Revisiting Micah's predictions for Bears-49ers SNF showdown

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The Chicago Bears continue to be a chameleon this year. They are adjusting as needed and changing styles to have a shot at winning football games. Against the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears had to have a prolific offense and lean more on their passing attack, resulting in the best game of many of their young stars' careers, starting with Caleb Williams.

Here is how my five expectations for the Chicago Bears' matchup versus the 49ers played out on Sunday night:

Caleb Williams and Brock Purdy have great days through the air

"The Bears vs 49ers Sunday night match-up will be a high-scoring classic prime-time football game. I think a big part of that will be due to the high volume of production that both quarterbacks will put up. I think Caleb Williams will have a big day against the 49ers' young defense. I could see Caleb throwing for 300 yards, and I think Brock Purdy will put forward his best effort to match that. The stakes are high for this game, and both quarterbacks will be at their best."

Caleb Williams and Brock Purdy both put on a show on Sunday Night. Both quarterbacks delivered one of the best games this season on Sunday night; both of them threw for over 300 yards and at least 2 touchdowns. Brock Purdy, in the end, got the best of Caleb Williams, but it was encouraging to see Caleb Williams play like this in what felt like a playoff game.

D.J. Moore goes over 125 yards receiving

"No Rome Odunze for yet another week, but thankfully for Caleb, his connection with D.J. Moore is looking as strong as ever. As an extra bonus, Caleb gets Luther Burden back Sunday night, another key contributor. However, I think for another straight week, D.J. Moore is the Bears' leading receiver. Moore has been as valuable as ever as of late, and he might just have another game-winning touchdown. At the very least, I think Moore puts up 125 yards receiving and one receiving touchdown. Moore will look like a number 1 receiver in primetime versus the 49ers."

D.J. while battling an illness, was the complete opposite of my prediction. Caleb Williams still managed to have his best game with elite performances from the Bears' top draft picks in the last draft class. Moore not being a factor opened the door for Luther Burden to look like a superstar and put up even better numbers than I thought D.J. Moore would.

Montez Sweat gets his 10th sack of the season

"Montez Sweat has had a dominant season this year, and he is coming off a game where he bullied the Packers' backup tackle all game long. One clear example of that was his sack as he bulldozed the Packers tackle to end regulation and put the game into overtime. Sweat is currently sitting at 9.5 sacks on the year, and against the 49ers in a big game for the Bears, Sweat is one of the defensive players who show up for Chicago. I think Sweat brings down Brock Purdy at least once in this game and is a familiar face in the backfield."

Montez Sweat was a non-factor in the Bears' game versus the 49ers. Very disappointing showing, and he was one of the Bears' worst players on the field defensively. On the bright side, Austin Booker stepped up and showed some life, making some big plays and getting a sack.

Bears defense gets two interceptions on Brock Purdy

"Brock Purdy is no stranger to throwing picks. In 7 games this year, Purdy has managed to throw 8 interceptions. The Bears have a knack for creating takeaways as they are the number 1 defense in the NFL in that category. While I think Brock Purdy will have a high-volume passing day, I think the Bears steal two interceptions off of him. I think Tremaine Edmunds and Jaylon Johnson are the two Bears who come up with two big turnovers."

The Bears started the game off with an interception, and my prediction looked pretty good. Following that interception early in the game, the Bears' defense followed that up with nothing else of significance. It was pure domination by the 49ers over the Bears.

Bears clinch NFC North and finish Week 17 atop of the NFC standings

"The Bears have had quite the lucky season this year, and I don't think their luck will run out any time soon. The Bears have a tough opponent battling it out with them in Week 17 for the 1 seed. The 49ers have lost many key players, but still have just as good, if not better, coaching on both sides of the ball. Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy have kept the Niners competent offensively. Although the Bears are underdogs headed into this game, they have everything needed to put a halt to the 49ers' win streak. I think the Bears take care of business Sunday Night and they will get help from the Carolina Panthers, who are no strangers to pulling off an upset, as they beat the Seahawks early Sunday. The Bears, as soon as Week 17 is wrapped up, will be sitting atop the NFC in the driver's seat for a first-round bye come playoff time."

The Bears clinched the NFC North prior to their game on Sunday night, but fell short of their goal of the 1 seed by losing to the 49ers. The duviuson is the Bears, and they will host a game at Soldier Field, both dream outcomes for the Bears prior to the start of this season. The Bears still have a shot to lock up the 2nd seed in the NFC, which would give them potential multiple games at home in the playoffs, increasing their chances of a playoff run.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Biggest reasons for Chicago Bears' optimism following loss to 49ers

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