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If Week 17’s "Sunday Night Football" matchup is thing for illustration what nan NFL Playoffs will beryllium for illustration this season, shot fans will beryllium loving each 2nd of play.
The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears, 2 bears gunning for nan No. 1 seed successful nan NFC, put together a thrilling primetime crippled connected Sunday nighttime successful nan Bay Area.
But only nan 49ers helped their chances astatine that apical seed successful their convention pinch a thrilling 42-38 win.
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Brock Purdy of nan San Francisco 49ers celebrates a touchdown against nan Chicago Bears pinch teammate Ricky Pearsall #1 of nan San Francisco 49ers during nan first 4th of nan crippled astatine Levi's Stadium connected Dec. 28, 2025 successful Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
This was a back-and-forth crippled each nighttime agelong connected nan scoreboard, and it began connected nan first violative threat of nan crippled for nan 49ers. But it wasn’t Brock Purdy and institution getting bully section position.
Instead, Jaylon Johnson jumping a shot intended for Jauan Jennings ended pinch T.J. Edwards picking disconnected nan walk and taking it backmost 34 yards for nan pick-six conscionable 15 seconds into nan game.
The 49ers instantly faced a 7-0 deficit, but Purdy was unfazed each crippled long, and it showed connected nan ensuing thrust pursuing nan interception. San Francisco went 9 plays and 65 yards downfield, arsenic Purdy recovered Jake Tonges, filling successful for an injured George Kittle successful nan apical tight extremity role, to necktie nan crippled up.
NFL WEEK 17 SCORES: AFC NORTH, NFC SOUTH UP FOR GRABS AS PLAYOFF PICTURE ALMOST COMPLETE
After 3 consecutive punts, nan 49ers and Bears would harvester for 5 consecutive touchdown drives, starting pinch Purdy scrambling for a 10-yard touchdown tally — nan first of 2 connected nan night. It was group up by a 41-yard Christian McCaffrey run, arsenic nan seasoned had different successful week connected nan ground.
Williams, though, wanted to show disconnected his laser arm, arsenic he spotted rookie Luther Burden III downfield for a 35-yard onslaught to necktie nan crippled astatine 14 apiece.
McCaffrey was capable to find nan extremity area astatine nan opening of nan 2nd 4th to headdress a nine-play drive, but an offsides by nan 49ers connected nan ensuing thrust allowed Williams a free play to find rookie tight extremity Colston Loveland for a 36-yard touchdown.
It was nan 49ers stepping into nan locker room pinch nan lead, however, pinch Purdy finishing disconnected a methodical 15-play thrust that utilized up almost 9 minutes of second-quarter timepiece pinch his three-yard rushing touchdown.
When nan 2nd half began, nan Bears and 49ers only sewage 1 thrust each successful nan 3rd quarter, but they some cashed successful for touchdowns — Kyle Juszczyk for San Francisco and D’Andre Swift for Chicago. But aft Swift scored his 2nd touchdown of nan half, Williams and nan Bears’ discourtesy were yet capable to get nan lead backmost for nan first clip since that pick-six to commencement nan game.
Caleb Williams of nan Chicago Bears warms up against nan San Francisco 49ers earlier nan crippled astatine Levi's Stadium connected Dec. 28, 2025 successful Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
It wasn’t nan touchdown caput coach Ben Johnson wanted, but a section extremity by Cairo Santos gave Chicago nan 38-35 lead pinch 5:22 near to play successful nan game. There was still clip for San Fran, though, and Purdy didn’t discarded it.
Jennings was silent pinch conscionable 1 drawback for 4 yards each crippled agelong erstwhile Purdy deed him perfectly successful stride and he took it nan region for a 38-yard touchdown catch-and-run to retake nan lead.
The four-point shortage for nan Bears meant Williams had to find nan extremity area pinch conscionable complete 2 minutes near to play. They were capable to person it connected fourth-and-5, and aft a nifty catch-and-pitch from Loveland to Swift, nan Bears were connected nan two-yard statement pinch 4 seconds left.
Williams surveyed nan extremity area and kept nan play live pinch his legs, but he was incapable to find Jahdae Walker for nan game-winning touchdown.
As a consequence of nan loss, nan Bears are nary longer going to beryllium nan No. 1 seed. On nan different hand, nan 49ers are conscionable 1 triumph distant from securing it, arsenic they play nan Seattle Seahawks adjacent week.
Bundle FOX One and FOX Nation to watercourse nan full FOX Nation library, positive unrecorded FOX News, Sports, and Entertainment astatine our lowest value of nan year. The connection ends connected Jan. 4, 2026. (Fox One; Fox Nation)
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In nan container score, McCaffrey tallied 181 yards from scrimmage, including 140 connected nan crushed connected 23 carries pinch his score. Purdy was 24-of-33 passing for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns pinch 1 interception, while rushing for 28 yards and his 2 touchdowns.
For nan Bears, Williams was 25-of-42 for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Burden vanished nan nighttime pinch 138 receiving yards connected 8 catches pinch his touchdown.
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Scott Thompson is simply a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
