Halftime Report: Bears vs. 49ers

Charlie Schlenhardt

The Bears host their first game against the 49ers on a murky Chicago Sunday. Heavy rain caused Soldier Field to clog up, leaving puddles on the fresh Bermuda grass.

Justin Fields and company started their first offensive drive with a three and out after Justin Fields was sacked for a loss of ten. The 49ers came out shooting on their first offensive drive, reaching the red zone. A possible scoring drive for the Niners was boiling until Jaylon Johnson made a peanut punch on a Deebo Samuel carry; Jaquan Brisker recovered the fumble. The Bears responded with a nice run David Montgomery run, but 49ers safety, Talanoa Hufanaga picked off Justin Fields near mid-field. The Bears’ defense continued to impress with rookie edge rusher Dominique Robinson earning his first NFL sack, forcing San Francisco to punt. Offensive struggles for the Bears continued after Justin Fields was sacked for the second time in the first quarter. The 49ers couldn’t get anything going in poor weather conditions either, punting the ball inside the Bears’ 10-yard line.

After another Bears three and out, the 49ers scored the first touchdown of the game, with a seven-yard Deebo Samuel carry. The Bears and 49ers offenses couldn’t get much going. That was until the Bears made an effort to score late in the second quarter. Justin Fields attempted connect with Byron Pringle on a deep ball, but it fell short.

The Bears looked to find momentum with a field goal, but placeholder, Trenton Gill was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for damping the field with a towel. The 49ers chewed the rest of the first half clock after another Bears punt. The Bears offense looks very rocky as expected, with under 50 yards of total offense. The Bears defense is looking reliable, but they won’t be able to bail out the offense all game. On the bright side the Bears have only committed three penalties, one being the unsportsmanlike conduct.

Going in to the second half, the Bears o-line needs to step up. Justin Fields has around two seconds to get rid of the ball, and the run game hasn’t been working for the offense. Hopefully the Bears defense can force a stop against the 49ers opening second half possession and gain some momentum.