4 burning questions ahead of Bears vs. 49ers Week 1 game

The Chicago Bears welcome the San Francisco 49ers to Soldier Field on Sunday in their 2022 season opener. It’s a game that has plenty of storylines, like two 2021 first-round quarterbacks squaring off to kick off what’s expected to be their breakout years.

But there’s more to this game than just the play of Justin Fields and Trey Lance. Here are four burning questions that could determine whether the Bears win or lose their Week 1 game.

Can the Bears’ offensive line protect Justin Fields?

Get used to this burning question. There’s a chance it’ll make a weekly appearance. But in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, the untested Chicago Bears offensive line will face one of the best defensive fronts in football. The 49ers boast a cast of stars like Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, who combined for 21.5 sacks in 2021. Javon Kinlaw, the 49ers’ first-round pick in 2020, is a potential menace, too.

The Bears will trot out Braxton Jones (LT), Cody Whitehair (LG), Lucas Patrick (C), Teven Jenkins (RG), and Larry Borom (RT) as the likely starting five offensive linemen. Patrick is still recovering from a thumb injury that may force him out of the lineup or over to guard. Either way, if he isn’t available, it’s stock down for this group.

Jones, a rookie fifth-round pick, will get his “welcome to the NFL” moment — or moments — on Sunday. Borom, a fifth-round pick in 2021, is still growing as a player. Jenkins made a position change to guard just a few weeks ago. There’s a lot of inexperience and youth in front of Justin Fields, who’s a young player himself. It could lead to some rocky moments early in the game and until the Bears’ offensive line settles down… assuming they do.

How will Chicago defend 49ers WR Deebo Samuel?

Samuel presents the biggest challenge for the Bears’ defense in Week 1. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan moves him all over the offense and uses him in many different ways. He’s a wide receiver, he’s a running back, he’s a flat out offensive weapon.

Samuel lined up wide on 539 snaps in 2021. He was in the slot for 209 reps. He was in the backfield 80 times. Translation? Whoever is charged with covering him — if the Bears decide to shadow him — will be all over the place, too.

The most likely candidate tasked with stopping Samuel is Jaylon Johnson, who said this week that he’s looking forward to showcasing his own stardom in the high-profile matchup. But I won’t be surprised if rookie Kyler Gordon ends up on the 2021 All-Pro wideout. His movement skills and twitchy skill set matches what Samuel does well.

In reality, stopping Samuel requires a team effort. Safeties Jaquan Brisker and Eddie Jackson will be relied on, too. Deebo is a master of breaking tackles and navigating through defenses, often stressing the last line of defense to make a touchdown-saving tackle. Brisker and Jackson better have their heads on a swivel.

Will the Bears generate enough pass rush against 49ers QB Trey Lance?

49ers quarterback Trey Lance has only thrown 101 passes since the 2020 college football season. Thirty of them came on the FCS level. He hasn’t looked particularly sharp in the 2022 preseason and the return of Jimmy Garoppolo as San Francisco’s QB2 is, at the very least, interesting.

Lance’s inexperience will benefit the Bears if they can get enough of a pass rush to force panicked throws. The ball-hawking mentality of Eddie Jackson will feast off of YOLO balls if Lance is forced to duck and chuck. Sure, Lance has the athletic ability to run away from pressure rather than make ill-advised throws, but there’s no doubt that with a quality pass-rush, turnover opportunities will arise.

That pass rush will rely heavily on Robert Quinn repeating his team-record 18.5-sack season from 2021. And it’s not that he has to actually sack Lance, he just has to create consistent pressure and collapse the pocket. That’ll be a huge challenge when he’s matched against arguably the best offensive tackle in the game in San Francisco’s Trent Williams.

First-year Bear Al-Quadin Muhammad has some pass-rushing chops, as does top reserve, Trevis Gipson. Between Quinn, Muhammad and Gipson, the Bears’ should be able to create enough pressure against the 49ers to keep Lance in check.

Do the Bears have enough offensive firepower to support the defense?

We know Chicago’s defense has enough talent to frustrate a young quarterback like Trey Lance. There’s enough speed and sideline-to-sideline ability with linebackers Roquan Smith and Nicholas Morrow to frustrate Kyle Shanahan’s running game. And the starting secondary — arguably the most talented group of starters on the roster — will put up a good fight against Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle.

But can Justin Fields do enough with David Montgomery and Darnell Mooney to score, say, 24 points? The current over/under is set at 41.5 points. Essentially, Las Vegas is predicting a game that will hover around 24-17. Perhaps even 21-20. The Bears have to score three touchdowns to win this game, which means Fields has to account for at least two of them, either as a runner or passer.

See the first burning question about the offensive line. Yep, it’ll come down to that group of five to give the offense a fighter’s chance. If they struggle, then a player like Mooney or Velus Jones Jr. will have to flip the field on a touch or two to make up for otherwise sloppy play. That doesn’t feel like a recipe for success.

It’s a great first test for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and his system. The 49ers will be a respected defense all season, and if the Bears prove they can score points against them in Week 1, the offense will be viewed very differently entering Week 2’s Sunday night showdown against the Green Bay Packers.