We saw what complementary football looks like for the 49ers
That was exactly the performance the San Francisco 49ers needed.
After consecutive multiple-score losses to Green Bay and Buffalo, the Niners found themselves on the right side of a blowout, leaving little doubt in a 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears.
The win keeps San Francisco’s slim playoff hopes alive – although the Seahawks and Rams winning on Sunday don’t help – and it was just the type of win the 49ers needed to keep the illusion that is postseason play alive.
The 49ers’ biggest win of the season, in review.
“Stone Cold” George Kittle
George Kittle finished Sunday with 151 yards on six receptions. It was his first 100-yard game since Week 8 when he finished with 128 yards in the 49ers 30-24 win over Dallas.
Kittle’s last 100-yard game also happens to be the 49ers’ most recent game, scoring at least 30 points before Sunday. Maybe there’s some connection between getting Kittle the ball and San Francisco scoring points.
Nonetheless, it was apparent early that Kittle would have his fingerprints all over this game. His first touch came on San Francisco’s fourth play of the game, a screen pass he would take for 33 yards. His second reception would go for 32 yards, and by the time Kittle had his fourth reception, he’d eclipsed the century mark en route to his 151 yards.
Four of his six receptions would gain at least 20 yards, and five would gain at least 15. The only thing missing from Kittle’s stat line was a touchdown, but the 49ers offense would make up that ground with five touchdowns. Kittle might not get the glamor of scoring, but he should get a ton of credit for his dirty work to help the 49ers to their highest scoring output 2024.
Third down pass rush
San Francisco’s pass rush hasn’t been the same in the two games without Nick Bosa. Since Bosa went down with his hip injury against Seattle a few weeks ago, the 49ers didn’t record a sack against either Green Bay or Buffalo.
But that changed on Sunday against Chicago, with the 49ers recording seven sacks. And it wasn’t just the quantity of sacks but also their timing.
The 49ers’ first sack was from Yetur Gross-Matos in the first quarter, with San Francisco up a score. With Chicago facing a third-and-7, Gross-Matos got to Williams for his second sack as a 49er to end the Bears drive.
San Francisco’s offense would score to extend the lead to 14 before returning the ball to Chicago. Again, Williams and the Bears faced a third down, and again, the 49ers’ pass rush would get to the rookie. This time, Leonard Floyd would beat Bears left tackle Braxton Jones en route to sacking Williams to end another Chicago drive.
The 49ers would again take the third-down sack and turn it into points, taking a commanding 21-0 lead in the second quarter, but that wasn’t enough for the pass rush. This time, Maliek Collins would join the fun, sacking Williams on another third down to force a fourth consecutive punt from the Bears to open the game.
Floyd would get to Williams on Chicago’s final drive of the first half, marking a fourth consecutive Bears’ drive to end in a sack. San Francisco started the streak up seven, and by the end of it, the 49ers were up 24-0.
Chicago’s offensive line has allowed the most sacks this season, so for a struggling San Francisco pass rush, the Bears were a welcome sight.
Shanahan versus replay assist
Kyle Shanahan has never been particularly good at challenges. Entering Sunday, he’d challenged seven calls in the last two seasons, with only two overturned. While we’ve gotten used to Shanahan losing challenges, Shanahan was embarrassed by the replay review on Sunday.
With San Francisco facing a third-and-8 while holding onto a 14-0 lead, Purdy hit Jauan Jennings short of the markers, but Jennings would fight for every inch he could get to try for the first down. Despite fighting for the extra yardage, Jennings was ruled short, setting up a fourth-and-1 with the offense nearing the red zone.
Shanahan wanted another look at the spot, throwing a challenge flag. Unfortunately for Shanahan, before his challenge, referee Ronald Tolbert had announced that through an expedited review, Jennings was ruled short, and it would be fourth down.
That wasn’t enough for Shanahan, who wanted to go against the machine and confirmed his decision to challenge the call.
The call on the field stood to nobody’s surprise, and San Francisco lost a timeout. The lost challenge didn’t deter the Niners, however, as they went for and converted the fourth-and-1, extending a drive that would end in a field goal.
Shortly after that, Shanahan would get his revenge against the expedited replay review. With Chicago threatening to make the game close in the third quarter, Williams had the ball slip from his hands on a second-down pass attempt. After Evan Anderson made an apparent recovery, the play was ruled an incomplete pass, and Chicago retained the ball.
Shanahan, again, wasn’t happy with the call and threw his challenge flag. This time, instead of waiting until after the replay assistant to make a call, Shanahan beat the extra official to the punch. His challenge was returned to him because Tolbert announced that the expedited review had changed the call to a fumble; therefore, Shanahan wouldn’t need to challenge.
Replay review is always an adventure for Shanahan, but at least he got the last laugh after losing his first fight with the expedited review.
A vintage 49ers performance
Sunday’s performance from the 49ers has been so overdue that it’s almost frustrating that it took 14 weeks for it to happen. But better late than never for a Niners team that needed a win to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.
The first-half numbers alone show just how much the 49ers dominated this game:
- Total yards:
49ers – 319
Bears – 4
- Passing yards:
49ers – 254
Bears – (-3)
- Plays:
49ers – 37
Bears – 17
- First downs:
49ers – 14
Bears – 1
- Third down conversions:
49ers: 4-for-7
Bears: 0-for-5
Everything came together for what feels like the first time all season in what was easily the 49ers’ best performance of 2024. Purdy finished with 325 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. Isaac Guerendo had a pair of rushing touchdowns with a 30-yard run. Kittle and Jennings combined for nearly 250 passing yards. The defense held Chicago to less than 200 yards of total offense.
Everything went right for the 49ers for the first time this season. Maybe it is too late, and it will end up being a wasted performance for a San Francisco team that got going too late.
But maybe—just maybe—this performance will begin an unprecedented turnaround, even for Kyle Shanahan.