SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Chicago Bears already have endured a brutal season.
On Sunday, 10 days after team leaders fired coach Matt Eberflus, the state of the Bears looked even worse in a 38-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers outgained the Bears 319 yards to 4 in the first half on the way to a 24-0 halftime lead, and the Bears (4-9) couldn’t catch up despite a better second half in their seventh straight loss.
The defense under new play caller Eric Washington, who took over the role from Eberflus, gave up 452 yards to a 49ers team decimated by injuries.
And in interim coach Thomas Brown’s debut, the Bears offense managed just 162 net yards. Quarterback Caleb Williams completed 17 of 23 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked seven times for a loss of 46 yards and lost a fumble.
After the dismal first half, the Bears opened the third quarter with a 16-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Williams hit Rome Odunze in the back left corner of the end zone for a 4-yard pass. Tight end Cole Kmet dropped the 2-point conversion pass, and the Bears trailed 24-6.
The Bears were into 49ers territory on their second drive of the half after a defensive stop, but Williams committed a turnover on second-and-8 at the 30-yard line. He originally was ruled to have thrown an incomplete pass, but replay assist ruled it was a fumble that 49ers defensive tackle Evan Anderson recovered.
The 49ers capitalized with Isaac Guerendo’s 4-yard touchdown run for a 31-6 lead. Guerendo, the 49ers’ third-string running back filling in for the injured Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason, had 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback Brock Purdy completed 20 of 25 passes for 325 yards, two touchdowns and a 145.4 passer rating for the 49ers (6-7). Tight end George Kittle had six catches for 151 yards, with 138 of those yards coming in the first half.
The Bears scored their second touchdown on Williams’ 14-yard pass to Odunze to cut it to 31-13 early in the fourth quarter. But Patrick Taylor Jr. scored on a 3-yard run to put the 49ers on top 38-13.
The Bears lost wide receiver/returner DeAndre Carter to a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Running back Travis Homer went out with a head injury in the third quarter.
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Here’s how the game unfolded.
Injury report: DJ Moore, D’Andre Swift active
Bears wide receiver DJ Moore and running back D’Andre Swift are active against the 49ers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Moore and Swift were listed as questionable Friday after battling quadriceps injuries during the week. Neither practiced Wednesday or Thursday and they were limited Friday in practice.
But both are able to play Sunday.
The Bears previously declared out safety Elijah Hicks (ankle), running back Roschon Johnson (concussion) and guard/center Ryan Bates (concussion).
Offensive tackle Larry Borom, wide receiver Tyler Scott, defensive end Dominique Robinson and defensive back Ameer Speed also are inactive for the Bears.
For the 49ers, defensive end Nick Bosa will not play against the Bears after dealing with hip and oblique injuries during the week. Bosa has seven sacks and 17 quarterback hits this season.
The 49ers previously declared out running back Jordan Mason, safety George Odum, left tackle Trent Williams and linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs, offensive lineman Aaron Banks, cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and running back Israel Abanikanda are also inactive.
Halftime: Bears have more punts than yards, trail 24-0
The Bears’ first half of football in the post-Matt Eberflus era was ugly.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns to fuel a 24-0 halftime lead. Tight end George Kittle had five catches for 138 yards against a Bears defense under new play caller Eric Washington.
Meanwhile, the Bears offense directed by interim coach Thomas Brown managed just 4 net yards in the half — and punted five times — compared with 319 yards for the 49ers.
Quarterback Caleb Williams completed 6 of 9 passes for 27 yards. He was sacked four times — all on third down — for a loss of 30 yards. The running game consisted of D’Andre Swift’s four carries for 7 yards.
The 49ers took a 7-0 lead on the opening drive on Purdy’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings, who was open between Jonathan Owens and Tyrique Stevenson. Purdy had back-to-back passes of 23 and 33 yards to Isaac Guerendo and Kittle on the drive.
Guerendo, the 49ers’ third-string running back filling in for the injured Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason, made it 14-0 late in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run. That followed his 27-yard catch from Purdy. Kittle also had a 32-yard catch on the drive.
Purdy’s 16-yard pass to Jennings midway through the second quarter made it 21-0, and Jake Moody’s 23-yard field goal with 1 minute, 50 seconds to play in the half increased the 49ers lead to 24-0.
Bears returner/wide receiver DeAndre Carter left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and is doubtful to return.
Catch up on the rest of our coverage.
5 things to watch — plus our predictions
Caleb Williams saw the offensive coordinator and head coach that drafted him fired in the span of three weeks last month amid a six-game losing streak. The rookie quarterback admitted it hasn’t been easy navigating the Bears’ trials.
“Human nature, we’re not necessarily meant to be consistent for 365 days,” Williams said. “So that is the battle to fight for myself, for my teammates and coaches and everybody. I will say it’s not easy to keep going and roll with the punches and keep fighting and things like that, but you have to do it.”
Williams and Thomas Brown adjusted fairly well in their three games together with Brown as coordinator, and they’re hopeful that they can continue Sunday against a 49ers defense that has stumbled recently.
The 49ers gave up 73 points and 697 yards in their last two games against the Packers and Bills. And they very well could be playing Sunday without star defensive end Nick Bosa, who was listed as doubtful with hip and oblique injuries. Read more here.
Bears ‘leaning in’ to Thomas Brown
Multiple players said Brown’s direct and clear approach to communication, his energy and his focus on accountability and unity have helped ease the coaching transition.
“(Brown) is very deliberate in how he talks to us,” left guard Teven Jenkins said. “Everything he’s telling us right now is very intentional and all of us are very locked in. Everybody is sitting at the front of their seat, leaning in.”
Now, Brown and the players hope to ride his spark and put an end to a maddening string of losses that have turned their season upside down. Read more here.
- Column: Thomas Brown’s top priority as Bears interim coach? ‘To unify this team’ amid chaos and division.
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- Column: In promoting Thomas Brown to interim head coach, are the Bears putting Caleb Williams’ development at risk?
‘The most coveted job’ in the NFL
Bears President Kevin Warren sat alongside general manager Ryan Poles and said they would work “in tandem” to find the team’s next head coach.
Warren said Poles will remain the GM and will be the “point person” in identifying the replacement for Matt Eberflus. Citing the Bears’ salary cap space, young roster, upcoming draft capital and, of course, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, Warren called the Bears opening “the most coveted job in the National Football League this year.” Read more here.
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Moving on from Matt Eberflus
Bears coach Matt Eberflus takes the field to face the Cardinals on Nov. 3, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)Matt Eberflus became the first Bears head coach fired midseason when general manager Ryan Poles dismissed him with a 14-32 record, including 2-13 in the NFC North.
Eberflus’ two-plus seasons as coach were filled with distressing losses and missteps as he tried to turn a rebuilding team into a winner. That didn’t happen. Read more here.
