Bear Digest

NFL experts remain hesitant on Chicago Bears entering Week 17 vs. 49ers

The Chicago Bears have become the darlings of the NFL, but league experts are still hesitant to buy in.
Bryan Perez|
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The Chicago Bears' 2025 season has been nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

After finishing 2024 with only five wins and the Matt Eberflus-led laughing stock of the NFL, the Ben Johnson Bears are steamrolling at 11-4, in first place in the NFC North, and fighting for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with only two games remaining.

Still, it appears the Bears still have much to prove before NFL experts buy all the way in.

Take Week 17's game picks, for example. According to NFL Pick Watch, 72% of experts polled think the San Francisco 49ers will defeat the Bears at Levi's Stadium.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson during the game against the Green Bay Packers
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Perhaps this isn't the worst indictment against Chicago. The 49ers are also 11-4 and are in an end-of-year battle with the Seattle Seahawks for NFC West supremacy.

It's a pretty even game, at least offensively. Both the Bears and 49ers are top-10 scoring offenses (San Francisco ranks ninth, Chicago is 10th in points per game).

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The 49ers are the better passing offense; they rank fifth in passing yards per game, while the Bears are 14th. Chicago has a massive edge in the running game, where the Bears rank second in the NFL at 151.7 rushing yards per game. The 49ers are 24th at 104.3 yards per game.

On defense, the 49ers enter Week 17 averaging 21.3 points per game (11th in the NFL), while the Bears are 19th at 23.6 points per game. The 49ers have the superior run defense; they rank 8th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, whereas the Bears are 27th.

Expect a heavy dose of Christian McCaffrey on Sunday.

A Chicago Bears win would secure an NFC North title and keep them in the race for the No. 1 seed. Even if the Bears lose, they could still take home a division championship with a victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 18.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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