suspense in such a tight game. It came down to a fourth-down opportunity at the four-yard line, but in the end, Chicago fell just short 42-38 to San Francisco.

The defense was lackluster, but the offense kept them competitive in the game down to the very last play. However, the magic ran out with an incomplete pass in the end zone when nobody got open. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the Bears’ Week 17 matchup.

A complete shootout, for better or worse

There haven’t been too many games where the Bears have found themselves in an offensive shootout in recent years. They’ve only really faced that situation this season in their matchup against the Bengals. That said, as the score could easily tell you, Chicago’s defense struggled significantly outside of the pick-six on the first play, but the offense kept coming back with heavyweight punches of their own. Regardless of result, it’s encouraging to know they have a good enough offense to keep the team in these types of settings.

Caleb Williams’ growth is apparent

To all levels of the field, Caleb Williams looked the part of a surgical field general quarterback. His trademark arm talent and creativity were on display, but he looked incredibly comfortable in the pocket. His touch down the field on throws to the likes of Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Jahdae Walker helped Chicago move the ball down the field to answer the 49ers’ own explosive offense.

Porous coverage all game

Especially early in the game, Kyle Shanahan was able to scheme his receivers open against the Bears’ defense, and Brock Purdy was able to hit them in stride. Even when the Bears were able to execute in coverage, Purdy was smart enough to know how to extend the play and improvise. His chemistry with his receivers outside of structure was on full display, and Chicago had very few answers for it all evening.