49ers @ Bears Week 8 Live Blog
CHICAGO -- This is the live blog for the San Francisco 49ers' Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears. I will update this frequently with information and analysis from the press box.
9:50 All the juicy 49ers news comes out Sunday mornings these days.
A few weeks ago, hours before Trey Lance's first career start, Ian Rapoport reported that there was nothing Lance could do to keep the job. And now today, Rapoport has reported that Lance could become the fulltime starter soon, depending on how Garoppolo and the team do the next few weeks.
Funny how much can change in three weeks.
"If Garoppolo continues to struggle, Lance's snaps should only increase after he shows he's completely healthy," Rapoport wrote. "Sources believe Lance will be the starter at some point this season and, if the losses continue, that sounds like it will be sooner rather than later. The 49ers won't push Lance coming off an injury, and there is no set plan on when to install Lance as the starter. But depending on performance today, this may also hit fast-forward in the next couple of weeks. It may hasten the desire to begin the on-field development."
Sounds like Lance could start next week against the Cardinals even if the 49ers beat the Bears.
9:53 Bears head coach Matt Nagy will miss the game because he's on the COVID-19 list, which may not be good news for the 49ers, because Nagy is a bad head coach and the 49ers scouted his offense and play calling tendencies all week. With Nagy out, the Bears' play calling tendencies could be different. It will be interesting to see how prepared the 49ers defense is and how DeMeco Ryans reacts during the game, although the Bears are so bad this advantage may not matter for them.
10:30 Here are the 49ers' inactives:
Travis Benjamin
Ambry Thomas
Deommodore Lenoir
Azeez Al-Shaair
Dee Ford
Aaron Banks
Maurice Hurst
10:34 Jordan Willis should replace Ford in the 49ers' pass-rush rotation.
12:00 The Bears win the toss and defer. The 49ers will receive the opening kickoff.
FIRST HALF
12:11 On 3rd and 14 from the Bears 39, Trent Williams commits a holding penalty. Next play, Jimmy Garoppolo hits Mohamed Sanu over the middle for 19. Then Joey Slye pushes a 48-yard field goal attempt wide right. Bad first drive. Deebo Samuel dropped passes during that series.
12:22 The Bears make a 39-yard field goal. Neither team looks particularly good or sharp early on.
49ers 0, Bears 3.
12:28 On 2nd and 9 from the Bears 36, Garoppolo sails a pass over Jauan Jennings' head and nearly gets picked off. Two plays later, Joey Slye makes a 48-yard field goal.
49ers 3, Bears 3.
12:44 On 2nd and 7 from the 49ers 8, Josh Norman gives up a touchdown catch to the Bears backup tight end, Jesse James. Norman is so bad.
49ers 3, Bears 10.
12:53 On 3rd and 7 from the Bears 34, Garoppolo throws an incomplete pass intended for Sanu. Then Slye takes the field and nails a 52-yard field goal.
49ers 6, Bears 10.
1:12 After a 16-play drive, the Bears make a 40-yard field goal. They're not a good team, but they're having lots of success running the ball, particularly to their left. They're moving Nick Bosa, who had a sack during the drive.
49ers 6, Bears 13.
1:23 Garoppolo throws a 50-yard pass to Samuel. A few plays later, Slye makes a 22-yard field goal as time expires.
49ers 9, Bears 13.
SECOND HALF
1:46 On 3rd and goal from the 7, Fields throws an incomplete pass to tight end Cole Kmet, who was covered well by Fred Warner. The Bears make a 25-yard field goal. That drive was extended when Emmanuel Moseley gave up a 22-yard catch to Marquise Freaking Goodwin on 3rd and 13 from the 49ers 38.
49ers 9, Bears 16.
2:01 On 3rd and goal from the 2, Jimmy Garoppolo runs into the end zone for a touchdown. But Slye misses the extra point wide right. That's his second miss of the game.
49ers 15, Bears 16.
2:11 On 2nd and 15 from the Bears 33, Nick Bosa records his second sack of the game. The Bears punt two plays later, and Brandon Aiyuk returns the punt 21 yards to the 49ers 48. Great return.
2:23 On 1st and goal from the 5, Elijah Mitchell powers in the end zone for the score. Then the 49ers go for 2, and Garoppolo completes it to Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers are finally outplaying this vastly inferior opponent.
49ers 23, Bears 16.
2:32 On 4th and 1 from the 49ers 22, they give up a 22-yard touchdown scramble to Justin Field. One of the best runs I've ever seen. Fred Warner was shaken up during the play.
2:33 The extra point is wide right.
49ers 23, Bears 22.
2:41 On 1st and goal from the 5, Garoppolo scores his second rushing touchdown of the game. Looked like a similar play as his first rushing touchdown.
49ers 30, Bears 22.
2:48 On 3rd and 11 from the Bears 39, Samson Ebukam sacks Fields for a 14-yard loss. That's the first good thing Ebukam has done this season. The Bears punt.
3:02 Joey Slye makes a 33-yard field goal.
49ers 33, Bears 22.
3:02 Justin Fields airmails a deep throw and gets picked off by Josh Norman. That will do it. Stay tuned for the 49ers grades.
