The Chicago Bears played a good defensive game in their season opener against the Buffalo Bills, but they found a way to lose. They now have to face an elite NFC opponent.
Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, September 14th – 8:30 PM ET
Odds: San Francisco -7
Why The Bears Will Cover
They are playing a game they really need to win, one week after leaving a lot of points behind on the field. The Bears suffered a horrible loss against Buffalo. No playoff contender should be losing at home to the Bills. Yet, the Bears did this. It’s not really a reason to pick them here. The point is something different, though. The Bears, having performed so poorly, are going to be motivated to play a lot better than they did last week. There’s obviously plenty of talent on this team, too. Jay Cutler has made an NFC Championship Game. Matt Forte is a very strong running back, certainly one of the better running backs in the league. Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are world-class receivers who can get behind defenses and use their strength to outfight cornerbacks for loose balls. This team has the ability to play well; it just needs to show it can do it.
As for the Bears’ opponent on Sunday Night Football, San Francisco just wasn’t tested at all by the Dallas Cowboys in week one. The 49ers were gifted a lot of early points and then glided through the final three quarters of that game. This isn’t a critique of the 49ers, just a reality of sports: When you’re not tested in one game, any adversity the following week can feel like a big obstacle. If Chicago can just get off to a good start, San Francisco might crack.
Why The 49ers Will Cover
They are a much better team. San Francisco wasn’t challenged much by Dallas, it’s true. Yet, the 49ers’ defense was good enough to make Dallas quarterback Tony Romo look so inept. The Niners’ offense was similarly good enough to make full use of the Cowboys’ numerous turnovers. San Francisco never really allowed Dallas to get back into that game. Dallas lost by only 11 points, 28-17, but the Cowboys’ final touchdown came after the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter, so the score never really was that close. The Niners are a responsible team, one that has made three straight NFC Championship Game appearances. This is a model for what a pro football team should be. It takes care of its business each season. It doesn’t merely hope to achieve. It gets things done. The Bears are very much the opposite of the Niners, in that they rarely if ever fulfill their potential. Playing at home, San Francisco should be able to remind Chicago of the vast gulf between these two teams.
Outlook
The 49ers’ defense should be able to play really well against the Bears, who committed three turnovers against Buffalo and squandered a day on which they gained over 400 total yards and accumulated 29 first downs. If Chicago could score only 20 against Buffalo at home in an overtime game, the Bears are in bigger trouble against the Niners on the road in San Francisco.
Pick: 49ers -7
