The Rookie Running Back Gets First-Career Start
With both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason landing on the Injured Reserve list in Week 14, rookie Isaac Guerendo was tasked with leading the 49ers ground game versus the Bears. San Francisco’s fourth-rounder wasted no time making his presence known, hauling in a 23-yard catch on the opening drive and coming down with a 27-yard reception on the third drive to set up his own one-yard score on the next play. He punched in a second touchdown, a four-yarder to open up the fourth quarter and extend the lead 31-13.
JJ Finds the End Zone First
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings recorded the third multi-touchdown game of his career in Week 14. Jennings caught seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday afternoon. His second target of the day was a seven-yard touchdown pass to the left corner of the end zone to cap off the 49ers five-play, 70-yard opening drive. To get the fans really hyped, Jennings celebrated with a Levi’s® Leap (leaped into the crowd in the north end zone). He added another score midway through the second quarter, connecting with Purdy in the red zone for a 16-yard catch-and-run TD. He added a little Jennings flare by diving in for pay dirt.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams entered Sunday as the most sacked QB in the league, and the 49ers defensive line added another four to the count in Week 14. Yetur Gross-Matos, Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins all got home on Williams for a combined loss of 30 yards. The first four sacks of the day came on third downs and helped the 49ers defensive unit force three-and-outs on four of the Bears five offensive possessions in the first half.
The D-line added another splash play in the third quarter when Evan Anderson recovered the ball that came out of Williams’ hand behind the line of scrimmage. San Francisco was able to take over at their own 38-yard line, and Guerendo punched in a four-yard score on the ensuing drive.
Gross-Matos struck again in the fourth quarter in back-to-back plays for a total loss of eight yards on the second to last of Chicago’s offensive possessions.
The People’s Tight End Continues to Climb the Charts
Tight end George Kittle finds himself in a new exclusive club after logging six catches for 151 yards against the Bears. It was actually following his third catch of the day, a 23-yarder to open up the second quarter that Kittle joined Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates and tight end Travis Kelce as the third tight end in NFL history to register 500-plus catches and 7,000-plus yards in his first eight seasons. His 151 yards on the day also made him San Francisco’s current receiving yards leader.
- OL Ben Bartch exited the game midway through the first quarter with an ankle injury. Although initially able to gingerly walk off the field on his own, he was eventually carted off the field. He was labeled as questionable to return with an ankle injury and downgraded to out by the third quarter.
- RB Isaac Guerendo exited the game in the fourth quarter with a foot injury and was labeled as questionable with a foot injury. He did not return to action, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said it’s a possible foot sprain.
