Bears vs. 49ers: Three Bold Predictions for Sunday Night’s Duel Atop the NFC

The Bears are headed to San Francisco for a primetime matchup.

Caleb Williams and the Bears are heading to San Francisco on Sunday night. / Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Sunday’s slate of NFL football is set to come to a close in San Francisco as the Bears travel west to take on the 49ers for a prime-time matchup.

Chicago enters Sunday night as one of the hottest teams in the sport, having won 11 of its last 13 games since their 0–2 start to the season. With the Packers’ loss to the Ravens on Saturday, the Bears have officially won the NFC North for the first time since 2018. Caleb Williams—who we’ll get to—is playing like a former No. 1 pick and Ben Johnson has cemented himself as a legit Coach of the Year candidate while guiding their epic turnaround.

On the home sideline, meanwhile, will stand a 49ers team that’s also playing its best football of late. Winners of five in a row, San Francisco controls its own destiny to the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs despite dealing with an abundance of injuries all year long.

We’re in for an epic one with massive playoff implications on Sunday night at Levi’s. Here are three bold predictions for Bears vs. 49ers:

Caleb Williams will avoid being sacked for a second straight week

Caleb Williams' improvisational skills have been on full display in recent weeks. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Caleb Williams’ elite improvisational skills have been on full display in recent weeks. Between his top-tier arm talent, innate ability to throw on the run, and late-game heroics that have led Chicago to six come-from-behind wins this season, his new “Ice Man” nickname is more than well deserved.

What’s fueled the 24-year-old's bounce back second season in the NFL is his much-improved offensive line. Behind offseason additions Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Ozzy Trapilo—along with Darnell Wright playing like a first-round pick—Williams has been sacked just 23 times this season, a stark difference from the 68 he took in 2024.

While San Francisco’s defense on the whole has been solid of late, they’ve recorded the fewest quarterback sacks this season with just 18. Given that, I’m predicting Chicago to have a clean sheet and keep Williams upright for a second week in a row.

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49ers offense will commit two-plus turnovers for the first time in over a month

Purdy and McCaffrey have done a good job at protecting the football this season. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The 49ers offense has been on a complete tear of late, scoring 34.4 points per game over their current five-game winning streak. What’s been most impressive, however, has been their ability to take care of the football.

Since their most recent loss to the Rams in Week 10, San Francisco has committed just five total turnovers while only coughing it up more than once in a game just one time. Additionally, Christian McCaffrey has yet to lose a fumble all year, and Brock Purdy has thrown just one interception over the last month.

On the flipside, however, the Bears have been the league’s top turnover-forcing defense this season, picking off 21 passes and recovering 10 fumbles for a total of 31 takeaways. That's why, in the spirit of bold predictions, I’m going with Chicago to force the 49ers into two-plus turnovers for the first time in quite some time.

Bears’ season of destiny will continue with a comfortable road win in The Bay

Caleb Williams and the Bears are rolling. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sunday night’s contest in The Bay has a chance to shape up as one of the weekend's best with two of the NFC’s top teams in action.

However, in a game where the final score might make it look closer than it really was, I’m predicting the Bears to take care of business over the 49ers, 24–17, behind a high-end performance from Williams and the offense.

In turn, Chicago will keep their hopes of claiming the NFC’s No. 1 seed alive for at least another week, while San Francisco will continue vying for seeding into Week 18.

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