"The Bears' defense is having an extraordinary year turning the ball over. The ball-hawk brothers Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright are showing a preternatural ability to read a quarterback's mind and, as such, Chicago lead the league in interceptions (21) and total turnovers (31). They need to keep the giveaways flowing to cut the legs from a San Francisco offense quietly becoming a juggernaut."
"The 49ers' success has been largely built on Brock Purdy's return at quarterback, which has laid on a five-game winning streak in which they average a chunky 34.2 points per game. Backup Mac Jones also had success, though not quite as much, with the 49ers scoring 22.8 points per game and posting a 5-3 record under his care. A major difference is Purdy's unwavering aggression when pushing the ball downfield."
Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers, both 11-4, meet in Week 17 with the NFC No.1 seed on the line; the loser will see its top-seed hopes dashed. The 49ers can still secure the No.1 seed with a Week 18 win over Seattle due to the tie-breaker; the Bears must beat the Lions and hope Seattle falters. Chicago's defense leads the league with 21 interceptions and 31 total turnovers, driven by Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright, and must keep forcing giveaways. San Francisco has surged with Brock Purdy, averaging 34.2 points during a five-game streak, while Mac Jones has produced 22.8 points per game in relief. Purdy's aggressive downfield passing creates big plays but also interception risk, as Carolina intercepted him three times in November yet still lost.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]