SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Bears still have a chance to secure a first-round bye, but in beating the San Francisco 49ers 14-9 on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium also ensured they will be no worse than the NFC No. 3 seed for their first playoff appearance in eight years next month.
With their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New Orleans Saints (13-2) clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The 11-4 Bears will finish with a better record than the No. 4-seed Dallas Cowboys (9-6) and could still leapfrog the 12-3 Los Angeles Rams on the final weekend of the season. The Bears would need to beat the Minnesota Vikings a week from Sunday while also having the Rams lose at home to the 49ers for that best-case scenario to come to fruition.
The Bears’ win over the 49ers on Sunday was not particularly pretty, yet for a team that entered Sunday just 3-3 away from Chicago, it was important. A few poor decisions by Mitch Trubisky in the first half — like his ill-advised lateral that resulted in a lost fumble or an interception in the end zone wiped out by a defensive holding penalty — clouded an otherwise efficient, yet not incredibly productive, game. The Bears seemingly dodged a number of bullets, like a near-lost fumble by Allen Robinson early in the their quarter or that Trubisky interception called back for a holding flag.
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Trubisky, though, completed 25-of-29 passes (86 percent) for 246 yards with a touchdown and a passer rating of 113.7. Outside of a 43-yard strike to Robinson, Trubisky had another take-what’s-there game, and in the second half made a few key plays to make sure the Bears were able to secure their win — though Robinson’s late fumble did give the 49ers a late chance to win.
That was after Danny Trevathan’s fourth quarter interception — which came one play after the 49ers converted a third-and-13 and entered the red zone — seemed to effectively seal thing. The Bears’ defense didn’t allow a touchdown for the second time this year, holding the 49ers to three Robbie Gould field goals. Akiem Hicks had a monster game with three pass break-ups at the line, while Roquan Smith notched his fifth sack of the year and Khalil Mack was frequently disruptive.
With a chance at securing that first-round bye, coach Matt Nagy may not opt to rest his starters next weekend in Minneapolis. While the Bears will need some help in the form of a Rams/Saints loss, Nagy said last week that he’d do whatever he could to earn the first weekend in January off.
The Bears also could have a hand in who they play in the first round of the playoffs if the Rams/Saints win next week, too. If the Bears beat the Vikings, that could knock Minnesota out of the playoffs with wins by the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks. A loss to Minnesota could, conversely, mean the Vikings come to Soldier Field for the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
