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Bears vs. 49ers: 5 bold Week 16 predictions for San Francisco

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: Running back Senorise Perry #32 of the Chicago Bears run with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 14, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Noah Graham/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 14: Running back Senorise Perry #32 of the Chicago Bears run with the ball against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 14, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Noah Graham/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch for a gain of 22 yards and a first down in the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 27-9. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL – NOVEMBER 25: Wide receiver Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch for a gain of 22 yards and a first down in the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 27-9. (Photo by Will Vragovic/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Wide Receiver Dante Pettis Will Have 100-Plus Receiving Yards

The Bears have a stingy defense against both the run and the pass. Entering Week 16, their 5.4 yards allowed per pass attempt ranks second best in the NFL. With no need to extrapolate that much further, they’re good against an aerial attack.

But not completely invulnerable.

Case in point, Chicago is allowing an average of 160.1 yards per game to opponents’ wide receivers — eighth most in the league and just a shade behind the 160.2 yards the Kansas City Chiefs’ woeful defense is allowing to wideouts this season.

This could spell some big numbers for rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis, who has averaged 84.5 yards receiving over the past four games, which have included four touchdowns during that span.

Pettis will find himself regularly opposite veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara, who has been responsible for three touchdowns on the season and figures to be a tough matchup for the rookie.

That said, one might expect Vic Fangio to shift his defense towards tight end George Kittle, looking to take away San Francisco’s top pass-catching playmaker while leaving someone like Pettis in more one-on-one matchups on the outside.

Let’s go with youth over veteran prowess here, suggesting Pettis’ rookie ways and agility can thwart the 29-year-old Amukamara’s veteran prowess.