As we say hello to the final week of the NFL regular season, the playoff picture in the NFC North is almost set in stone — and it’s the Chicago Bears sitting comfortably at the top. Chicago has already clinched the division crown, while the Lions and Vikings have been eliminated from postseason contention. The Green Bay Packers, meanwhile, are locked into the No. 7 seed, leaving very little mystery about who is getting in — only where everyone will land.
EPISODE NO. 15 OF THE BN BEARS POD...
The Bears fall 42-38 to the 49ers in a nationally televised instant classic , and the crew breaks it all down on the Bleacher Nation Bears Podcast, presented by Obvious Shirts .
Hosts Patrick Flowers, Matt Rooney, and Luis Medina react to a game that felt like a full-blown track meet — one that ended with the ball in Caleb Williams’ hands at the 2-yard line, one play deciding everything. It’s the exact scenario Bears fans have imagined for decades, and even in defeat, it felt like a defi...
Caleb Williams almost pulled another rabbit out of his hat in Week 17. And while it could be easy to point fingers or play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game with the final play of the Week 17 thriller between the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football, it was Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson who pointed the finger inward when discussing what happened on that fateful play.
“We didn’t quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to,” Johnson said via the Bears’ official w...
It was fitting that, in a season defined by the 49ers’ ability to overcome injury adversity, they were forced to produce one of their best offensive performances of the season in a must-win game without two of their most important players on that side of the ball. On paper, losing Trent Williams to a hamstring […]
The final score wasn’t exactly what we hoped for, but the Bears and 49ers played one heck of a football game. No, Ben Johnson’s team wasn’t able to pull off its seventh come-from-behind victory with less than two minutes left this season, but what they did do is establish that they can hang with anyone they’ll come across in the playoffs on a given day.
That doesn’t mean the Bears aren’t flawed. They are. The defense thrives on taking the ball away and struggles mightily when it doesn’t. ...
If you’re wondering whether the Detroit Lions are going to play all of their starter in a “meaningless” Week 18 game against the Chicago Bears, coach Dan Campbell gave a resounding… maybe? Unsurprisingly, Campbell mentioned that the game can say a lot about a team’s set of players, and it’s the standard in Detroit to […]
In one of the most entertaining games of the year, the Chicago Bears fell short in the final seconds to lose to the San Francisco 49ers 38-42. Here are my notes from the wild shootout. Offense: Defense: Special Teams:
The San Francisco 49ers have scored over 40 points in three of their previous six games, and they scored 37 in one of those games. The offense is operating at a level that rivals its 2023 second-half stretch. The quarterback is healthy and using his entire skill set. The running game has finally caught up […]
The Chicago Bears looked discombobulated on the final play of the game. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he “thought about” calling a timeout, but “Wanted to see the look and then they just went fast and let it ride.” Linebacker Tatum Bethune told the 49ers broadcast that he and Dee Winters were […]
The San Francisco 49ers survived their Sunday night tilt against the Chicago Bears by a score of 42-38 in an offensive slugfest that came down to the Bears’ offense simply running out of time. The game started with Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ offense spotting Chicago the first seven points, and from there it came […]
You could tell early on that Sunday night football was going to be one of those games. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan felt it right away, as did most fans. Shanahan went as far as to say that he felt like he lost the game when he decided to punt for the second […]
That stretch of days between Christmas Eve and New Years Day is truly a land of contrasts. Let’s navigate it together while talking about the Chicago Bears.
This captures the spirit of the thing:
WHAT. A. GAME. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/iRp4tWU5sK — DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) December 29, 2025
If you can’t remember the last time you felt “good” after a Bears loss, just know that you are not alone. No self-respecting Bears fan wanted to see that team lose last nigh...
Luther Burden III has emerged as a dynamic player for the Chicago Bears during his rookie season, which is why many were more concerned with his health at the end of the game than the resulting loss. Earlier this morning, Adam Schefter spread good cheer, indicating that Burden “suffered a quad injury that is not […]
The Detroit Lions (8-8) and Chicago Bears (11-5) will square off in a Week 18 divisional rivalry game. Unfortunately, this game has lost a bit of its luster, as the Lions are limping toward the end of the season, and the Bears have already clinched the NFC North title, their first since 2018. The folks […]
While the San Francisco 49ers are alive in the race for the NFL’s No. 1 seed after beating the Chicago Bears 42-38, there is one narrative that can die: Brock Purdy not being worth that huge contract he signed in the offseason. If you watched this and last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, you […]
It was bound to happen eventually. The Chicago Bears fell two yards short in a comeback attempt, and they lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 42 to 38. It was an exciting back-and-forth game, but the final pass fell incomplete as time expired. “We didn’t quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to. It’s […]
The NFL likes to really draw out the reveal of their Week 18 schedule. Hoping to put some win-and-in scenarios in primetime for the final regular season week, the NFL waits until most of the Week 17 is done before scheduling the final week of the season. After the 49ers’ win over the Bears on […]
THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL BEARSSSSSS Bears fall just short in tight 42-38 battle with 49ers – Windy City GridironThe Bears fall to 11-5 with their Sunday night loss. Kyle Shanahan Doesn’t Hold Back on Caleb Williams’ Arm Talent – Sports Illustrated Chicago BearsAs the Chicago Bears and quarterback Caleb Williams prepare to face the San […]
Welcome to the Morning Commute I feel like I’m writing a lot about Luther Burden in my commutes lately. Maybe I’m going soft and am starting to like the NFL again. Or maybe I’m glomming onto the Bears because I want so badly for LB3 to succeed. Can’t tell yet. We’ll figure it out together, […]
49ers win frenzied fracas, beat Bears 42-38 to set up NFC showdown with Seattle (paywall)“With a clear path to the No. 1 seed at stake, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy treated Levi’s Stadium and a national audience to a one-play touchdown for the other team. Another five touchdowns later, all was forgiven.“ 49ers’ bullied, riddled defense steps up […]
The Philadelphia Eagles have a big decision to make in Week 18. Should they play their starters against the Washington Commanders? Or should they rest them? Had the Chicago Bears defeated the San Francisco on Sunday night, resting the starters would’ve been the easy call since the Birds would’ve been locked in to the No. […]
When the Chicago Bears traveled to Motown for their Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions, the Lions won big, 52-21. The Lions and their fans were fired up for that game, and it had a playoff-like atmosphere, because they wanted to make a statement and stick it to Ben Johnson for leaving to become […]
With the San Francisco 49ers beating the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, the Los Angeles Rams have officially been eliminated from contention for winning the NFC West division. The Rams will either be the 5-seed or the 6-seed, and historically those kind of differences have meant little or nothing to head coach Sean McVay. […]
The San Francisco 49ers played one of the more entertaining games of the season against the Chicago Bears. The score went back and forth all night. The defense got a stop when it needed to, while the offense found the end zone when it couldn’t afford to settle for a field goal. Now, after a […]
With the slate of Christmas, Saturday, and Sunday games over, there has been some clarity around the NFC standings. The Los Angeles Rams play tomorrow night, but here’s where things are now. By virtue of the Detroit Lions’ flailing about for four quarters and losing to the Max Brosmer and the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, […]