The first play of Sunday Night Football should have been the end of the story. Brock Purdy's pass intercepted, returned for a touchdown. A 7-0 deficit before the 49ers offense even took their first breath.
It wasn't the end. It was barely the beginning.
From pick-six to MVP-caliber performance
What followed was one of the most complete quarterback performances of the 2025 season. Purdy finished 24-of-33 for 303 yards with three touchdown passes and two rushing scores—his second consecutive five-touchdown game. For those counting at home, that's a 118.6 passer rating after throwing an interception on his first attempt.
The numbers tell part of the story. The context tells the rest.
San Francisco was without George Kittle, their All-Pro tight end. They were playing a Chicago Bears team fighting for the NFC's top seed. The game featured 80 combined points and enough defensive collapses on both sides to make coordinators lose sleep for weeks.
Yet Purdy never blinked.
The moments that mattered
With 2:15 remaining and the 49ers clinging to a four-point lead, Jauan Jennings caught a pass and refused to go down. His winding catch-and-run sealed a 42-38 victory that keeps San Francisco's No. 1 seed hopes alive.
"I was just excited that we got that look and for him to have space back there," Purdy said after the game. "Then I was just happy that we got a completion and ready to play the next play. But then obviously he cross-courted it and kept going. I was like 'Is he gonna get in?' and he did. JJ is a baller, man."
Christian McCaffrey reminded everyone why he's the best dual-threat back in football: 140 rushing yards on 23 carries, including a season-long 41-yarder that kickstarted a touchdown drive. Add 41 receiving yards and you have a performance that anchored the offense while Purdy worked his magic through the air.
The defense bent but didn't break—barely
Let's be honest: the 49ers defense gave up 38 points. Caleb Williams and the Bears moved the ball at will for long stretches. But when it mattered most—fourth quarter, game on the line—they held.
"I was praying the whole drive," Purdy admitted about the final defensive stand. "Not only that, just pulling for our guys, man, because it's been a crazy year for all those guys on defense to be able to step up and be able to compete their butt off. For them to finish out a game like that, I was so happy for them."
What the win means
The 49ers are now 12-4 and will host the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday for the NFC West title. Win that game, and San Francisco claims the division and stays in the hunt for the conference's top seed.
For a team that's dealt with injuries all season—the kind of adversity that ends lesser teams' aspirations—this win felt different. Not just because of the stakes, but because of how they won it.
"Obviously we're thankful to be in the position, but I've said this before: It's just been one of those kind of years where it's like you have to focus on the just the next day, the next man up, finding a way to win each Sunday," Purdy explained. "And at the end you can look up and see where you're at."
Right now, where they're at is one win away from a division title. With Purdy playing like this, betting against them seems unwise.
The next man up mentality
Jake Tonges, starting at tight end with Kittle sidelined, hauled in seven receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. Ricky Pearsall, who was questionable with a knee injury, gutted it out for five catches and 85 yards. Kyle Juszczyk added a receiving touchdown.
This is what separates good teams from great ones. Not just the stars performing—everyone expected McCaffrey and Purdy to produce—but the role players stepping into larger roles and delivering.
The Bears' playoff hopes took a significant hit, dropping to 11-5 with their No. 1 seed aspirations effectively dead. For Chicago, this was a statement game they couldn't afford to lose.
For San Francisco, it was validation that this team, despite everything thrown at them, refuses to go quietly.