Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker placed the blame for his team's 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers squarely on the defense. While head coach Ben Johnson accepted responsibility for the game's final play, where quarterback Caleb Williams' pass fell incomplete in the end zone, Brisker stated that the defense let the offense down. He believes the offense scored enough points for a victory, but the defense failed to hold up their end.
Despite an early interception returned for a touchdown by linebacker T.J. Edwards, the Bears' defense struggled against 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who went on to account for five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and threw for 303 yards. Coach Johnson acknowledged that the defense did not affect Purdy enough, allowing him too much time and space. The high-scoring game was notable for being tied at multiple points, including 7-7, 14-14, 21-21, 28-28, and 35-35, a first in NFL history.
Quarterback Caleb Williams had a strong performance, throwing for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He expressed confidence that the team would respond positively to the tough loss. The Bears, now 11-5, will enter Week 18 as the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed. They are scheduled to host the eliminated Detroit Lions on January 4th and are favored by 2.5 points in that matchup.