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If the Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 17 is anything like this… NFL Playoffs It will be like this season: football fans will enjoy every second of the game.
San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears, the two Bears vying for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, staged a thrilling primetime game Sunday night in the Bay Area.
But it was the 49ers who improved their chances for first place in the conference with a thrilling 42-38 victory.
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Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a touchdown against the Chicago Bears with teammate Ricky Pearsall #1 of the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter of the game at Levi's Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
It was a back-and-forth game on the scoreboard all night, and it started with the first offensive snap of the game for the 49ers. But it wasn't Brock Purdy and company who got good field position.
Instead, Jaylon Johnson's leap on a ball intended for Jauan Jennings ended with TJ Edwards picking off the pass and taking it back 34 yards for a pick-six just 15 seconds into the game.
The 49ers immediately faced a 7–0 deficit, but Purdy was unflappable throughout the game, and it showed in the ensuing drive after the interception. San Francisco ran nine plays and raced 65 yards downfield when Purdy found Jake Tonjes to replace the injured George Kittle in the top tight end role to tie up the play.
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After three straight punts, the 49ers and Bears combined for five straight touchdowns, starting with Purdy attempting a 10-yard touchdown, the first of two on the night. It was set up by Christian McCaffrey's 41-yard run as the veteran had another successful week on the ground.
Williams, however, wanted to show off his laser arm when he spotted freshman Luther Burden III in the backfield, who fired in from 35 yards out to tie the game at 14 apiece.
McCaffrey was able to find the end zone early in the second quarter to end the nine-play drive, but an offside call by the 49ers on the ensuing drive allowed Williams to get a free play and find rookie tight end Colston Loveland for a 36-yard touchdown.
It was the 49ers who entered the locker room with the lead, however, and Purdy capped a methodical 15-play drive that consumed nearly nine minutes of second-quarter clock with his three-yard rushing touchdown.
As the second half began, the Bears and 49ers had only one punt each in the third quarter, but they both scored touchdowns — Kyle Juszczyk in San Francisco and D'Andre Swift in Chicago. But after Swift scored his second touchdown of the half, Williams and the Bears offense were finally able to retake the lead for the first time since that pick-six early in the game.
Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears warms up against the San Francisco 49ers before the game at Levi's Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Tearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
It wasn't the touchdown head coach Ben Johnson wanted, but Cairo Santos' field goal gave Chicago a 38-35 lead with 5:22 left in the game. However, there was still time for San Francisco, and Purdy did not waste it.
Jennings was quiet, making just one catch for four yards the entire game, when Purdy hit him perfectly on the run and he went the distance for a 38-yard touchdown to retake the lead.
The Bears' four-point deficit meant Williams had to find the end zone with just over two minutes left in the game. They managed to convert on fourth-and-5, and after a nifty interception from Loveland to Swift, the Bears found themselves at the two-yard line with four seconds left.
Williams scouted the end zone and kept the play alive with his legs, but was unable to find Jade Walker for the game-winning touchdown.
As a result of the loss, the Bears will no longer be in first place. On the other hand, the 49ers are just one win away from clinching it as they take on the Seattle Seahawks next week.
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McCaffrey tallied 181 yards from scrimmage, including 140 yards on the ground on 23 carries. Purdy was 24 of 33 passing for 303 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, while rushing for 28 yards and two touchdowns.
For the Bears, Williams was 25 of 42 for 330 yards and two touchdowns, while Bearden finished the night with 138 receiving yards on eight catches with his touchdown.
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