The Chicago Bears open the 2022 NFL season against the San Francisco 49ers, which kicks off the start of the Matt Eberflus era.
The Bears and 49ers are on opposite ends of the spectrum in regards to national perception. San Francisco is considered Super Bowl contenders while many believe Chicago will be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick.
Here’s a rundown of what we know heading into Sunday’s game against the 49ers:
How to watch
Game information:
Who: Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers
When: Sunday, Sept. 11, Noon CT
Where: Soldier Field – Chicago, IL
Streaming:
In-market live stream: fuboTV (try it for free).
Broadcast:
TV: FOX
Radio: WBBM 780 (Chicago)
Betting odds
The Bears are considered 6.5-point home underdogs against the 49ers, according to Tipico Sportsbook. The over/under is 41.5.
Game-day roster
Here’s a look at the Bears’ game-day roster:
Game picks
- Alyssa Barbieri: 24-20 49ers
- Brendan Sugrue: 20-17 49ers
- Ryan Fedrau: 27-23 Bears
- Jarrett Bailey: 21-16 49ers
Bold predictions
- Justin Fields gets his first 100 quarterback rating
- Trestan Ebner out touches Khalil Herbert
- Cole Kmet scores the first touchdown of the season
- Justin Jones gets the first sack of the season
- Eddie Jackson creates a turnover
Who has the advantage?
In our weekly preview series, Alyssa Barbieri from Bears Wire and Kyle Madson from Niners Wire went deep into the matchup to determine who has the advantage at the five key factors for winning football games in the NFL.
- Quarterback play: Bears
- Line of scrimmage: 49ers
- Turnovers: Draw
- Situational: 49ers
- Injuries: Bears
- Verdict: Advantage Draw
Last meeting: 33-22 49ers (Oct. 31, 2021)
The Bears and 49ers are facing off for the second consecutive season. Last season, Chicago jumped off to a quick lead before a second-half collapse led to a 33-22 win for San Francisco.
Team rankings (last season)
| CHI | SF | |
| Points per game | 18.3 (27th) | 24.0 (15th) |
| Points allowed per game | 23.9 (21st) | 20.6 (5th) |
| Turnover differential | -13 (T-31st) | -4 (T-22nd) |
| Passing yards per game | 188.6 (30th) | 236.6 (12th) |
| Rushing yards per game | 118.7 (15th) | 124.6 (7th) |
| Passing yards allowed per game | 191.6 (2nd) | 213.1 (7th) |
| Rushing yards allowed per game | 125.1 (22nd) | 98.7 (6th) |
| Sacks allowed | 58 (32nd) | 33 (T-11th) |
| Sacks against | 49 (4th) | 48 (T-5th) |
2021 rankings, via Team Rankings
49ers players to watch
QB Trey Lance: Lance started two games during his rookie year, going 1-1 with mixed results. Combined, he threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions with an average quarterback rating of 87.2. He can make plays with his legs and is equipped with a cannon of an arm, but there’s very little tape on him at this point even going back to college, making him a true wildcard as he enters his sophomore season in the league. — Brendan Sugrue
OT Trent Williams: Williams is still playing at an elite level entering his 13th season as a pro and getting past him could be an issue for the Bears defensive ends. The rest of the line could be more vulnerable, so if the 49ers are going to have success both in the run and pass game, watch the left side. — Brendan Sugrue
WR Deebo Samuel: Wide receiver/running back/dangerous weapon Deebo Samuel was already on the radar heading into this week’s game, but with news that tight end George Kittle is dealing with an injury, he’s going to be priority No. 1 and 2 for the Bears defense. Samuel is coming off a career season where he couldn’t be stopped, both as a runner and a receiver. He has 1,405 receiving yards and 365 rushing yards with 14 total touchdowns. His large frame and quick speed made him a nightmare for defenders and the Bears saw that up close last year. — Brendan Sugrue
DEs Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead: Arik Armstead isn’t at the level of Nick Bosa, but he’s still very good and shouldn’t be overlooked by a retooled Bears offensive line. Armstead had six sacks in 2021 and could be the player to benefit the most from increased attention to Bosa. With the Bears starting two relatively inexperienced tackles in rookie Braxton Jones and second-year player Larry Borom, they’re going to need to do everything they can to protect Fields from these two. — Brendan Sugrue
LB Fred Warner: Warner will have his hands full on Sunday with the Bears likely committing to the running game early and often to move the ball. Keeping him off of players like David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert will be paramount if the Bears want to have sustained success on offense. He’ll also be watching Fields and what he does both inside and outside the pocket. Fields torched the 49ers last season on the ground with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown. — Brendan Sugrue
Injuries to know
Bears: Chicago got some good news on the injury front with the return of two key offensive starters in offensive lineman Lucas Patrick (right thumb) and receiver Byron Pringle (quad) this week. Both had missed significant action since the start of training camp. Rookie defensive end Dominique Robinson has been limited, but he’s on track to play. Although, it certainly sounds like they could be without rookie wideout Velus Jones Jr., who’s nursing a hamstring injury. — Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire
49ers: San Francisco got through the preseason relatively healthy, but starting free safety Jimmie Ward is on IR with a hamstring injury which will hurt the 49ers secondary a ton. He’s a very good player and a big reason the 49ers don’t give up a ton of big plays and long touchdowns. TE George Kittle is also dealing with a hamstring injury he sustained the Monday before the season opener. Shanahan said Kittle’s status for Sunday in Chicago is uncertain. — Kyle Madsen, Niners Wire
Storyline to watch: How does Lucas Patrick's injury impact the offensive line combination?
This has been a popular topic of conversation all week, and we really won’t know the answer until right before kickoff. With Lucas Patrick returning to practice this week, it’s thrown a wrench into plans on the offensive line. Patrick hasn’t snapped the ball all week, so it’ll be Sam Mustipher at center on Sunday. But there’s been plenty of speculation about what that means for Patrick and Teven Jenkins. After all, Matt Eberflus said Patrick is an option at both center and guard. And it’s unlikely Cody Whitehair is benched, which leads many to believing Jenkins could (temporarily) be out of a job at right guard. Granted, we have no idea what the Bears are thinking. They could decide to roll with Jenkins and keep Patrick as an emergency option at guard. But this is one of the biggest questions heading into the opener.
