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Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers live updates from Soldier Field

By The Citizen on September 11, 2022

CHICAGO – The NFL season is here.

The Bears and the 49ers will open the season Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. This will be the first game for new Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and the first game under new general manager Ryan Poles. It also will be the first look at the pairing between offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and quarterback Justin Fields.

Follow @bears_insider for live updates all game long. Shaw Local Bears beat reporter Sean Hammond is covering the game live from Soldier Field. Follow him on Twitter at @sean_hammond and on Instagram at @bears_reporter. Reporter Jake Bartelson will also be reporting live from Soldier Field, follow him on Twitter at @JakeBartelson.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game.

Bears defense holds on

The Bears defense held on during two fourth-quarter possessions, and wet conditions caused 49ers quarterback Trey Lance’s passes to sail on a pair of fourth downs.

The rain really hit hard in the fourth quarter, soaking the field. The Bears held on to open the season with a win, 19-10.

Jackson intercepts Lance, Bears extend lead

Bears veteran safety Eddie Jackson jumped a route perfectly and intercepted a Trey Lance pass attempt on third down in the fourth quarter. The takeaway set up the Bears in scoring position.

Jackson hadn’t intercepted a pass since Week 17 of 2019.

The score led to a Khalil Herbert 3-yard touchdown just moments later. Kicker Cairo Santos missed the extra point, but the Bears extended the lead to 19-10.

Bears take the lead on Fields’ touchdown pass

Aided by a late hit penalty against the 49ers, the Bears drove 84 yards on 10 plays and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 12:45 remaining in the game. Justin Fields connected with receiver Equanimeous St. Brown for an 18-yard touchdown pass off of play action.

The extra point was no good from kicker Cairo Santos. The Bears took their first lead of the day, 13-10.

Fields escapes pressure, hits Pettis for 51-yard touchdown

Justin Fields evaded pressure in the pocket on third-and-10 midway through the third quarter. When he looked up, he saw a wide open Dante Pettis on the far side of the field. The Bears’ receiver had somehow gotten lost in coverage and the 49ers left him wide open.

Fields lobbed up a high-arcing pass for Pettis, who caught it and followed a blocker into the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown. When Pettis caught the ball, there wasn’t a defender within 10 yards of him.

The score cut into San Francisco’s lead, 10-7.

49ers field goal extends lead to 10

On the first possession after halftime, the 49ers drove 68 yards on 11 plays before settling for a field goal. Bears rookie defensive end Dominique Robinson and linebacker Roquan Smith combined to sack Trey Lance on third down and force a field goal.

San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould made the relatively easy kick, giving his team a 10-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

Bears punter draws odd penalty

The Bears had worked their way into field goal range and were setting up for a 47-yard attempt just before halftime. Rookie punter and holder Trent Gill drew a penalty for wiping off the grass with a towel in the spot where he intended to hold the ball. The refs gave Gill an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

It pushed the Bears back 15 yards and out of field goal range. Gill was forced to punt back to the 49ers.

The Bears went into halftime trailing the 49ers, 7-0.

Deebo Samuel gives 49ers the lead

On a 6-yard run, San Francisco receiver Deebo Samuel punched his way into the end zone for a rushing touchdown. The score gave the 49ers a lead, 7-0, early in the second quarter.

Two plays earlier, a neutral zone infraction against Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones on third-and-3 gave the 49ers a first down. In all, the 49ers moved the ball 52 yards on seven plays during the scoring drive. Quarterback Trey Lance connected with receiver Ray-Ray McCloud for a nice 20-yard gain at one point.

Robinson records 1st career sack

Bears rookie defensive end Dominique Robinson had a phenomenal one-handed sack in the first quarter Sunday. Robinson grabbed San Francisco quarterback Trey Lance, grabbed ahold of his jersey and held on, swinging the QB in a circle.

Robinson is a former college wide receiver who the Bears selected with a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.

Fields throws 1st interception of season

On third down midway through the first quarter, Bears quarterback Justin Fields threw his first interception of the season. The QB had plenty of time in the pocket, but threw the ball into coverage down the field on a pass intended for receiver Dante Pettis.

San Francisco safety Talanoa Hufanga came down with the interception near midfield.

Brisker with a fumble recovery

Bears rookie safety Jaquan Brisker made his presence felt on the first defensive possession of the season. Brisker recovered a fumble after cornerback Jaylon Johnson knocked the ball from the hands of 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel.

The 49ers had moved into the red zone and were threatening to take an early lead before the rookie second-round pick pounced on the loose football.

Injury updates

Bears lineman Lucas Patrick is active and expected to dress for the game. Patrick just returned from a hand injury after missing much of training camp. How he factors into the Bears’ game plan is unclear. He came to Chicago to play center, but the hand injury to his dominant hand might limit him to guard for the time being.

For the Bears, receiver Velus Jones Jr., defensive back Elijah Hicks, defensive lineman Kingsley Jonathan, guard Ja’Tyre Carter, tackle Alex Leatherwood and tight end Trevon Wesco are officially listed as inactive.

49ers tight end George Kittle is officially listed as inactive. He will not play Sunday.

Picks, predictions and previews

The Bears and 49ers squared off a year ago. Rolling Meadows native Jimmy Garoppolo led the 49ers to a 33-22 victory at Soldier Field. This year, second-year quarterback Trey Lance has taken over for Garoppolo as the starter in San Francisco.

In Chicago, Eberflus will be coaching his first game as an NFL head coach. Quarterback Justin Fields enters the season with high expectations. Sunday will be the first step toward seeing if he can live up to the hype.

Get ready for the game with Shaw Local’s five things to watch. See our staff predictions here.

What else did I miss this week?

Here’s what else was happening at Halas Hall this week.

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Bears release initial Arlington Park redevelopment plans; vow no tax dollars for stadium structure

For Luke Getsy, Justin Fields, real test begins Sunday against 49ers defense

Chicago Bears name QB Justin Fields 1 of 4 team captains

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Source: The Daily Chronicle

Published in Malta Illinois

The Citizen
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