{"id":12384986,"date":"2025-12-27T08:00:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T16:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/?p=12384986"},"modified":"2025-12-27T23:43:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T07:43:53","slug":"49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27\/","title":{"rendered":"Kurtenbach: The playoffs start early with 49ers &#8211; Bears. My three predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/49ers-bears-injury-report-tight-end-george-kittle-could-miss-sixth-game-of-year\/\">49ers&#8217; Sunday night matchup<\/a> with the Chicago Bears isn\u2019t just a game. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/nfl-playoff-race-49ers-bears-lions-packers-wild-card-super-bowl\/\">It\u2019s a dress rehearsal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/49ers-defense-nfl-playoff-experience-bears-seahawks\/\">For the last month<\/a>, the 49ers have been feasting on the NFL\u2019s middle class (at best), stacking five straight wins like poker chips. But beating the Titans or the Colts is like winning a sparring match. Nice for the record, sure, but it doesn&#8217;t tell you if you can take a punch.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday night against the also 11-4 Chicago Bears? Now that&#8217;s a worthy adversary \u2014 the first of two playoff games the 49ers will play before the playoffs officially start.<\/p>\n<p>A win here does more than secure a sixth-straight victory; it sets the table for a blockbuster Week 18 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West crown and the conference&#8217;s No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related left\"><h2 class=\"widget-title\" data-curated-ids=\"\" data-relation-type=\"automatic-primary-tag\">Related Articles<\/h2><ul><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/22\/kurtenbach-49ers-lb-dee-winters-heard-the-colts-call-then-he-ended-the-game\/\" title=\"Kurtenbach: 49ers LB Dee Winters heard Philip Rivers&#8217; play call. Then he ended the game\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tKurtenbach: 49ers&#8217; Dee Winters heard Philip Rivers&#8217; play call. Then he ended the game.\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/22\/studs-and-duds-brock-purdys-exceptional-day-carries-the-niners-to-a-shootout-win-over-colts\/\" title=\"Studs and Duds: Brock Purdy&#8217;s exceptional day carries the Niners to a shootout win over Colts\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tStuds and Duds: Brock Purdy&#8217;s exceptional day carries the Niners to a shootout win over Colts\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/22\/philip-rivers-colts-49ers-brock-purdy-1220-kurtenbach-preview-analysis\/\" title=\"Kurtenbach: Did anyone actually watch Philip Rivers play? My 49ers-Colts prediction\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tKurtenbach: Did anyone actually watch Philip Rivers play? My 49ers-Colts prediction\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/16\/trent-williams-touchdown-jeffrey-simmons-kurtenbach\/\" title=\"Kurtenbach: Trent Williams has a fantasy. The 49ers need to make it a reality\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tKurtenbach: Trent Williams has a fantasy. The 49ers need to make it a reality\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/14\/kurtenbach-brock-purdy-has-the-49ers-offense-dancing-before-the-big-dance\/\" title=\"Kurtenbach: Brock Purdy has the 49ers&#8217; offense dancing before the &#8216;big dance&#8217;\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tKurtenbach: Brock Purdy has the 49ers&#8217; offense dancing before the &#8216;big dance&#8217;\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><\/ul><\/aside>\n<p>But to get to that winner-take-all finale, they first have to survive a Chicago team that has found its swagger.<\/p>\n<p>So much swagger. Like, a curious amount of swagger for a team whose marquee win required an onside kick recovery to beat a backup quarterback.<\/p>\n<p>Alas, they have every opportunity to back it up on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Can the Niners&#8217; beleaguered defense hold against one of the league&#8217;s best tacticians with a headset and talents at quarterback?<\/p>\n<p>Can Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan keep the Niners&#8217; offense humming if the irreplaceable George Kittle (didn&#8217;t practice all week, officially designated as questionable with an ankle injury) cannot play?<\/p>\n<p>This game has all the makings of a shootout that should make Purdy and Williams (Iowa State and Oklahoma) feel like they&#8217;re back in college.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s precisely the kind of test this 49ers team needs right now.<\/p>\n<p>Here are three predictions for Sunday night:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<aside class=\"related left\"><h2 class=\"widget-title\" data-curated-ids=\"\" data-relation-type=\"automatic-primary-section\">Related Articles<\/h2><ul><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/49ers-5-keys-to-beating-chicago-bears-on-sunday-night-football\/\" title=\"49ers&#8217; 5 keys to beating Chicago Bears on &#8216;Sunday Night Football&#8217;\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\t49ers&#8217; 5 keys to beating Chicago Bears on &#8216;Sunday Night Football&#8217;\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/watch-49ers-bears-sunday-night-football\/\" title=\"How to watch 49ers vs. Bears on Sunday Night Football\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tHow to watch 49ers vs. Bears on Sunday Night Football\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/49ers-bears-injury-report-tight-end-george-kittle-could-miss-sixth-game-of-year\/\" title=\"49ers-Bears injury report: Tight end George Kittle could miss sixth game of year\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\t49ers-Bears injury report: Tight end George Kittle could miss sixth game of year\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/49ers-john-lynch-updates-availability-of-george-kittle-fred-warner\/\" title=\"49ers&#8217; John Lynch updates availability of George Kittle, Fred Warner\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\t49ers&#8217; John Lynch updates availability of George Kittle, Fred Warner\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><li>\n\t\t\t<a class=\"article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/nfl-playoff-race-49ers-bears-lions-packers-wild-card-super-bowl\/\" title=\"NFL playoff race: 49ers among the 11 teams in, and 3 spots remain open\">\n\t\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dfm-title metered\">\n\t\t\tNFL playoff race: 49ers among the 11 teams in, and 3 spots remain open\t\t<\/span>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n<\/li><\/ul><\/aside>\n<p><strong>The 49ers Don&#8217;t Just Win, They Blow the Doors Off:<\/strong> I started the week thinking this might be a high-scoring, back-and-forth type of game, but I\u2019m changing my tune.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m done predicting close games for the 49ers. They will play nothing but blowouts \u2014 one way or another, the rest of the year.<\/p>\n<p>I think this way is a win.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers have flaws on top of flaws, but they are a more buttoned-up, lethal offense right now, while the Bears are high on their own supply after stealing a miracle win last week.<\/p>\n<p>I trust Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy infinitely more than I trust the erratic brilliance of Caleb Williams or the too-cute-by-half Ben Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers are going to turn this into a track meet, and the Bears, a markedly worse third-down team than the Niners, won&#8217;t be able to keep pace.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Upton Stout Is the Key:<\/strong> The rookie nickelback is the X-factor in this game. The Bears&#8217; offense lives and dies by tight splits, bunch formations, and confusion \u2014 specifically targeting the slot. They&#8217;ll destroy you in the run game if you go with base, three-linebacker formations.<\/p>\n<p>If Stout can handle the communication and be a positive factor in the run game (as he was against the Colts), the Bears&#8217; offense can stall. If Stout struggles, the 49ers get gashed.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m betting the ascending rookie holds his own.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Caleb Williams Gets Tricked into Mistakes:<\/strong> Williams is undeniably talented, but he plays with questionable feel for the rhythm of the NFL game.<\/p>\n<p>He extends plays unnecessarily and is prone to being baited. The 49ers don\u2019t need to do anything exotic on defense; they just need to be disciplined.<\/p>\n<p>My prediction is that Williams gets bored taking what\u2019s there, tries to play hero ball against a zone coverage he misreads, and gifts the 49ers the turnovers that turn this game into the blowout I\u2019m expecting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Final Score:<\/strong> 44 &#8211; 29 49ers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can the Niners run their winning streak to six \u2014 and set up a battle for the NFC&#8217;s top seed in Week 18?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":602,"featured_media":12336331,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"subheadline":"San Francisco 49ers: Can the Niners run their winning streak to six \u2014 and set up a battle for the NFC's top seed in Week 18?","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13645,27642,163,162,822],"tags":[26006,13583,22724,792],"feature":[],"location":[3,2,130,102,7],"type-of-work":[24461],"coauthors":[19471],"class_list":["post-12384986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-headlines","category-nfl","category-san-francisco-49ers","category-sports","category-columnists","tag-inside-sports","tag-inside-the-49ers","tag-pm-report","tag-sports-columnists","location-bay-area","location-california","location-santa-clara","location-santa-clara-county","location-south-bay","type-of-work-analysis"],"post_status":"","edit_last":0,"edit_lock":0,"highlights":"","original_byline":"","original_canonical":"","original_category":"","original_email":"","original_id":0,"original_pubdate":"","original_source":"","primary_section":"163","primary_tag":13583,"print_workflow_body":{"deck_headline":"49ers","print_title":"The playoffs start early with 49ers - Bears. My three predictions","print_subheadline":"San Francisco 49ers: Can the Niners run their winning streak to six \u2014 and set up a battle for the NFC's top seed in Week 18?","print_planned_ready":1766880000,"print_pub_date":1766880000,"print_slug":"BNG-L-DIETER-1228","print_content":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/49ers-bears-injury-report-tight-end-george-kittle-could-miss-sixth-game-of-year\/\">49ers'\u00a0 matchup<\/a> tonight with the Chicago Bears isn\u2019t just a game. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/nfl-playoff-race-49ers-bears-lions-packers-wild-card-super-bowl\/\">It\u2019s a dress rehearsal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/26\/49ers-defense-nfl-playoff-experience-bears-seahawks\/\">For the last month<\/a>, the 49ers have been feasting on the NFL\u2019s middle class (at best), stacking five straight wins like poker chips. But beating the Titans or the Colts is like winning a sparring match. Nice for the record, sure, but it doesn't tell you if you can take a punch.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday night against the also 11-4 Chicago Bears? Now that's a worthy adversary \u2014 the first of two playoff games the 49ers will play before the playoffs officially start.<\/p>\n<p>A win here does more than secure a sixth-straight victory; it sets the table for a blockbuster Week 18 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West crown and the conference's No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n<p>But to get to that winner-take-all finale, they first have to survive a Chicago team that has found its swagger.<\/p>\n<p>So much swagger. Like, a curious amount of swagger for a team whose marquee win required an onside kick recovery to beat a backup quarterback.<\/p>\n<p>Alas, they have every opportunity to back it up on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Can the Niners' beleaguered defense hold against one of the league's best tacticians with a headset and talents at quarterback?<\/p>\n<p>Can Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan keep the Niners' offense humming if the irreplaceable George Kittle (didn't practice all week, officially designated as questionable with an ankle injury) cannot play?<\/p>\n<p>This game has all the makings of a shootout that should make Purdy and Williams (Iowa State and Oklahoma) feel like they're back in college.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s precisely the kind of test this 49ers team needs right now.<\/p>\n<p>Here are three predictions for tonight:<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers Don't Just Win, They Blow the Doors Off: I started the week thinking this might be a high-scoring, back-and-forth type of game, but I\u2019m changing my tune.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m done predicting close games for the 49ers. They will play nothing but blowouts \u2014 one way or another, the rest of the year.<\/p>\n<p>I think this way is a win.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers have flaws on top of flaws, but they are a more buttoned-up, lethal offense right now, while the Bears are high on their own supply after stealing a miracle win last week.<\/p>\n<p>I trust Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy infinitely more than I trust the erratic brilliance of Caleb Williams or the too-cute-by-half Ben Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>The 49ers are going to turn this into a track meet, and the Bears, a markedly worse third-down team than the Niners, won't be able to keep pace.<\/p>\n<p>Upton Stout Is the Key: The rookie nickelback is the X-factor in this game. The Bears' offense lives and dies by tight splits, bunch formations, and confusion \u2014 specifically targeting the slot. They'll destroy you in the run game if you go with base, three-linebacker formations.<\/p>\n<p>If Stout can handle the communication and be a positive factor in the run game (as he was against the Colts), the Bears' offense can stall. If Stout struggles, the 49ers get gashed.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m betting the ascending rookie holds his own.<\/p>\n<p>Caleb Williams Gets Tricked into Mistakes: Williams is undeniably talented, but he plays with questionable feel for the rhythm of the NFL game.<\/p>\n<p>He extends plays unnecessarily and is prone to being baited. The 49ers don\u2019t need to do anything exotic on defense; they just need to be disciplined.<\/p>\n<p>My prediction is that Williams gets bored taking what\u2019s there, tries to play hero ball against a zone coverage he misreads, and gifts the 49ers the turnovers that turn this game into the blowout I\u2019m expecting.<\/p>\n<p>Final Score: 44 - 29 49ers.<\/p>\n","print_budget_line":"","print_excerpt":"Can the Niners run their winning streak to six \u2014 and set up a battle for the NFC's top seed in Week 18?","print_notes":"","photo_limits":"Photo limits are: 1 featured image, 5 featured gallery images, 5 embedded gallery images and 5 in-article embedded images. Articles that exceed these limits will not export. Please adjust images to reflect these limits.","print_featured_gallery_richtext":"","print_inline_galleries_richtext":"","print_inline_images_richtext":""},"print_workflow_exported_ts":"1766848742","print_workflow_exported_username":"Laurence Miedema","print_workflow_shapes":"","print_workflow_side":{"print_section":13015,"print_status":12923,"print_endpoint":"bang","add_export_buttons":""},"really_short_title":"","short_title":"","syndication_source":"","market_neutral_title":"","social_title":"","dfm_hub_post_id":0,"paywall_level":"","featured_media_content":{"content_type":"image","content":{"id":12336331,"title":"Carolina Panthers vs. San Francisco 49ers","filename":"BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/11\/25\/inman-10-things-that-caught-my-eye-in-49ers-20-9-win-over-panthers\/carolina-panthers-vs-san-francisco-49ers-40\/","alt":"","author":"710","description":"","caption":"San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy #13 looks to pass in the second quarter of their NFL game against the Carolina Panthers at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Jane Tyska\/Bay Area News Group)","name":"carolina-panthers-vs-san-francisco-49ers-40","status":"inherit","uploadedTo":12336467,"date":1764047194000,"modified":1764062218000,"menuOrder":0,"mime":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.svg","dateFormatted":"November 24, 2025","nonces":{"update":false,"delete":false,"edit":false},"editLink":false,"meta":false,"authorName":"dfm-photoupload","authorLink":"","uploadedToTitle":"Inman: 10 things that caught my eye in 49ers' 20-9 win over Panthers","uploadedToLink":null,"filesizeInBytes":3473960,"filesizeHumanReadable":"3 MB","context":"","height":2313,"width":3177,"orientation":"landscape","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"height":"150","width":"150","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","orientation":"landscape"},"medium":{"height":218,"width":300,"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=300","orientation":"landscape"},"large":{"height":746,"width":1024,"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=1024","orientation":"landscape"},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","height":2313,"width":3177,"orientation":"landscape"}},"custom_caption":""},"data":[{"id":12336331,"title":"Carolina Panthers vs. San Francisco 49ers","filename":"BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/11\/25\/inman-10-things-that-caught-my-eye-in-49ers-20-9-win-over-panthers\/carolina-panthers-vs-san-francisco-49ers-40\/","alt":"","author":"710","description":"","caption":"San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy #13 looks to pass in the second quarter of their NFL game against the Carolina Panthers at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Jane Tyska\/Bay Area News Group)","name":"carolina-panthers-vs-san-francisco-49ers-40","status":"inherit","uploadedTo":12336467,"date":1764047194000,"modified":1764062218000,"menuOrder":0,"mime":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.svg","dateFormatted":"November 24, 2025","nonces":{"update":false,"delete":false,"edit":false},"editLink":false,"meta":false,"authorName":"dfm-photoupload","authorLink":"","uploadedToTitle":"Inman: 10 things that caught my eye in 49ers' 20-9 win over Panthers","uploadedToLink":null,"filesizeInBytes":3473960,"filesizeHumanReadable":"3 MB","context":"","height":2313,"width":3177,"orientation":"landscape","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"height":"150","width":"150","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","orientation":"landscape"},"medium":{"height":218,"width":300,"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=300","orientation":"landscape"},"large":{"height":746,"width":1024,"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=1024","orientation":"landscape"},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","height":2313,"width":3177,"orientation":"landscape"}},"custom_caption":""}],"rendered_content":"<img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail lazyload\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" draggable=\"false\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=3177 3177w,https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=640 640w,https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=800 800w,https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=1040 1040w,https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=624 624w,https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=625 625w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg\" \/>"},"attachments":[],"authors":[{"ID":4761054,"display_name":"Dieter Kurtenbach","description":"Sports columnist Dieter Kurtenbach analyzes the amazing and roasts the absurd in the world of sports for the Bay Area News Group. He was previously a national sports columnist for Fox Sports and a staff writer at the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can also be heard on KNBR (104.5-FM, 680-AM). He graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., with a BA degree in journalism.","first_name":"Dieter","last_name":"Kurtenbach","user_nicename":"dieter-kurtenbach","user_login":"dieter-kurtenbach","user_email":"dkurtenbach@bayareanewsgroup.com","type":"guest-author","linked_account":0,"website":"","twitter":"dieter","facebook":"","google_plus":""}],"taxonomies":{"category":[{"term_id":13645,"name":"Latest Headlines","slug":"latest-headlines","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":13645,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":207860,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":27642,"name":"NFL","slug":"nfl","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":27642,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":162,"count":31619,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":163,"name":"San Francisco 49ers","slug":"san-francisco-49ers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":163,"taxonomy":"category","description":"49ers news and analysis","parent":27642,"count":14820,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":162,"name":"Sports","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":162,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":151678,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":822,"name":"Sports Columnists","slug":"columnists","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":822,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":162,"count":2730,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":26006,"name":"Inside Sports","slug":"inside-sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":26006,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"Tag for the Inside Sports newsletter","parent":0,"count":31001,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":13583,"name":"Inside the San Francisco 49ers","slug":"inside-the-49ers","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":13583,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"Sports -- Inside the San Francisco 49ers is a weekly show breaking down the latest news and happenings with the 49ers.","parent":0,"count":986,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":22724,"name":"PM Report","slug":"pm-report","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":22724,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"Tag that must be used to get stories into the PM Report email newsletter","parent":0,"count":45071,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":792,"name":"Sports Columnists","slug":"sports-columnists","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":792,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3408,"filter":"raw"}],"location":[{"term_id":3,"name":"Bay Area","slug":"bay-area","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3,"taxonomy":"location","description":"","parent":2,"count":217328,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":2,"name":"California","slug":"california","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2,"taxonomy":"location","description":"","parent":0,"count":250005,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":130,"name":"Santa Clara","slug":"santa-clara","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":130,"taxonomy":"location","description":"","parent":102,"count":8476,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":102,"name":"Santa Clara County","slug":"santa-clara-county","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":102,"taxonomy":"location","description":"","parent":7,"count":93493,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":7,"name":"South Bay","slug":"south-bay","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7,"taxonomy":"location","description":"","parent":3,"count":99139,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_array":{"id":12336331,"title":"Carolina Panthers vs. San Francisco 49ers","filename":"BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/11\/25\/inman-10-things-that-caught-my-eye-in-49ers-20-9-win-over-panthers\/carolina-panthers-vs-san-francisco-49ers-40\/","alt":"","author":"710","description":"","caption":"San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy #13 looks to pass in the second quarter of their NFL game against the Carolina Panthers at Levi\u2019s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Jane Tyska\/Bay Area News Group)","name":"carolina-panthers-vs-san-francisco-49ers-40","status":"inherit","uploadedTo":12336467,"date":1764047194000,"modified":1764062218000,"menuOrder":0,"mime":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.svg","dateFormatted":"November 24, 2025","nonces":{"update":false,"delete":false,"edit":false},"editLink":false,"meta":false,"authorName":"dfm-photoupload","authorLink":"","uploadedToTitle":"Inman: 10 things that caught my eye in 49ers' 20-9 win over Panthers","uploadedToLink":null,"filesizeInBytes":3473960,"filesizeHumanReadable":"3 MB","context":"","height":2313,"width":3177,"orientation":"landscape","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"height":"150","width":"150","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","orientation":"landscape"},"medium":{"height":218,"width":300,"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=300","orientation":"landscape"},"large":{"height":746,"width":1024,"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=1024","orientation":"landscape"},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","height":2313,"width":3177,"orientation":"landscape"}},"custom_caption":""},"syndication_canonical":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27\/","parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Kurtenbach: The playoffs start early with 49ers &#8211; Bears. My three predictions","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/2025\/12\/27\/49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg"},"articleSection":"Other","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dieter Kurtenbach"}],"creator":["Dieter Kurtenbach"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Mercury News","logo":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/32x32-mercury-news-white.png"},"keywords":["inside sports","inside the san francisco 49ers","pm report","sports columnists"],"dateCreated":"2025-12-27T16:00:50Z","datePublished":"2025-12-27T16:00:50Z","dateModified":"2025-12-28T07:43:53Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Kurtenbach: The playoffs start early with 49ers &#8211; Bears. My three predictions\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mercurynews.com\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/27\\\/49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mercurynews.com\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/27\\\/49ers-bears-preview-prediction-caleb-williams-brock-purdy-kurtenbach-dec27\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mercurynews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg?w=150\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mercurynews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg\"},\"articleSection\":\"Other\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Dieter Kurtenbach\"}],\"creator\":[\"Dieter Kurtenbach\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"The Mercury News\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mercurynews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/10\\\/32x32-mercury-news-white.png\"},\"keywords\":[\"inside sports\",\"inside the san francisco 49ers\",\"pm report\",\"sports columnists\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2025-12-27T16:00:50Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-27T16:00:50Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-28T07:43:53Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/mercurynews.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/BNG-L-49ERS-1125-40.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7ShJJ-PXTQ","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12384986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/602"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12384986"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12384986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12385003,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12384986\/revisions\/12385003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12336331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12384986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12384986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12384986"},{"taxonomy":"feature","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature?post=12384986"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=12384986"},{"taxonomy":"type-of-work","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-of-work?post=12384986"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mercurynews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=12384986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}