In this pivotal 49ers-Bears NFC clash—with both 11-4 teams eyeing the No. 1 seed—Christian McCaffrey chases a rare 1,000-rushing/1,000-receiving season amid injury challenges and coaching award implications, complementing the Bears' defensive edge covered previously.
The 49ers (five-game win streak) can lock up the NFC's top seed with a win plus a Week 18 victory over Seattle. The Bears (seven wins in last eight, five by one score) clinch NFC North with a victory or a Green Bay loss to Baltimore on Saturday.
Standout storyline: RB Christian McCaffrey needs about 150 receiving yards to hit 1,000 in both rushing and receiving—the second time in his career joining that club.
Injury report: 49ers defense thinned out, TE George Kittle and WR Ricky Pearsall questionable. Bears potentially without CB Kyler Gordon and others from IR.
Coach of the Year buzz surrounds 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan and Bears coach Ben Johnson.
With 49ers as 3-point favorites (O/U 52.5), analysts forecast a tight San Francisco 24-20 win, pitting Brock Purdy's offense against Chicago's opportunistic D.