49ers getting plagued by more dropped passes in Week 8 vs. Bears

The 49ers offense has again struggled to get into rhythm in Week 8 against the Bears, and dropped passes have proved to be an issue.

The San Francisco 49ers have plenty of offensive problems this season, and head coach Kyle Shanahan needed to rectify at least a few of them in Week 8 against the 3-4 Chicago Bears in what’s truly a must-win game for the Niners.

One of the bigger issues needing a resolution was the drops.

San Francisco entered the week with only seven credited drops, although that might be a conservative estimate. Especially considering wide receiver Deebo Samuel was responsible for a lot of them.

49ers hurt again by dropped passes vs. Bears

Samuel committed two drops early in the 49ers’ opening possessions in Week 8 against the Bears, dropping his first target from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and then another on a following drive.

Not a good look, especially considering 49ers Webszone’s Al Sacco’s take:

While the number might not totally jive with the official count, it does point out how problematic Samuel’s hands have been despite him being one of the NFL’s league leaders in receiving yards entering this weekend’s action.

In the second quarter, Garoppolo attempted another third-down pass to veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu that was deflected, yet Sanu managed to get his hands on it and should have come down with the pass.

As such, the Niners were forced to settle for two field goals instead of extending drives into touchdowns, and Shanahan’s offense started off with a 1-of-5 mark on third downs, helping Chicago get out to a 10-6 lead.

49ers offense still struggling to find rhythm

By the two-minute mark of the first half, San Francisco had only six first downs compared to the Bears’ 12.

Garoppolo had gone 7-of-13 for 92 yards, while rookie quarterback Justin Fields looked like a seasoned veteran with a touchdown pass and a 9-of-11 mark passing.

The 49ers didn’t insert their own rookie quarterback, Trey Lance, into the fray during that timeframe.

And Chicago is going to get the ball back to open up the second half, while the Niners offense has continued to struggle in light of the defense struggling, too.