49ers collapse in the second half; fall to Bears 19-10

The conditions at Soldier Field suggested the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears game would be sloppy. After a scoreless first quarter that saw a fumble, interception, and endless punts. Eight of the 12 drives ended in the first half in a punt.

The 49ers had an opportunity to add a touchdown, but Trey Lance overthrew Tyler Kroft on one of Shanahan’s favorite designs, “leak.” That was one of the few blemishes for Lance on the afternoon.

Unfortunately, the other came at an inopportune time in the fourth quarter. He thought he had an open receiver, but Bears safety Eddie Jackson jumped in front of the throw for an interception. That was a drive where the 49ers needed points. Instead, Chicago had a short field.

The defense played lights out early, but penalties and bone-headed plays extended drives for the Bears. Chicago had four penalties from first downs at one point while converting five of their 12 third downs.

They crumbled on that side of the ball in the second half. Penalties hurt all three phases. Whether it was offense, defense, or special teams, it was a sloppy performance no matter the field conditions. The offense got behind the chains due to penalties, while the defense gifted the Bears first downs.

Lance’s numbers won’t look good, nor will they tell the whole story. It was pouring in the fourth quarter, more so than it had all game. We can point to mistakes. Brandon Aiyuk’s offensive pass interference hurt. Lance’s interception wasn’t any better. The defense did themselves no favors, and that’s how we got a 19-3 second-half score. Get ready for some unbearable discourse this week.