Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers: Complete Week 2 Preview for Chicago
After a deflating 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, the Chicago Bears will face the difficult task of traveling to San Francisco to take on the 49ers this week on Sunday Night Football.
The Bears will look to improve to 1-1 on the season, but they have not won a game in San Francisco since 1985. Since 1987, the Bears have been outscored by the 49ers 271-49 in eight games played in San Francisco.
Quarterback Jay Cutler has faced the 49ers only once as a member of the Chicago Bears, completing 29 passes for 307 yards with five interceptions in a 10-6 loss back in 2009.
Earlier this week, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh called Cutler a great quarterback, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"#49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on #Bears' Jay Cutler: "I think he’s a great quarterback. You don’t need me to tell you that."
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) September 11, 2014"
Cutler has shown flashes of greatness in the past, but he will have to overcome his tendency to throw interceptions in critical situations.
The 49ers are coming off a 28-17 victory over Dallas in Week 1. The San Francisco defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions from Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
No game in Week 2 is ever considered a must-win, but based off recent history in the NFL, teams that fall to 0-2 to start the season stand only a 12 percent chance of making the playoffs:
"Only 12% of the teams under the current playoff format - which began in 1990 - made the playoffs after beginning the season 0-2
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 10, 2014"
The Bears will have their work cut out for them in Week 2 if they want to avoid dropping to 0-2 against a 49ers team that has gone to the last three NFC Championship Games and will open their brand new stadium, Levi's Stadium, on Sunday night.
Here is our Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco Week 2 preview.
Chicago Bears Week 1 Recap
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After an early stop on defense and a four-play, 66-yard touchdown drive on their first offensive possession, it appeared that the Chicago Bears would have an easy time defeating the Buffalo Bills in their Week 1 opener.
After their opening drive, the offense struggled to find a rhythm until quarterback Jay Cutler found Brandon Marshall in the back of the end zone for a touchdown in the middle of the third quarter.
Despite passing for 349 yards and two touchdowns, Cutler threw two costly interceptions, which led to 10 points for the Bills.
"Third down or fourth down, no matter what the situation is, I've got to do something better," Cutler said about his second interception on The Jay Cutler Show, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. "Anything probably would have been better than what happened, obviously. It's a huge play there. We're trying to go down for the game-winning score, and you're just trying to make a play."
Cutler has a history of trying to make something out of nothing and his decision backfired on that play. Even with his mistakes, the team still had an opportunity to win the game in overtime, but they failed to move the football after Matt Forte started the drive with a 13-yard run.
The Bears were forced to punt and the defense struggled to slow the Bills down on their 69-yard drive, which led to a Dan Carpenter game-winning field goal.
The Bears will now have to put last week's performance behind them as they head into San Francisco on Sunday night.
News and Notes
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Eben Britton Signing Gives Offensive Line More Flexibility
After injuries to starting offensive linemen Matt Slauson and Roberto Garza on Sunday against the Bills, the Chicago Bears re-signed veteran tackle Eben Britton on Tuesday, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com:
"#Bears sign OL Eben Britton & cut WR Michael Spurlock. Britton visited #Bears on Monday.
— Jeff Dickerson (@ESPNChiBears) September 9, 2014"
Britton played 239 snaps last season, via Pro Football Focus (subscription required), mostly as an extra blocker/tight end in the team's heavy package.
While Michael Ola and Brian de la Puente filled in admirably for Slauson and Garza on Sunday, Britton will give the team even more flexibility because of his past experience in the system, as well as prior starting experience at both guard and tackle.
Brandon Marshall Plans to be Ready for the 49ers
After suffering an ankle injury late in the first half against Buffalo, wide receiver Brandon Marshall declared on Inside the NFL on Tuesday, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, that he will be “ready to play” Sunday night.
He finished last Sunday's game with eight catches for 71 yards and a touchdown, but the injury forced him to miss a handful of snaps and limited him to just one catch in the fourth quarter.
After practice on Thursday, Marshall declared himself ready, but admitted he doesn't have the final say:
"Marshall: "I'll be out there Sunday. That's what I'm saying. But I'm not the head decision maker around here."
— Jeff Dickerson (@ESPNChiBears) September 11, 2014"
In addition to the injury, Marshall fumbled the football early in the second quarter on Sunday. He stated on Tuesday that he will "have to make up for that fumble" this week.
Former GM Questions Lance Briggs' Judgment and Leadership
A week after missing the team's first practice of the regular season, linebacker Lance Briggs was once again in the headlines this week.
This past Monday, 670 The Score radio host Matt Spiegel posted this tweet about a player out late on Friday night/Saturday morning:
"If there's 1 Bear you wouldn't like hearing was out partying, buying shots for people until 4 AM Friday, who is it?I'll share it in hour 1.
— Matt Spiegel (@MattSpiegel670) September 8, 2014"
Spiegel later clarified the player in question was Briggs:
"@theirishkid23 Briggs. Friday night...so 4 AM Saturday.
— Matt Spiegel (@MattSpiegel670) September 8, 2014"
“What I do on my off time is my business — it’s my business,” Briggs stated on the Lance Briggs Show, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“You have to question his judgment, certainly his leadership,” former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said about Briggs on the Kap and Haugh Show, via David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times.
"I’d be very concerned about that, especially right on the heels of him missing the first day of practice prior to the game," Angelo continued. "It’s a non-issue if they win, it’s a big issue because they lost. Now obviously you have to question his judgment, certainly his leadership."
If the Bears start winning football games and Briggs plays better on the field, the story will be a non-issue. But if Briggs continues to struggle, he may end up facing more questions regarding what he does in his off time.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Matt Slauson | OL | Out |
| Roberto Garza | OL | Out |
| Alshon Jeffery | WR | Questionable |
| Brandon Marshall | WR | Did Not Practice |
| David Fales | QB | Out |
| Tony Fiammetta | FB | Out |
| Josh Morgan | WR | Doubtful |
*All injury statuses from Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune and reflect Friday's practice.
Matt Slauson and Roberto Garza both appeared to have been injured on the same play Sunday afternoon against the Buffalo Bills. Slauson was immediately replaced by Michael Ola at left guard, but Garza took a few additional snaps before being replaced by Brian de la Puente at center.
Following practice on Wednesday afternoon, head coach Marc Trestman wouldn't elaborate on their injuries, only stating both "have ankles," via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune:
"Trestman when asked about injuries to Roberto Garza and Matt Slauson: "All I know is they have ankles." Calls them day to day.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 10, 2014"
If neither are able to go on Sunday night against the 49ers, both Ola and de la Puente proved they can handle those roles.
Along with Garza and Slauson, wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery also suffered injuries in the loss against the Bills.
Marshall already stated earlier in the week he would be available on Sunday, but Trestman noted on Wednesday that both are day-to-day, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Marc Trestman said Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are day to day and #Bears will be optimistic until otherwise.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) September 10, 2014"
With the injuries to Marshall and Jeffery, the team signed wide receivers Greg Herd and Chris Williams to the practice squad earlier this week, via TheGameChicago.com's Adam Hoge:
"WR Greg Herd was also signed to the practice squad and DT Roy Philon was let go. Herd was with #Bears in training camp.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) September 9, 2014"
"#Bears added Chris Williams back to the practice squad. They now have 4 WRs on their 10-man practice squad. LB DeDe Lattimore was let go.
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) September 11, 2014"
If Marshall and/or Jeffery are unable to play Sunday, the team will have to rely heavily on Josh Morgan, who missed Thursday's practice, and Santonio Holmes at wide receiver.
After missing last week's game, quarterback David Fales and fullback Tony Fiammetta have yet to practice this week, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, leaving their statuses up in the air for Sunday night.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Chicago's Defensive Line vs. the Zone-Read Option
The zone-read option is nothing new in the NFL, but it has been giving the Chicago Bears problems over the past few seasons.
The underlying concept of the zone-read option is very straightforward. The quarterback reads the backside defensive end and decides whether to hand off to the running back or keep the ball himself based on whether the defensive end reacts toward the running back.
The 49ers and quarterback Colin Kaepernick have perfected the zone-read option over the years and defensive end Willie Young expects to see a lot of it this Sunday and beyond, via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com:
"You know San Fran is going to come out and run some of that zone read. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get that for the rest of the year. That’s not just singling us out; it’s across the league. Everybody’s buying stock in that particular play, so we’re just going to have to be sound for stopping that zone read.
"
Head coach Marc Trestman knows the team will need to continue to correct their rules against the zone-read option in order to be prepared for San Francisco, via Fishbain:
"I think we just have to continue to work on our rules and make sure guys stay disciplined in their rules. There is somebody for the back, there is somebody for the quarterback on each of those plays. We've got the guys to fix it and we see the light. Certainly with the amount of read zone we saw [Sunday] there was certain reasons to believe it can be fixed. But it's got to be fixed on every play.
"
Kaepernick ran the football 92 times last season for 524 yards. The team as a whole averaged 137.6 yards per game last season, third best in the NFL.
The Bears struggled against the run last season and didn't look much better this past Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, allowing 193 yards rushing on 33 attempts.
If the Bears want to effectively slow down the 49ers rushing offense, particularly the zone-read option, defensive ends Young, Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston will have to play sound, disciplined football on Sunday night.
Jared Allen vs. Joe Staley
Brought in this offseason to give the defensive line an elite pass-rusher, Jared Allen struggled to make much of an impact in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.
He finished with just one tackle, but head coach Marc Trestman thought Allen played hard, telling Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune:
"I thought Jared played really hard. Really hard. I’m sure he would tell you that he didn’t get to the quarterback as much as he would have liked to, but he ran to the ball. He was physical in the run game. And I’m sure that he would tell you, as we all can, we all can play better.
"
Allen is set to square off against San Francisco's Joe Staley on Sunday night.
Staley has been named to the last three Pro Bowls and finished last season as Pro Football Focus' (subscription required) fifth-highest rated tackle in the NFL with a plus-24.4 grade.
Staley's combination of size and strength makes him one of the best left tackles in the league, and he could make it a long night for Allen on Sunday night.
If Allen wants to get into good graces with the Chicago fanbase, a strong showing against Staley on Sunday Night Football could go a long way.
Bears' X-Factor of the Week: Jay Cutler
Despite throwing for 349 yards with two touchdowns against the Bills last Sunday, quarterback Jay Cutler's afternoon was defined by his two interceptions.
On his first interception, Cutler tried to hit Martellus Bennett up the seam after a fake screen but was picked off by Buffalo's Corey Graham.
On his second interception, Cutler rolled out of the pocket on a 3rd-and-short, threw across his body and was intercepted by defensive lineman Kyle Williams.
Cutler hasn't faced San Francisco since 2009, his first year in Chicago. He went 39-of-52 through the air for 307 yards but threw five interceptions and finished with a 33.6 quarterback rating.
The two teams last squared off in 2012, but Cutler was unable to play due to an injury.
In nine prime-time games since 2011, Cutler has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,691 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. During that span, he threw more than one touchdown only three times and was held without a touchdown once.
The defense proved in Week 1 that they still have a ways to go, meaning it will be up to Cutler to avoid turnovers and improve on his recent prime-time performances on Sunday.
Prediction
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On paper, this matchup would appear to be a slam dunk for the San Francisco 49ers considering Chicago's woes defensively and Jay Cutler's penchant for turnovers.
But, just as the Buffalo Bills showed against Chicago last week, there is a reason why games are not won on paper.
Despite Chicago being a consensus pick to win in Week 1, the Bills proved the Bears still have plenty of weaknesses on both sides of the football.
The 49ers boast a potent running attack and a defense that still has the ability to get after the quarterback.
If the Bears want to slow down the 49ers and control the football game, they need to put the football in running back Matt Forte's hands. Against the Bills on Sunday, Forte carried the football 17 times for 82 yards and hauled in eight catches for 87 yards.
The 49ers allowed just 95.9 rushing yards per game last season, fourth best in the NFL, but gave up 118 yards rushing on 22 carries to Dallas' DeMarco Murray last Sunday.
If Forte can find similar success, the Bears have a shot to keep up with San Francisco.
On the defensive side of the ball, it is going to be all about containing Colin Kaepernick and the zone-read option. Head coach Marc Trestman was very complimentary of Kaepernick's game earlier this week, via Chicago Bears Radio Network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
"Trestman on Kaepernick: "He's an extremely explosive player, as explosive as they get in this league."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) September 10, 2014"
Along with Kaepernick, the Bears will have to try to slow down running backs Frank Gore and rookie Carlos Hyde. The two running backs combined for 116 yards on 23 carries against the Cowboys.
In the end, containing the explosive Kaepernick and the San Francisco offense may prove to be too much to handle for a Bears defense that is still trying to jell.
Unfortunately for the Bears this week, what we see on paper is likely what we will see on the field.
Prediction: Bears 24, 49ers 34
Record/statistical information provided via email from the Chicago Bears or NFL.com.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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