"For the last month, the 49ers have been feasting on the NFL's middle class (at best), stacking five straight wins like poker chips. But beating the Titans or the Colts is like winning a sparring match. Nice for the record, sure, but it doesn't tell you if you can take a punch. Sunday night against the also 11-4 Chicago Bears? Now that's a worthy adversary the first of two playoff games the 49ers will play before the playoffs officially start."
"Can the Niners' beleaguered defense hold against one of the league's best tacticians with a headset and talents at quarterback? Can Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan keep the Niners' offense humming if the irreplaceable George Kittle (didn't practice all week, officially designated as questionable with an ankle injury) cannot play? This game has all the makings of a shootout that should make Purdy and Williams (Iowa State and Oklahoma) feel like they're back in college."
The 49ers face the Chicago Bears in a decisive dress rehearsal that will test their readiness against elite competition. The 49ers have beaten middling opponents in five straight wins, but defeating a strong 11-4 Bears team would prove their legitimacy and set up a Week 18 winner-take-all for the NFC West against the Seahawks. Concerns center on whether the defense can contain Chicago's tactically adept coaching and quarterback, and whether Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan can compensate if George Kittle, questionable with an ankle, cannot play. The game projects as a potential shootout and a meaningful evaluation of the team's championship prospects.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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