49ers vs. Bears as it happened: Reaction, analysis of SF's 38-13 win

SANTA CLARA — In the 49ers' 38-18 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, rookie running back Isaac Guerendo had a little bit of a scare, leaving the game with a foot injury in the fourth quarter.

When Kyle Shanahan gave his postgame injury report, he addressed Guerendo’s status.

“We are not sure, possible foot sprain,” Shanahan said. “X-rays for sure didn’t show anything, so we will have to look into it a little more tomorrow.” 

Guerendo spoke in the locker room after the game and seemed less concerned than his coach.

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The 49ers on Sunday beat up a team that now has lost seven games in a row.

Based on how the 49ers looked the past two weeks, nobody could have been sure they were capable of the complete domination they showed against the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium.

Quarterback Brock Purdy spread the ball around and receivers were running free in coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense -- in a throwback to recent seasons.

And the defense turned up the heat on Chicago rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in the 49ers' 38-13 victory to snap a three-game losing streak.

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SANTA CLARA -- Some of these teams still think they have a chance. That's cute.

As the fight for playoff seeding heats up, so does the not-so-elegant race to the bottom.

With four weeks remaining in the 2024 regular season, there isn't much any of these teams can do to surprise us.

Here is where the 49ers sit after a 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears and heading into Week 15.

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If you ever wonder about the impact a fan can have from the stands, look no further than the rousing ovation the 49ers Faithful gave quarterback Brock Purdy in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears.

During a second-half injury scare in San Francisco's 38-13 victory, the home crowd at Levi's Stadium passionately chanted Purdy's name, while the 24-year-old quarterback was being tended to after taking contact to the head and neck area from Bears edge rusher Darrell Taylor.

"Yeah, I could hear [them]," Purdy told reporters.

Did that fire Purdy up, or was the notoriously laser-focused quarterback simply focused on the task at hand?

"A little bit of both. Obviously, I'm trying to go out and do my job and execute for our team, our organization, our fans and everybody," Purdy said. "Just hearing them, sort of having my back like that, it was pretty cool man. I love playing for this organization, for our fanbase. Every time I step out on that field at [Levi's Stadium], I'm thankful for it. Love playing for our fanbase."

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SANTA CLARA -- Desperate times often times call for desperate measures. However, that wasn't quite the case for the 49ers this week.

Yes, the times indeed are desperate. No, drastic measures were not taken in the week leading up to the 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

The only difference between this week and any other week leading up to a game for San Francisco was the team meeting that took place on Saturday night. Not the meeting itself, but who spoke.

Coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the team, which is usual on the night before the game, but his 'rah-rah' speech, or lack thereof, as he often likes to emphasize, wasn't the only message being delivered. The 49ers coach, with his team's season hanging in the brink after three consecutive losses -- two of which by way of ugly blowouts -- asked numerous veteran players to address their teammates and speak candidly about where the team was headed and where they wanted to go.

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Talanoa Hufanga is happy to return to the field for the first time in two months.

The San Francisco safety expressed gratitude after a 38-13 thumping of the Chicago Bears.

“It was great,” Hufanga told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt. “Grateful for the opportunity. I had a lot of good friends out there to play with. It has been a heck of a ride so far just recovering and getting back onto the field. But I can’t complain, I’m happy with the support system and everybody on the field.”

Hufanga had been out since Week 5 after tearing ligaments in his wrist, which required him to play with a cast on his hand. This came after months of arduous rehab from a torn ACL sustained last season.

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Coach Kyle Shanahan is two seasons shy of matching legendary Bill Walsh (10 seasons) and one year away from matching Buck Shaw (nine seasons) as the longest-tenured coach in 49ers history.

And he made it clear on Sunday that’s exactly what he hopes and expects to happen.

“I don’t want to be any place in the world more than here,” Shanahan said following the 49ers’ 38-13 victory over the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

“And my family feels just as strong — if not a lot stronger. You guys are going to have to kick me out of here, so there’s no way I’m making that decision.”

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The 49ers returned to their winning ways, walloping the Chicago Bears 38-13 on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.

While the 49ers remain on the fringe of the NFC playoff picture with a 6-7 record, the win also dropped San Francisco lower in the 2025 NFL Draft order, from the No. 14 overall pick to No. 19.

The 49ers haven't selected No. 19 overall in over 50 years when they selected wide receiver Terry Beasley out of Auburn in the 1972 NFL Draft.

During coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's tenures with the 49ers, San Francisco has made a top-20 selection five times. Here is who the 49ers have taken with those picks.

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Welcome to the wild, wild West. The 49ers kept their very slim playoff hopes alive ... for now.

With a 38-13 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, San Francisco ended its three-game skid and improved to 6-7 with four regular-season games remaining.

San Francisco's playoff probability went from nine to eight percent. Again -- the wild, wild West.

The NFC West's first-place Seattle Seahawks (8-5) defeated the Arizona Cardinals (6-7), and the Los Angeles Rams (7-6) handled business against the Buffalo Bills (10-3) in a nail-biter.

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BOX SCORE

The 49ers finally had a little bit of fun on Sunday.

After a couple of games in which the 49ers were embarrassed in decisive losses, they turned the tables on the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium.

The 49ers put together a dominant first half en route to a 38-13 victory over the Bears and No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams.

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Quarterback Brandon Allen again is the 49ers’ No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium.

Joshua Dobbs served as Brock Purdy’s backup for the 49ers’ Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills after Allen started a week earlier against the Green Bay Packers.

On Sunday, Dobbs was named as one of the 49ers’ seven inactive players for their game against the Bears.

The 49ers previously ruled out starting defensive end Nick Bosa (hip and oblique), and offensive linemen Trent Williams (ankle) and Aaron Banks (concussion).

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With a lot of uncertainty looming over the 49ers this season, the organization appears sure about who will be under center for the foreseeable future.

San Francisco still plans to try and lock up quarterback Brock Purdy for the 2025 season and beyond, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday on "NFL Game Day."

"For the San Francisco 49ers, the season has obviously not gone as they hoped and expected, leading to some questions about whether or not Brock Purdy is still the guy," Rapoport said. "From what I am told, he still, in fact, is the guy. The 49ers still plan on locking up Brock Purdy on a long-term extension this coming offseason."

Purdy's four-year, $3.7 million rookie contract currently is one of the cheapest contracts of any NFL quarterback, which allowed the 49ers to keep their star-filled roster intact this season, including the massive contract extension to star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. That won't be the case for 2025 -- and major change is expected.

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Safety Talanoa Hufanga is expected to return to action Sunday for the first time since sustaining a wrist injury two months ago.

The 49ers activated Hufanga from injured reserve on a busy day for roster moves as the team gets set to face the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium in Week 14.

Hufanga, in the final year of his original four-year contract with the 49ers, has appeared in just two games this season. He sat out the first two games of the season as he recovered from a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season.

To make room for Hufanga on the 53-man roster, the 49ers placed running back Jordan Mason and safety George Odum on injured reserve.

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The 49ers (5-7) enter Sunday’s matinee against the Chicago Bears (4-8) at Levi’s Stadium desperate to creep into the NFC playoff picture.

And after San Francisco’s past two losses -- to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills -- in which it was outscored 73-20, things are as grim as ever. However, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan remains focused at a game-by-game pace. 

While talking to Greg Papa on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Game Plan,” Shanahan explained his approach to the rest of the 2024 NFL season and how San Francisco can exit Week 14 victorious.

“I don’t even think about getting two in a row -- because two in a row doesn’t matter,” Shanahan told Papa. “We’ve got to get every one in a row. So when it comes to that point, it is one game at a time, and I care about is us playing well versus Chicago.”

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Programming note: Watch Kyle Shanahan's full "49ers Game Plan" interview with Greg Papa on NBC Sports Bay Area at 11 p.m. PT immediately after "Dubs Talk Live."

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for several reasons – and coach Kyle Shanahan is well aware of them.

Ahead of San Francisco's matchup with Chicago on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, Shanahan detailed the uniqueness of Williams’ game in an interview with Greg Papa on NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Game Plan."

And, of course, Shanahan started with Williams’ throwing abilities. 

“He’s as natural as it gets in that way,” Shanahan told Papa. “I mean, just how balanced he is. He doesn’t need any room to throw.

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Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw are making their way back onto the field but their energy already has been making a difference on the 49ers practice field.

Hufanga practiced throughout the week with a club-type cast on his right wrist and has been listed as a limited participant on the injury report, along with Greenlaw, who is returning from an Achilles injury.

The All-Pro safety is set to return Sunday when the Chicago Bears come to town, while Greenlaw is slated to make his season debut against the Los Angeles Rams a few days later on "Thursday Night Football."

“Those guys have so much energy and they bring so much just having him out there, it’s cool,” defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said on Thursday. “It’s good to see those guys back. I think they’re excited and we’re all feeding off of that.”

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Defensive end Nick Bosa’s physical condition has improved but it still is not expected to be enough for him to suit up for the 49ers on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

“He did a little bit more,” Shanahan said of Bosa.

The 49ers left the door slightly ajar for Bosa to return to action Sunday. He is listed as doubtful to face the Bears at Levi’s Stadium due to injuries to the hip and oblique muscles on both sides. Bosa likely will miss his third consecutive game.

All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams was ruled out of action for the third week in a row with an ankle injury.

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It almost is time.

On Wednesday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters the team is targeting Week 15’s "Thursday Night Football" game against the Los Angeles Rams for star inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw’s return.

San Francisco general manager and president of football operations John Lynch said similar Friday.

"Hopefully, he just keeps getting better,” Lynch told KNBR’s Brian Murhpy and Markus Boucher about Greenlaw on Friday. “We've had that Thursday night game against the Rams as that target date. Hopefully, we can stay on that.

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The 49ers still are mathematically in the NFC postseason picture.

But a lot would have to go right for Kyle Shanahan’s team to qualify for the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

First, they have to start winning games.

And Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears is anything but a sure thing, even as the opposition enters Levi’s Stadium on a six-game losing streak.

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Chris Canty has strong opinions on the 49ers potentially paying quarterback Brock Purdy next offseason.

Canty was asked if he would give Purdy a lucrative new contract.

“Not this offseason, I wouldn’t,” Canty said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday. “I need to see more from Brock Purdy and it’s not an instance where I don’t think he’s capable. It’s just that I haven’t seen him elevate the play of everyone around him. In a lot of ways, Brock Purdy has been like a mirror reflecting the talent that’s around him.

“And when he doesn’t have Trent Williams in the lineup, when he doesn’t have Christian McCaffrey, when he doesn’t have Deebo Samuel, when he doesn’t have George Kittle, when he doesn’t have Brandon Aiyuk, you’re getting a different version of Brock Purdy.”

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SANTA CLARA — The 49ers expect to get one starter back on the field Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

However, defensive end Nick Bosa, left tackle Trent Williams and left guard Aaron Banks all appear likely to miss another game.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who was inactive for the game last week against the Buffalo Bills due to a knee injury, was a full participant in practice on Thursday, the 49ers reported.

Lenoir sustained a knee contusion in the 49ers’ 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 12. Last week, he was sidelined for San Francisco's 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

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Programming Note: Watch "49ers Now" with Carlos Ramirez and Jennifer Lee Chan at 4 p.m. PT today from Santa Clara, streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Watch the show later on YouTube and Facebook.

Kyle Shanahan had a witty response when asked if 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa would suit up against the Chicago Bears this Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

“I’m not god,” Shanahan told reporters. “I think he’s got a chance to play this week. So, I think that would lead to a better chance [of him playing] each week. But, I don’t know the answer to that.”

The 27-year-old sustained a hip injury during a Week 11 game against the Seattle Seahawks and hasn’t played since. San Francisco’s defense has been reeling in recent weeks, unable to do much of anything and letting opposing quarterbacks put up huge numbers.

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Programming Note: Watch "49ers Now" with Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan at 3 p.m. PT today from Santa Clara, streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Watch the show later on YouTube and Facebook.

Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers will not be caught off guard by the Chicago Bears' bruising defense on Sunday.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the San Francisco coach explained why Chicago’s defense is so daunting.

“I think they're a real good defense,” Shanahan told reporters. “I think, how good they are in the red zone, I think they're ranked number two in the red zone. I think they're top five at getting turnovers. I think they're top five on third down. When they're top five in getting turnovers and their offense, I think, is number one at not giving up turnovers, it's usually a really good formula for winning.”

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There really is a lot that seems inexplicable about the 49ers’ fall this season.

San Francisco was the top team in the NFC last year. It clinched the top seed in the conference with a 12-4 record before resting many of its starters for the final game of the regular season.

After 12 games this season, the 49ers are 5-7 and barely holding onto a mathematical chance of returning to the postseason.

They have struggled on special teams throughout the season. That cannot be debated.

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SANTA CLARA — The 49ers' NFC matchup with the Chicago Bears on Sunday will be Isaac Guerendo’s chance to shine.

The rookie running back has had few chances to show what he is capable of in his debut NFL season, but with both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason out for at least the next four games, Guerendo will get his shot. The Wisconsin product believes running backs coach Bobby Turner has prepared him well.

“I’ve had the same mentality the whole time,” Guerendo said Wednesday. “I always give credit to Coach T preparing everybody like they are going to be the starters. That way when moments do come up, I’m ready for it.”

Guerendo spent five years at Wisconsin before transferring to Louisville for his final college season, where he registered 132 carries for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 234 yards.

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It hasn't been Christian McCaffrey's year.

First, the star 49ers running back missed most of training camp and the first eight games of the 2024 NFL season with bilateral Achilles tendinitis. Then, in just his fourth game back, McCaffrey sustained a PCL injury against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday that landed him on injured reserve for the rest of the regular season.

As the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year embarks on what is expected to be a six-week recovery, he reflected on a season that fell short of expectations -- especially his own -- with a post on Instagram.

"Football is the greatest game on the planet to me," McCaffrey wrote. "I love that you can find out exactly who you are without ever saying a word. It lifts you up and breaks you down and it can happen fast. It’s humbling in the best ways. You can do everything right and still fail. [That's] life and that’s football. It’s a constant test of wills and those who just keep going tend to reap the benefits of their perseverance.

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Kyle Shanahan is confident that rookie Isaac Guerendo can perform as the team's lead running back.

Guerendo, a fourth-round 2024 NFL Draft pick, is slated to make his first career start against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Levi's Stadium after injuries to star running back Christian McCaffrey and backup Jordan Mason.

“I think he’s ready to go,” Shanahan told reporters Wednesday. “[He’s] had some ups and downs, but got better through everything.” 

The 24-year-old back has 42 carries for 246 yards (4.7 Y/A) and two touchdowns in 12 games this season.

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The 49ers on Tuesday claimed former New York Jets running back Israel Abanikanda off waivers.

Abanikanda takes the roster spot that opened when the 49ers officially placed running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve. McCaffrey sustained an injury to the posterior cruciate ligament of his right knee. The injury is considered a season-ender, as the 49ers have five games remaining in the regular season.

The 49ers also re-signed wide receiver Ronnie Bell to the practice squad. The team released him on Friday to make room on the 53-man roster for cornerback Nick McCloud.

Abanikanda (5-foot-10, 216 pounds) entered the NFL as a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 143 overall) of the New York Jets from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Robert Griffin III thinks three major issues doomed the 49ers this season.

The former NFL quarterback explained why San Francisco has had an underwhelming season, which likely will result in the team missing the playoffs for the first time in three years.

“1) Brandon Aiyuk’s offseason negotiations threw off the chemistry of the team,” Griffin III wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Not because he was at fault for getting his money, but because the organization let it drag out all offseason and into training camp. His injury, CMC and Trent Williams being out has hurt the multiplicity that has made the 49ers so dangerous with Kyle Shanahan at the helm.

"2) The 49ers aren’t protecting the ball AT ALL. 27th in giveaways and 20th in turnover margin. Kyle's offense is more predicated on ball control than most other systems. When you turn the ball over in any offense it’s detrimental, but in Kyle’s system it’s diabolical because his mindset and play calling is not built to come from behind."

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The 49ers' defense has not been nearly as dominant in 2024 as it has been in the past, but coach Kyle Shanahan does not believe that the drop-off has been a result of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen's scheme.

The defensive line, which has been missing Nick Bosa for the past two games, and Javon Hargrave since Week 4, allowed a season-high 220 rushing yards in their 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 13.

Shanahan spoke to the media on Monday via conference call and shared that he still has the utmost confidence in Sorenson.

“Yeah, I'm very satisfied with Nick,” Shanahan said. “I’m not at all satisfied with the results and how it's going right now, but, some of the mistakes that we've made, I don't think or what's happened here in these last two weeks, I don't think that's a schematic issue.”

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This was not the 49ers’ season.

Sometimes it’s just that simple.

The vibes were not there. It was a bizarre training camp with a couple of their key players embroiled in contract disputes. Other key players were injured. Their first-round draft pick got lucky when he survived a shooting incident.

Then, the 2024 NFL season started and the 49ers uncharacteristically let some big leads to NFC West opponents get away.

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Could the 49ers undergo major changes following the 2024 NFL season?

After San Francisco’s 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on “Sunday Night Football,” NBC Sports Bay Area’s Donte Whitner explained on the latest episode of “Hitner’s Hot Take” what the 49ers should consider doing entering their next campaign.

“Going into next season, there is no guarantee that this 49ers team is just going to get back to their championship aspirations and winning ways,” Whitner said. “This roster is going to need an overhaul focusing on top-tier talent on this defensive line and quality depth at all positions.”

It is difficult to assess the 49ers considering how unfortunately their season has gone. San Francisco, quite literally, has been plagued with issues one couldn’t imagine or have foreseen. 

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The 49ers likely will have some Pro Bowl selections despite being 5-7 and crawling to the 2024 NFL season’s finish line.

The league shared the first fan voting returns Monday, and four of San Francisco’s stars are in good shape to represent the NFC in Orlando.

Tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, edge rusher Nick Bosa and fullback Kyle Juszczyk all led their conference in voting for their respective positions.

Kittle, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, has caught 50 passes for 649 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 of the 49ers’ 12 games this season. Bosa, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, has collected 36 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble, also playing in 10 games thus far. Warner, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has collected 88 tackles, four forced fumbles and a sack over 12 games. And Juszczyk, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, has posted 139 all-purpose yards and a touchdown on 18 touches over 12 games.

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The injury bug has bitten the 49ers again entering Week 14, with multiple players headed to injured reserve.

Along with running backs Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle), Kevin Givens, who suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in San Francisco's 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, will be placed on IR as well. Sunday night was the defensive tackle's first game back from a groin injury that had kept him off the field for four games.

The 49ers' defensive line has been devastated with injuries, and the team might need to look outside the building to add depth just in order to field a workable rotation. Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott remains in the concussion protocol, which puts his availability for Sunday’s game in jeopardy.

Nick Bosa will be evaluated this week for a potential return from an oblique/hip injury that has kept the edge rusher sidelined for two consecutive weeks. Left tackle Trent Williams, like Bosa, will go through an evaluation process before returning to the field.

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The San Francisco 49ers are returning home amid a three-game losing streak, including consecutive road blowout losses at the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills.

And when things go south for San Francisco, it happens dramatically. Following the snowy loss in Buffalo, the 49ers lost Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Kevin Givens (pectoral) for the season, with Jordan Mason (ankle) also set for a spell on injured reserve.

San Francisco, the reigning NFC champions, isn't mathematically eliminated from postseason contention yet, but with a tough schedule looming, winning the majority of the remaining games with the current roster conditions doesn't seem plausible.

Up next is a home game against the Chicago Bears, who are led by rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Chicago will be playing in its first game of the post-Matt Eberflus era and are also in the NFC wild card race, so the opposition quality for the 49ers does not get lighter.

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The 49ers will to need to add to their running backs room after losing both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason to injuries in their 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Both running back will be placed on injured reserve, which means they will miss a minimum of four games starting in Week 14. McCaffrey suffered a PCL injury that coach Kyle Shanahan estimates will require at least six weeks of recovery, while Mason suffered a high ankle sprain.

Speaking to Mason after the game, the third-year back did not seem to be dealing with an ankle injury, but was seen with a wrap on his right arm in the locker room before the team flew back to the Bay Area.

The 49ers now will lean on rookie Isaac Guerendo, who has appeared in 12 games this season, registering 42 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Fourth-year running back Patrick Taylor also will be in the mix.

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Christian McCaffrey's 2024 NFL regular season is over.

After the star running back left San Francisco's 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at Highmark Stadium with what the 49ers initially feared to be a season-ending PCL injury, coach Kyle Shanahan made the news official on Monday after McCaffrey underwent an MRI at the team's facility.

In speaking to reporters on a conference call, Shanahan revealed that McCaffrey indeed suffered a PCL injury, which will not require surgery, but will sideline him for six weeks, effectively ending his regular season.

After missing the first eight games of the season with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, McCaffrey returned to the field in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 28-year-old, admittedly, did not feel like himself, and his stats in three-plus games reflected as much.

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