The 49ers entered into their 33-22 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday with a noticeable tendency to commit defensive pass interference penalties, having been hit with a league-leading 11 pass interference penalties over their first six games. But the tide turned for the 49ers against the Bears, as the defense avoided pass interference penalties one week after they played a pivotal role in the their 30-18 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The 49ers were flagged for defensive pass interference four times against the Colts, which led to them changing their practice routine last week in an attempt to cut back on the problem. The result was a much better day for the secondary, who allowed 175 passing yards to Bears quarterback Justin Fields while staying away from pass interference calls.
"Very satisfying," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the win over the Bears. "I think we had one defensive holding, I think. But that was huge. It's very well-documented how much we've struggled with that this year. Big time. It's been rough. We emphasized it a lot this week. Going into this game, we knew it would be a challenge because those guys, they throw more deep shots than anyone in the NFL, so we were aware of it all week. It was nice for those guys to step it up and play penalty-free."
49ers cornerback Josh Norman, who was on the receiving end of Fields' lone interception of the game, said after the game that it wasn't difficult for the 49ers to fix their pass interference problems and that the secondary in general had a standout showing against the Bears.
"You guys were talking about it all week so we just made sure we stayed on top," Norman said. "I think that was a very easy, correctable thing to do. We played lights-out pretty much all game. I think Fields was held to 170 yards passing. When you do that in the National Football League, I think that's a good day for any secondary. We know we've got to drive the bus from the back. That's how we played. We got the victory, but it was a collective unit."
Sunday was a step in the right direction for the 49ers in terms of pass interference, although teams will surely try to test them in that area and get the calls to go their way in the weeks ahead.
"Let's be honest," Norman said. "It's the league. They want to see points. It is what it is. Kind of underhanded in a sense, but who's going cry about it? Who's going to hear us, right? That's crocodile tears, so we've got to go out and make the best of our opportunities regardless. Yeah, our backs are against the wall, but we've just got to continue to keep fighting."