Fangio got hired by Bears after coordinating defense in San Francisco that ranked among league’s best past four years….
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Players and coaches talk all about how they respect their opponents. “Defensively, they held one of the most explosive teams in the league statistically in Arizona last week to 19 points, so they’re very, very capable”.
The Bears haven’t allowed a third-quarter touchdown in the last eight games, during which time they’ve permitted only 45 second-half points, the fewest in the NFL.
Yet Fangio isn’t the only one gone from those top 49ers units.
A team with little left to play for in the 49ers will try to take on the spoiler role against a Bears team that sees a clear window to the playoffs. An opportunistic Bears defense should be able to capitalize on those mistakes.
Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers’ No. 1 quarterback at the start of the season, has fallen out of favor. Not a single pass was thrown until the team hit the 50, to which Vance McDonald caught a nice ball in the middle of the field for 14 yards on 3rd and 3.
It’s another “revenge game” Sunday for the Chicago Bears.
Four minutes later, the Bears scored on Carey’s run. He’s gone the past five games without a touchdown, failing to catch more than two passes in any of those games. Got to a Super Bowl. Even if WR Eddie Royal doesn’t man the slot, Chicago’s two tight ends – Martellus Bennett and Zach Miller – are a matchup problem for San Francisco. With a healthy Matt Forte back in the mix to complement the emergence of rookie running back Jeremy Langford, Chicago should easily pick up huge chunks of yardage on the ground against the 49ers’ 25th ranked run defense. With the quarterback and running back troubles for San Francisco, and their line being decimated, the Bears defensive line may have a great day. When the 49ers punted to end the game’s first drive, the Bears unleashed the misdirection punt return play the Seahawks used for a touchdown against them in Week 3. “When you start thinking about the fifth game and the fourth game and the playoffs and what you’re doing for Christmas dinner, you’re not focused on the job at hand and that is the 49ers”.
Deonte Thompson answered immediately by taking the ensuing kickoff 74 yards and setting the Bears up in field goal territory with less than two minutes left in regulation.
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In a surprising upset that will leave the Bears wondering what might have been, the 49ers went to Chicago today and pulled off a 26-20 overtime upset. Also, Boldin owns a size edge of about 3 inches and 30 pounds so it’s a good place for San Francisco to go.
