Revisiting Micah's predictions for Bears-49ers SNF showdown

The Chicago Bears continue to be a chameleon this year. They adapt as needed and change their style to have a chance of winning football matches. Against the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears had to run a prolific offense and rely more on their passing attack, resulting in the best game of the careers of several of their young stars, starting with Caleb Williams.

Here’s how my five expectations went for the Chicago Bears’ game against the 49ers on Sunday night:

Caleb Williams and Brock Purdy have great days in the air

“The Bears vs. 49ers game on Sunday night will be a classic prime-time football game. I think a lot of that will be due to the high volume of production that both quarterbacks will put up. I think Caleb Williams will have a big day against the young 49ers defense. I could see Caleb throwing for 300 yards, and I think Brock Purdy will do his best to match that. The stakes are high for this game, and both quarterbacks will be at their best.”

Caleb Williams and Brock Purdy both put on a show on Sunday night. The two quarterbacks delivered one of the best games of the season on Sunday night; both threw for over 300 yards and at least 2 touchdowns. Brock Purdy, in the end, got the better of Caleb Williams, but it was encouraging to see Caleb Williams play like that in what looked like a playoff match.

DJ Moore exceeds 125 receiving yards

No Rome Odunze for another week, but fortunately for Caleb, his connection with DJ Moore seems stronger than ever. As an added bonus, Caleb gets Luther Burden back on Sunday night, another key contributor. However, I think for another week in a row, DJ Moore is the Bears’ leading receiver. Moore has been more valuable than ever lately, and he just might have another game-winning touchdown. At the very least, I think Moore has 125 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. Moore will look like a receiver No. 1 in prime time against the 49ers.”

DJ, while battling an illness, was the complete opposite of my prediction. Caleb Williams still managed to have his best game thanks to elite performances from the Bears’ top picks in the latest draft class. Moore not being a factor allowed Luther Burden to look like a superstar and put up even better numbers than I thought DJ Moore would.

Montez Sweat gets his 10th sack of the season

“Montez Sweat is having a dominant season this year, and he is coming off a game where he bullied the Packers backup tackle throughout the game. A clear example of this was his sack when he bulldozed the Packers tackle to end regulation and put the game into overtime. Sweat is currently at 9.5 sacks on the year, and against the 49ers in a big game for the Bears, Sweat is one of the defensive players showing up for Chicago. I think Sweat brings down Brock Purdy at least once in this game and he’s a familiar face in the backfield.”

Montez Sweat was a non-factor in the Bears’ game against the 49ers. Very disappointing performance, and he was one of the Bears’ worst players on the field defensively. On the bright side, Austin Booker stepped up and showed some life, making big plays and getting sacked.

Bears defense gets two interceptions on Brock Purdy

“Brock Purdy is no stranger to throwing. In 7 games this year, Purdy has managed to throw 8 interceptions. The Bears have a knack for creating takeaways because they are the NFL’s number 1 defense in that category. While I think Brock Purdy will have a high volume passing day, I think the Bears steal two interceptions from him. I think Tremaine Edmunds and Jaylon Johnson are the two Bears with two big turnovers.”

The Bears started the game with an interception and my prediction seemed pretty good. After that interception early in the game, the Bears defense followed with nothing else of significance. It was pure domination by the 49ers over the Bears.

Bears win NFC North, finish week 17 atop NFC standings

“The Bears have had a pretty lucky season this year, and I don’t think their luck will run out anytime soon. The Bears have a tough opponent facing them in Week 17 for the 1 seed. The 49ers lost many key players, but still have just as good, if not better, coaching on both sides of the ball. Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy have kept the Niners competent offensively. Although the Bears are underdogs before this game, they have what it takes to end the 49ers’ winning streak. I think the Bears take care of business on Sunday night and will get some help from the Carolina Panthers, who are no strangers to an upset, as they beat the Seahawks early on Sunday. The Bears, come the end of week 17, will be sitting atop the NFC in first round control come playoff time.

The Bears won the NFC North heading into their Sunday night game, but fell short of their goal of a 1 seed by losing to the 49ers. The duviuson is the Bears, and they will host a game at Soldier Field, two dream outcomes for the Bears before this season begins. The Bears still have a chance to clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC, which would potentially give them multiple home games in the playoffs, increasing their chances of making the playoffs.

This article was originally published on Trojans Wire: The main reasons for the Chicago Bears’ optimism after their loss to the 49ers.