The Chicago Bears will open the 2022 season against the San Francisco 49ers, where they’ll be tasked with upsetting a team that many have pegged as Super Bowl contenders.
Chicago is kicking off a new era of football under head coach Matt Eberflus, which will feature a new-look offense and defense.
The Bears have plenty of questions heading into Week 1, including Justin Fields’ supporting cast and offensive line, and we’ll get to see exactly where this team is as they face the 49ers.
Can the Bears pull off an upset over the 49ers? Our Bears Wire staff shares their game picks for Sunday’s season opener.
Alyssa Barbieri (0-0): 49ers 24, Bears 20
Contrary to what many believe, this matchup between the Bears and 49ers should be a close and competitive one. Chicago is facing San Francisco at the perfect time — to open the season — where there could be opportunities to take advantage of an inexperienced Trey Lance and shock the football world with an upset.
But with that in mind, I don’t foresee the Bears coming away with a win. This game should come down to the battle at the line of scrimmage, which is an advantage that the 49ers should have on both sides of the ball. Although, if Chicago’s defensive front can bring pressure on Lance and the Bears’ offensive line protects Justin Fields, things could get real interesting.
Brendan Sugrue (0-0): 49ers 20, Bears 17
If you enjoy rough and tough football that features a heavy dose of the run game in the pouring rain, you’re going to love this matchup between the 49ers and Bears. The forecast calls for heavy precipitation, potentially making this a low-scoring affair. If quarterbacks Trey Lance and Justin Fields are both limited through the air by the elements, the team with the better ground game should prevail.
While I do like the Bears in that category, the 49ers are coming off a season in which they had a top-10 rushing attack. Add that on to a Bears defense that might have trouble stopping the run and bad things could be on the horizon. The Bears keep this one close but San Francisco squeaks out an ugly victory.
Ryan Fedrau (0-0): Bears 27, 49ers 23
I don’t think the Bears are a playoff team, but they’re going to surprise the 49ers on Sunday. Trey Lance has a lot of question marks surrounding him, and I find it hard to believe he’s the guy in San Francisco. The 49ers have better weapons and a better overall team, but the quarterback matchup is intriguing to me. If Jimmy Garoppolo was starting, I’d pick the 49ers.
With Lance starting, I’m going for the upset. Justin Fields takes the first matchup against the third quarterback picked before him. The 49ers could have had Fields at No. 3, now it’s time for him to make them pay.
Jarrett (0-0): 49ers 21, Bears 16
Trey Lance will be the unquestioned starter for the 49ers in 2022, but the Jimmy Garoppolo situation is still looming large in the Bay Area. I think there will be growing pains for the 49ers as Lance tries to find his footing as a full-time starter, and the Bears will benefit from that.
I’d expect at least one turnover from the Bears defense, but the 49ers are strong on that side of the ball. Nick Bosa is going to be a factor, as he always is, and the 49ers secondary should be able to keep the Bears receivers in check. While the Bears keep it closer than expected, the 49ers will leave Chicago 1-0.
