I joked earlier in the week that no one cares about this game, but the more I think about it, this one has some interesting angles. That doesn’t mean you’ll watch the San Francisco 49ers (1-10) slide into Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears (3-8), but I’ll at least give you a reason not to ask the waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings to change the channel if it’s on in your peripheral vision.
Speaking of its channel, it will be broadcast on the CBS television network and its affiliates at 1 p.m. EST.
The Game: San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears (-3.5)
O/U: 41.0
The History
The Bears and 49ers have played 65 times with San Francisco holding a slight 33-31-1 advantage in the all time series.
They faced off at Soldier Field last season with Chicago winning 26-6. Matt Barkley was at quarterback for the Bears, completing 11 of 18 for 192 yards. Jordan Howard rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-10)
The dream has finally been made manifest as Jimmy Garoppolo will make his first start for the 49ers. Garoppolo actually made his debut in San Francisco’s 24-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks last week at the end of the game. Garoppolo tossed two passes, both completions and one for a touchdown to Louis Murphy.
Rookie C.J. Beathard got the start last week and wasn’t terrible, but he was knocked from the game late. While he’s on the injury report this week, he’s healthy enough to play if the 49ers need him. They hope they won’t.
The truth is, this is the best option for San Francisco at this point. Garoppolo has been with the team long enough to learn most of what he needs to implement a gameplan. Since he’s a free agent next year, SF really needs to figure out if they want to go ahead and work a long term deal with him or, more likely than that, franchise him for a season before locking up a ton of cash for the next half decade.
Five games should be plenty of snaps to figure out what they want to do. Beathard hasn’t been bad, especially for a rookie, and got the team its first and only victory of the season. If the 49ers do fall in love with Garoppolo, they’ll have completely repaired their disastrous QB situation with a starter and competent back up in a single season.
Settling on their quarterbacks will allow the 49ers to focus on other needs in the draft and with potentially a No. 1 or 2 pick, they can entertain trade offers and set up their team for the future.
Trent Brown, Adrian Colbert and Ahkello Witherspoon are all listed as questionable on the injury report.
CHICAGO BEARS (3-8)
The Bears will definitely be without linebacker Isaiah Irving, who is out with a knee. Safety Adrian Amos is doubtful with a hamstring and hasn’t practiced this week. Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Cre’Von LeBlanc are all officially listed as questionable, but none of them have practiced. They’ll likely be gametime decisions.
Like the 49ers, the Bears have their quarterback problem probably solved with rookie Mitchell Trubisky. He’s quarterbacked them to two of their three victories and had them in nearly every game. Not last week’s 31-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but you can forgive him for that.
Trubisky has completed 53.8 percent of his passes for 1,135 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions, playing with a wide receiver corps that should be working the grill at a Waffle House. With a healthy crew there next season and some solid draft picks, the Bears could be dangerous.
They already have their running back group in place with Jordan Howard, Benny Cunningham and Tarik Cohen. None of them did much against the Eagles last week, but Howard is still on pace for his second consecutive 1,000 yard season and he should surpass his rookie total of six touchdowns. He already has five in 11 games.
The Pick
You know what, I’m buying in on the Garoppolo hype train. Let’s do this. 49ers 27, Bears 20
This week
Straight up: 1-0
Against the spread: 1-0
Last week
Straight up: 11-5
Against the spread: 10-6
Season
Straight up: 104-72
Against the spread: 91-85
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