The San Francisco 49ers traveled east on Sunday to face the struggling Chicago Bears. Both teams were in dire need of a win, not just to quiet a frustrated fan base but to keep their playoff hopes alive. Fortunately for the 49ers, they were able to come away with a 33-22 victory over the Bears.
For the Bears, the development of their rookie quarterback, Justin Fields, has become a focal point for their season. After veteran quarterback Andy Dalton suffered a knee injury in Week 2, the focus shifted to preparing Fields. The rookie hasn't looked back and was officially named the starter for the remainder of the season in Week 5.
Fields has had his ups and downs since taking over the starting job. Luckily for fans, he shows improvement with each game played and saved his best performance to date for when the Bears faced the 49ers at Soldier Field. Fields completed 19-of-27 passes for 175 yards, one touchdown, and one interceptions. On the ground, he rushed 10 times for 103 yards and a score. The future appears to be bright for the young quarterback.
49ers veteran Jimmy Garoppolo had a good game of his own. Garoppolo grew up in nearby Arlington Heights, IL, and had close to 100 friends and family in attendance for Sunday's game. He completed 17-of-28 passes for 322 yards. While he had no passing touchdowns, Garoppolo did have five carries for four yards and two scores.
Garoppolo has struggled throughout the 2021 season, completing 64 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and four interceptions for a passer rating of 91.9. The stats, unfortunately, don't tell the whole story. Garoppolo has struggled to put up points and move the ball in recent weeks and has taken the bulk of the blame for the 49ers' abysmal 2-4 record entering Week 8 against the Bears.
Luckily for Garoppolo and the 49ers, the team remains one game out of the Wild Card spot in the playoffs. So, apart from a few teams in the NFC, playoff hopes are still in the cards for struggling teams like San Francisco.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has repeatedly said that he will play the quarterback that gives the team the best chance to win. With only one winning season since taking over as head coach in 2017, the mindset is to win now. So, while many 49ers fans are eager to see their own rookie quarterback, Trey Lance, step in and begin his development, Garoppolo just made everyone pump the brakes on that notion with his latest performance. If he keeps playing well and winning games, his starting job appears to be safe.