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The Chicago Bears came up short in a big game. This time, however, coming up short still offers considerable hope for the future. The Bears are a young football team with a first-year head coach, and there will be losses like Sunday night's. Thankfully, this season, the Bears and Caleb Williams have had more success than failure. This loss versus the San Francisco 49ers provided a great amount of lessons for this young team and more reasons to believe the Bears are for real.
Here are my takeaways from the Bears' epic loss to the 49ers on Sunday Night:
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Luther Burden is the Bears' best receiver
It wasn't yet another big game from D.J. Moore, as I anticipated; it was a breakout game for Luther Burden instead. Luther Burden looked like a superstar receiver versus the 49ers. He was getting open consistently, and he was making big play after big play. If you throw the ball to Burden, you can guarantee he will make the first person miss, just like he did to convert a crucial 3rd and 10 late in the game. He has all the makings to be a top receiver in the NFL. With how much he has improved week after week and how productive he continues to be, the more involved he gets, he should be thought of as the Bears' #1 guy. I can see a world where next season he is the Bears' best receiver and his numbers reflect that. For the Bears' upcoming playoff run, I would not be surprised if he puts up another 100-yard receiving performance.
Caleb Williams rose to the occasion for a playoff like game
It felt just like a playoff game, and Caleb Williams and Brock Purdy were trading blow for blow on the biggest stage of the weekend for the NFL. Caleb Williams looked poised, and he put up his best passing performance of the season. The Bears' passing attack has finally turned a corner; now all that is left is for this offense to become more consistently efficient in combining the passing attack and run game. Caleb Williams looks every bit like a star, and he continues to show everybody that in the biggest games, he will never disappear. Even in games where he comes up short on the last play, your confidence will not waver in him because, more often than not, he makes the game-winning play. 6-8 in-game winning drive situations, I have every bit of confidence that the same trend will continue on in the playoffs.
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Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland have a special connection
Over the last few weeks, Caleb Williams has looked to Colston Loveland more and more. Loveland has not disappointed Williams; in fact, last week, Loveland had his first drop of the season. Loveland has been consistent, and he has been one of the Bears' best playmakers, if not the best. The Tyler Warren hype train was very premature, and while he had a really hot start, it is clear as day who has been the best rookie tight end in the crucial parts of this season. Caleb Williams trusts his rookie weapon a great deal, and against the 49ers, Loveland's 10 targets for 6 catches, 94 yards, and a touchdown directly backed that up. Not only have Loveland and Burden been some of the best players in the draft classes, but many of their statistics are up there with the best weapons in the NFL. Caleb Williams is set with elite weapons for hopefully his entire career, with Burden and Loveland.
The Bears desperately need pass rush help
Like each of the losses this season, the 49ers' loss put on full display how badly the Bears need more pass-rush help. Brock Purdy had all day, and he made the Bears' defensive line look foolish when they got close to him. It was a 5-touchdown day again for Purdy, and that was directly laid on the hands of the Bears' defensive line. If the Bears were able to get any type of pressure in this game, that would have at least gotten one more stop and won this game. With names like Maxx Crosby potentially becoming available, with how this defensive line looks, Ryan Poles has to be aggressive next season. The Bears' offense is good enough to hang in there in shootouts, but right now, your confidence is at a zero with how this defense has played as of late. A star pass rusher would help change that next season.
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Ben Johnson is on the same level as Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan looked every bit the coach of the year versus the Chicago Bears. Kyle Shanahan has done a phenomenal job, maybe the best coaching job this season of his career, with the success he has had, even given all of the injuries. Ben Johnson, against Kyle Shanahan and against a great defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, did not look outmatched, nor did he look like he did not belong. Ben Johnson was also trading blow for blow with Kyle Shanahan. It was a game that featured two technicans perfrewmctly executing a great gameplan. For the Bears to win the NFC at any point in Ben Johnson's tenure, he will have to outbest Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. On Sunday night, Ben Johnson showed that he is capable of that.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Chicago Bears fell short vs 49ers but stars still shined
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