Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the 49ers in their season opener at Chicago. They led by 10 at the half, but the Bears rattled off 19 unanswered points to secure a season-opening victory in an epic collapse by San Francisco that featured turnovers, penalties and all the factors that portend losses in the NFL.
Let’s go over what we know:
Final score: Bears 19, 49ers 10
The 49ers were up 10-0, and then a quick touchdown pass by Chicago put them right back in it. San Francisco’s offense never really got off the ground while their defense struggled with some penalty issues in the second half. That was not a well-played game by the visitors.
Keys to the game
Penalties were the biggest takeaway and killed San Francisco, especially on defense. Overall they committed 12 penalties for 99 yards. Two Bears TD drives were aided by penalties that extended the series after third-down stops. 49ers QB Trey Lance was okay. There were some very good plays and some very bad plays. Late in the game the offensive line started to falter as the Bears pinned their ears back to get after the QB.
It was over when ...
Lance fired an interception to Bears safety Eddie Jackson a little less than halfway through the fourth quarter. Chicago capitalized with a touchdown to make it 19-10 with 7:24 left in the fourth quarter. San Francisco’s offense just wasn’t good enough to overcome that kind of deficit.
3 stars of the game
– SS Talanoa Hufanga: 11 tackles, 2 TFL, INT
– DE Nick Bosa: 5 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2 QBH, TFL
– WR Jauan Jennings: 4 catches, 62 yards
Injury update
The 49ers lost running back Elijah Mitchell to a knee injury in the second quarter. His absence was felt on offense. San Francisco bogged down once he exited. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was also evaluated for a concussion, but he returned to the game.
What's next
The 49ers have to regroup quickly. They begin their divisional slate in Week 2 at home vs. the Seahawks. It’ll be another long Sunday if they don’t figure out their penalty problem.
