SANTA CLARA – A 49ers’ blowout win, after back-to-back lopsided losses, begged this query because the solar set Sunday on Levi’s Stadium: An excessive amount of, too late?
A 38-13 victory over the woeful Chicago Bears ended the 49ers’ three-game dropping streak, however now an prolonged win streak should comply with for a respectable playoff push.
The 49ers (6-7) merely averted dropping floor within the congested NFC West race. They stayed two video games behind first-place Seattle (8-5), they usually earned a shot Thursday night time to tug even in second place with a win over the visiting Los Angeles Rams (7-6). The Cardinals (6-7) misplaced at dwelling 30-18 to the Seahawks, whereas the Rams have been en path to a house win in opposition to the Buffalo Payments, who have been coming off a 35-10 rout of the 49ers.
Brock Purdy exceptionally rebounded from that 94-yard slodge within the Buffalo snow. He handed for 325 yards and accomplished 20-of-25 passes with two touchdowns and no turnovers, together with 258 yards within the first half because the 49ers constructed a 24-0 lead.
Purdy’s open-field muse was George Kittle, who racked up 151 yards on six catches, after his solely catch final week got here on the 49ers’ opening snap in Buffalo
Jauan Jennings caught each of Purdy’s landing passes, and rookie Isaac Guerendo ran for 2 touchdowns in his staring debut instead of injured reserve rushers Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason.
Other than Purdy enduring a clothesline hit within the fourth quarter, the 49ers’ lowlight Sunday got here minutes later when Guerendo left for the locker room with a foot damage. He had produced 78 dashing yards (15 carries) and 50 receiving yards (two catches) earlier than his exit with 6:13 left. Patrick Taylor Jr. adopted a minute later with a 3-yard landing run and 25-point lead.
The 49ers’ 24-0 halftime lead was their largest since Purdy’s beginning debut two years in the past, once they led 28-0 en path to a 35-7 rout of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs. In Sunday’s first-half steamrolling, they outgained the Bears 319-4, and the 49ers’ much-maligned protection had sacked rookie Caleb Williams 4 occasions.
Making their debut beneath interim coach Thomas Brown, the Bears (4-9) misplaced their seventh straight, and with 1:59 left, their protection felt compelled to have a good time an interception of Purdy’s backup, Brandon Allen.
The 49ers wasted no time getting over any jet lag (and sore emotions) from their defeats in Inexperienced Bay (38-10) and Buffalo (35-10). They opened Sunday with a 70-yard landing drive, beginning and ending with 7-yard completions to Jennings; in between, Purdy discovered Guerendo for a 23-yard, third-down conversion after which Kittle for a 33-yard display with lead blocks by Jaylon Moore and Jake Brendel.
The 49ers surged forward 14-0 on a 1-yard run by Guerendo, who caught a 27-yard cross from a blitz-beating Purdy on the previous play, with a 32-yard strike to Kittle beginning that scoring drive.
Jennings’ 16-yard landing catch pushed the 49ers’ result in 21-0, and the 49ers would have been up 28-0 had a 5-yard landing run by Purdy not been nullified by a Ricky Pearsall holding penalty. As a substitute, the 49ers settled for a 23-yard discipline aim from Jake Moody.
Defensively, the 49ers have been simply as dominant, receiving first-half sacks from Leonard Floyd (two), Yetur Gross-Matos and Maliek Collins. Gross-Matos acquired to Williams for back-to-back sacks within the fourth quarter.
The 49ers’ shutout bid ended on the Bears’ first drive after halftime, though it took them 9 minutes to march 70 yards and finally get Caleb Williams’ third-and-goal, 4-yard landing cross to Rome Odunze. When Williams discovered Odunze with one other landing cross with 11:48 remaining, that 14-yard scoring strike (vs. Ji’Ayir Brown) reduce the 49ers’ result in 31-13.
It was the 49ers offense’s big-play manufacturing that blew open this recreation. By halftime, Purdy pumped out completions protecting 23 yards (Guerendo), 33 (Kittle), 20 (Deebo Samuel), 32 (Kittle), 27 (Guerendo), 23 (Kittle), 18 (Kittle), Jennings (16) and Kittle (32).
Every week in the past within the Buffalo snow, Purdy threw for simply 94 yards (11-of-18) for his lowest whole in a begin exterior of the 2022 season’s injury-marred NFC title recreation.
It took till 2:36 left within the third quarter for the 49ers to make a second-half spotlight: They have been granted a fumble restoration upon a replay help of Williams’ slight-of-hand backward cross; Evan Anderson recovered for the 49ers.
Additionally becoming a member of the 49ers’ ever-expanding damage checklist was left guard Ben Bartch, who made his second straight begin earlier than leaving with a right-ankle damage on the second drive. An unannounced damage briefly knocked out Malik Mustapha, who began over Ji’Ayir Brown subsequent to Talanoa Hufanga in his comeback.
