The San Francisco 49ers’ offensive machine is crushing it. And the team avoided terrible news with George Kittle’s injury prognosis. That helps for the key game coming up, and here are bold predictions for the 49ers’ pivotal Week 17 game against the Bears.
Both teams come into the contest with impressive records of 11-4. And as you might imagine, there’s plenty on the line. The Bears still hold out hope for the NFC North title. Meanwhile, the 49ers have their eyes on the No. 1 overall seed.
The showdown is set for Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. (ET).
49ers QB Brock Purdy will throw three touchdown passes
If Purdy meets this bold prediction, that will give him an incredible eight over a two-game span. And with the way he is playing right now, combined with the ineffectiveness of the Bears’ defense, that number is well within his sight.
No doubt Purdy is red hot. He became the first 49ers quarterback to throw for five scores on Monday Night Football. Also, he brought back memories by
becoming the first San Francisco player to reach the feat since Steve Young did it in the 1994 Super Bowl.
It was quite the performance, according to ESPN.
“He did awesome,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He played really well. I got on him for a couple [throws] he missed, but it was pretty close to a perfect game.”
Part of Purdy’s success comes from his command of the huddle and on the field.
“When you're in that huddle, it's only one voice speaking,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “You've got 10 grown men staring at you, and you can't fool grown men. The confidence that he has in that huddle … from A to Z, he does it at a really high level. I say it all the time. He's a godsend.”
The Bears are middle of the pack at defending the pass, but No. 26 against the run. That might suggest the 49ers will get ground scores.
However, when things get deep into the red zone, the Bears will likely load up to stop the run. This will give Purdy a chance to hit a pair of short TD passes. And he will likely add an intermediate one along the way, too.
RB Christian McCaffrey will get 30+ touches
You can pick your own number in terms of how many yards and touchdowns this will create. The 49ers have saddled the mule like this five times this season.
And even though they have already broken McCaffrey down for any hope of a great 2026 season with 372 touches and counting this year, they’re going all in for a title. And that first-round playoff bye is an absolute must if they’re going to reach the Super Bowl.
People see what Shanahan is doing to McCaffrey, according to the Colin Cowherd Show via heavy.com.
“Seventh time this year, [McCaffrey has] had 27 plus touches,” Cowherd said. “No other player in the league has had more than three. He’s a 29-year-old with an injury history. The game was out of reach. They already have two fewer days to prepare for a very good team, Chicago. That game means something for the Niners.
“Christian McCaffrey next week will blow through Saquon Barkley’s touches of last year, which, if you’ve watched Saquon this year, he feels like a bit of a shot fighter. In fact, if you look at most touches among teams in playoff positions, McCaffrey not only leads the league, he’s a mile ahead of No. 2, James Cook… He’s the third-best running back I’ve ever seen, but they’re overusing him.”
Still, Shanahan’s ain’t-no-stopping-us-now mindset won’t change this week.
WR Jauan Jennings will get 70-plus receiving yards
With Kittle a little iffy, the 49ers will rely more on their receivers. Jennings has already been impressive with a touchdown in four straight games.
But look for the targets to go up in this one. He should be able to get more middle-of-the-field yardage as Purdy leans more on him for third-down conversions.
And maybe if he gets into the end zone this week, he won’t be so mean to the fans. He faked a fan like he would give them the ball and pulled it back. He explained his “Grinch” move after scoring against the Colts, according to NBC Sports.
“She didn’t have on any 49ers gear, so that’s what she got,” Jennings said. “That was just spur of the moment. It felt kind of right to do.”
Right thing to do? Or mean? You make the call.
As for the outcome, look for the 49ers to prevail. Predicted score: 49ers 31, Bears 27.
