San Francisco Bay Area Professional Sports News

49ers crush Chicago Bears in dominant fashion


49ers crush Chicago Bears in dominant fashion

George Kittle (#85) right runs after a catch in the first half as the San Francisco 49ers played the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, December 8, 2024.Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

2024.12.08 – 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns and San Francisco bounced back from two blowout losses to crush the Chicago Bears 38-13 on Sunday.

The 49ers were steamrolled the previous two weeks on road losses at playoff-bound Green Bay and Buffalo. But against a lesser opponent — the Bears dropped to 4-9 and are on a seven-game losing streak — the 49ers (6-7) quickly killed off any suspense by playing their best football.

After weeks of shaky play, the 49ers got back to their old form with one of the most dominant first halves in years.

“We just got back to being us, honestly,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “The product we were putting on the field the last couple weeks just wasn’t us. We knew that. We had a great opportunity this week to come out at home and right those wrongs and get back to playing our style and what we do best.”

The 49ers had been outscored by 53 points the past two weeks in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo that left their playoff hopes teetering with several stars such as Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and Trent Williams sidelined by injuries.

That prompted coach Kyle Shanahan to have Purdy and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir address the team at a meeting Saturday night that resonated with the team.

“The message was we need to play with more of a sense of urgency and play desperate,” tight end George Kittle said. “Because you just hadn’t really sensed that.”

 

 

2024.12.08 (Bears vs. 49ers) Game Highlights

San Francisco 49ers’ Isaac Guerendo (#31) center stiff arms Chicago Bears’ Kevin Beard III (#31) left in the 1st quarter during NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, December 8, 2024.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

2024.12.08 (Bears vs. 49ers) Game Highlights(CD-Highlights)

 

 

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (NBC Sports Post Game)

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (NBC Sports Post Game)

San Francisco delivered a performance more reminiscent of a year ago when the Niners went to the Super Bowl, handing the Bears their seventh straight loss after out-gaining them by 315 yards on the way to a 24-0 halftime lead.

Purdy delivered his third 300-yard passing game of the season with two TDs to Jauan Jennings, fill-in running-back Isaac Guerendo gained 128 yards from scrimmage and scored on two TD runs and Kittle had six catches for 151 yards. That helped deliver the highest-scoring game of the season for the 49ers.

“I think we just all executed, did our job and kept it simple,” Purdy said. “I think guys weren’t overthinking anything. Just whatever was called we trusted in Kyle and executed.”

The defense did the rest with strong pressure from the four-man line that led to rookie Caleb Williams getting sacked seven times.

 

 

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (NBC Sports Post Game)

San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy (#13) center ready to pass the ball  for yardage against the Chicago Bears during NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, December 8, 2024.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (NBC Sports Post Game)

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (NBC Sports Post Game)

The Bears were looking for an emotional boost from the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history after letting Matt Eberflus go following a late-game clock mismanagement on Thanksgiving at Detroit.

Instead they came up on the short end of one of the most lopsided first halves in recent memory. Chicago was out-gained 319-4 in the first half for the ninth-largest discrepancy since 1991, managed only one first down and trailed by 24 points at the break.

The Bears allowed Purdy and the San Francisco offense to move down the field with little resistance with the Niners scoring three TDs and one field goal on their first five possessions.

Chicago couldn’t move the ball at all on offense, generating minus-3 yards passing thanks to four sacks and losing 37 yards on five failed third down attempts.

“We got our (butt) kicked today,” Williams said. “There’s no way around it. We got it handed to us. Offense, defense special teams, we have to come out and be better.”

 

 

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (Krueger & Crew Post Game)

49ers’ Juaun Jennings (#15) center dives into the end zone for his second touchdown in the first half as the San Francisco 49ers played the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, December 8, 2024.Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (Krueger & Crew Post Game)

2024.12.08 – Bears vs. 49ers (Krueger & Crew Post Game)

Williams managed to throw two touchdown passes to Rome Odunze in the second half, but it was too late to get the Bears back into the game. Williams finished 17 for 34 for 134 yards and lost a fumble, but had his seventh straight start without an interception.

Williams’ 56 sacks this season are the most for any Chicago quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

INJURIES

Bears: Returner DeAndre Carter (hamstring) left in the first quarter and didn’t return. … RB Travis Homer (head) left the game in the second half.

49ers: Guerendo left the game in the fourth quarter with a foot injury. Shanahan said the team would know more about the severity on Monday. … LG Ben Bartch (high ankle sprain) left the game in the first half and didn’t return. Bartch was starting in place of the injured Aaron Banks and the Niners were forced to use third-stringer Spencer Burford the rest of the way.

UP NEXT

Bears: Visit Minnesota on Monday night.

49ers: Host the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.

 

Related: Bills plow San Francisco 49ers in snowy Buffalo

Related: See below – 49ers rally to beat Lions and secure Super Bowl trip

 

Read more at:  San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL

JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Francisco 49ers, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com

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49ers rally to beat Lions and secure Super Bowl trip


About Joseph Estevez

Joseph Estevez is the Sports Editor for EMI Sports Central. He joined the organization's Elan Marketing Inc. in 2001. He concentrates mostly on the Bay Area's professional sport teams. He was there for the NFC game 49ers vs Dallas game 1995 at Candlestick Park. Also documented the Golden State Warriors team's playoffs run to the 2015 NBA Finals.