Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears vs San Francisco 49ers: Week 13 Keys to the Game

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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While some want the Bears to lose for a better draft pick, John Fox will have his troops coached up to win. If the Chicago Bears follow these keys, they will earn their third victory of the year.

The Chicago Bears find themselves in a winnable matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Bears fans possess reason to believe that this is the last winnable matchup on Chicago’s schedule. Before we look ahead to today’s matchup, let’s see how the Bears did on last week’s keys:

1) Take the pressure off Matt Barkley- The Bears allowed 27 points and the receivers accounted for 10 drops. Also, Barkley threw 54 times. If accounting for 54 plays of the offense isn’t pressure, I don’t know what is. Fox continued to rely on the pass despite Jordan Howard averaging 4.7 yards per carry. To say the game was put on Barley’s shoulders is an understatement, and that means the Bears lose this key.

2) Defense, win the ballgame- The second half was much better, but they still allowed 27 points, In addition, the defense had no sacks and no turnovers. This game was mostly placed on Matt Barley’s shoulders. In a game where the defense needed to step up, they were largely passive. The Bears lose this key as well.

3) Who’s going to step up and lead- Unfortunately, the Bears lacked a true leader on the field throughout the whole duration of the game. Barkley looked solid in the second half, but it’s hard to look like a true leader when you have 26 incompletions and 2 interceptions. The defense is built to lead the Bears, but no one stepped up. Pernell McPhee and the pass rush were unable to record a sack for the second straight week, and Adrian Amos failed to lead the secondary. Chicago fell short on this key as well.

Last week’s keys: 0/3

Here are three keys to guarantee the Bears’ third win of the year.

Nov 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) rushes the ball against Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

1) Feed Howard at least 20 carries

Jordan Howard came into the NFL as a 5th round pick, but he has quickly developed into a workhorse. Matt Barkley lead a potent offense in the second half last week, but he still needs all the help he can get. Jordan Howard has the 5th highest yards per carry average at 5.1 YPC, and there are no signs of him slowing down. However, the Bears have continually underutilized him in the rushing attack.

Despite being Chicago’s starter for 8 weeks, Howard has only tallied 20+ carries on two occasions. Coincidentally, both occasions resulted in wins for Chicago. The Bears historically operate best behind a workhorse like Howard. Additionally, Chicago’s offensive line is much stronger run blocking rather than pass blocking.

Above all, the Bears stay on schedule when Howard is fed the rock. A young quarterback like Barkley would benefit greatly from convertible third downs. Also, a viable rushing attack will allow Barkley to utilize play action. I could expect Howard to average so many yards per carry, but Howard gets the job done when he’s given the ball. John Fox needs to feed Howard at least 20 times this weekend if he wants to win.

Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (94) react after sacking Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) in the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

2) Bring back the sack back to Chicago

The Chicago Bears haven’t recorded a sack in the last two weeks. Ironically, the drought started when Pernell McPhee promised to sack Eli Manning two weeks ago. The Bears’ front 7 is supposed to lead the defense. Players like Pernell McPhee, Willie Young, Eddie Goldman, and Akiem Hicks are paid to be impact players on the front line. While each player has had their moments this season, none of them have consistently been a force. If Chicago wants to win, Kaepernick must be under pressure constantly.

However, this key is two-fold. Not only do the Bears need to sack Kaepernick, they need to contain the mobile quarterback. The 49ers’ signal caller ran for over 100 yards last week on only 10 carries. However, Kaepernick’s rushing ability isn’t the only reason the Bears need to contain him. Kaepernick’s ability as a runner is only matched by his ability to extend passing plays outside of the pocket. Considering Chicago’s weak secondary, allowing Kaepernick to break the pocket would be a death sentence for a weak Bears secondary.

Ironically, Kaepernick received his first start against the Chicago Bears back on Monday night football back in 2012. He threw for over 200 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 32-7 rout of Chicago. If the Bears want to avoid a similar result, they need to bring the pressure on Sunday. Chicago needs to record two sacks and limit Kaepernick to under 30 yards rushing to earn this key.

Nov 13, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith (81) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers won 36-10. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

3) Cameron Meredith’s return as a viable weapon

When Brian Hoyer took over at quarterback, Cameron Meredith racked up an absurd amount of receiving yards. However, the converted quarterback has been absent for the past few weeks. Meredith logged two 100 yard games in Hoyer’s first three starts, but he hasn’t come close to that figure ever since. In fact, Meredith has only reached 50 receiving yards once in the last 5 weeks.

Without Alshon Jeffery, the Bears are desperate for a true number one option. Since Jeffery’s suspension, Marquess Wilson has been the only receiver to execute when opportunities have come their way. However, Meredith has the qualities to be a true number one option. With an athletic skill set and a 6’3 frame, Meredith is built to be a playmaker in the NFL. With Jeffery’s contract set to expire and Kevin White’s future being a complete mystery, the door couldn’t be more wide open for Meredith. The Chicago Bears will have some significant evaluation to do this offseason, and a good performance by Meredith down the stretch could keep him in Chicago’s good graces. The 49ers’ weak secondary offers the Illinois State product a great opportunity to get back on track.

In the last 4 games, Meredith has averaged only 35 yards a game. For the Bears to win, Meredith needs to bounce back with over 75 yards and a score.