49ers vs. Bears: Full San Francisco Game Preview

The San Francisco 49ers dropped a tough NFC West matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals last week and will try to bounce back against a Chicago Bears team coming off an impressive Thursday Night Football win over the Green Bay Packers.

Road woes have been a season-long storyline for the 49ers this season. San Francisco is averaging just over 35 points allowed away from home in 2015.

And none of the 49ers' three wins have been away from Levi's Stadium this year.

Meanwhile, Chicago will look to improve upon its 5-6 record and build off the momentum gained with its upset victory over Green Bay.

Part of this game will feature Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's game plan against the team with whom he served the same role under former head coach Jim Harbaugh. After all that happened during the offseason, it will be interesting to watch how Fangio schemes against his former employer.

How will this game shape up, and which players and units will be the focal point of this contest?

Let's try to answer that.

Location: Soldier Field, Chicago

Time: 1 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh6XLto70vU

NFC West Division Standings

• Arizona Cardinals (9-2)
• Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
• St. Louis Rams (4-7)
• San Francisco 49ers (3-8)

The 49ers gave the Cardinals a legitimate fight over 60 minutes in Week 12 and, while there are no moral victories in the NFL, being in a position to win the game in the late minutes is a steppingstone in the right direction after all that has happened with San Francisco this season.

San Francisco was tied at 13 apiece in the fourth quarter and ended up holding the top-ranked Arizona offense to just 337 all-purpose yards.

The 49ers had 368.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert continued his effective, if not overly stellar, efforts and passed for 318 yards with one touchdown against one interception. The effort marked only the second time in Gabbert's career having surpassed the 300-yard mark.

Tight end Vance McDonald hauled in his second touchdown reception in as many weeks and is looking to be one of Gabbert's favorite targets.

But one of the biggest storylines was the officiating—so frequently the case in the league this season.

San Francisco was flagged 13 times for 81 yards. Perhaps the most noteworthy was the apparent hit on Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer by defensive tackle Quinton Dial, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty.

Fox Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira felt the play should have been a non-call instead of a penalty.

Arizona ended up scoring the game-winning touchdown later on that drive thanks to an eight-yard end-zone rush by Palmer.

The 49ers dropped this hard-fought contest 19-13. The question now is whether the team can take its defensive efforts on the road.

Blaine Gabbert Continues to Show Poise

The switch from quarterback Colin Kaepernick to Blaine Gabbert has, seemingly, had a good effect on San Francisco's offense. Casual observation shows the difference between both quarterbacks while under pressure within the pocket.

Gabbert has a 91.0 quarterback rating on the season compared to Kaepernick's 78.5. And he's taken just four sacks in a third of the total games played by San Francisco this season—Kaepernick had 28 over eight starts.

Part of the reason could be due to Gabbert's work ethic—a possibility discussed in the above B/R video.

Still, the 49ers are averaging only 14.3 points per game with Gabbert under center compared to 13.6 with Kaepernick.

Is that a significant improvement? No.

Daniel Kilgore Returning Soon?

San Francisco's beleaguered offensive line could be receiving some reinforcements soon. Center Daniel Kilgore has already been cleared to practice, and the team has until Monday to decide whether he should be activated to the 53-man roster, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

Kilgore suffered a major ankle injury in Week 7 of the 2014 season and has been rehabilitating the injury ever since.

"I think I'm ready to go," Kilgore said per Barrows. "But it's based on their call, their judgment, so if they think I'm good enough to go, I'm good enough to go."

Marcus Martin has been starting at center in Kilgore's stead and is listed as the second-lowest qualifying center with a minus-34.4 grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

Defense Stands Tall

Holding the Cardinals to just 19 points is quite an accomplishment for the 49ers defense. While San Francisco is clearly better at Levi's Stadium, defensive coordinator Eric Mangini's unit has to be feeling pretty good about itself after the home effort.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman led the team with eight tackles, and nose tackle Mike Purcell—starting in place of rookie defensive end Arik Armstead—recorded the first sack of his career.

The question will be whether the 49ers defense can replicate these efforts against quarterback Jay Cutler and the Bears in Week 13.

C Daniel Kilgore (Ankle)—Physically Unable to Play

The 49ers have until Monday to decide whether center Daniel Kilgore should be activated to the 53-man roster.

Kilgore gave additional updates on his injury to the team's website and appears ready to go whenever San Francisco's coaching staff deems it necessary.

But there is always the possibility the 49ers shut Kilgore down for the remainder of the season and save any risk for 2016.

TE Garrett Celek (Ankle)—Doubtful

Tight end Garrett Celek suffered a high ankle sprain during San Francisco's Week 12 matchup against Arizona and was forced to come out of the game on a cart.

The injury looked far worse than just a sprain, but Celek is still considered doubtful for the contest.

Celek has emerged as one of quarterback Blaine Gabbert's favorite targets this season and has 19 receptions for 186 yards and three touchdowns on the year.

RB Carlos Hyde (Foot)—Out

Featured running back Carlos Hyde continues to nurse a foot injury, and signs are pointing to him not playing again in 2015.

Especially considering San Francisco's season is going nowhere quick.

Running back Shaun Draughn remains the team's No. 1 tailback in Hyde's stead. While not overly dynamic, Draughn has been able to manage 3.4 yards per carry on 30 attempts. Look for him to see continued action against the Bears in Week 13.

LB Ahmad Brooks (Concussion)—Questionable

Veteran linebacker Ahmad Brooks suffered a hit late in the 49ers' Week 11 loss against the Seattle Seahawks and ended up missing the subsequent game versus Arizona.

Brooks will have to clear the NFL concussion protocol in order to suit up against the Bears in Week 13. Linebackers Corey Lemonier and Eli Harold serve as the primary backups to Brooks should the veteran be unavailable.

Blaine Gabbert vs. Vic Fangio

Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio knows a few things about the personnel on San Francisco's offense despite the flurry of changes that took place last offseason.

Fangio is coming off an impressive effort over the Green Bay Packers (he seems to own quarterback Aaron Rodgers) and will look to "stick it" to his former 49ers club after the team elected to pass on him for consideration as head coach or defensive coordinator under now-Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert has been effective enough over three starts to warrant consideration for a starting role in 2016. He'll take his recent efforts against a Bears defense ranking No. 19 in the league in points allowed (264) and No. 14 in total yards allowed (3,774).

One should note the Bears have the second-best pass defense with just 2,360 yards given up through the air.

49ers O-Line vs. Lamarr Houston and Pernell McPhee

The 49ers offensive line has done a significantly better job protecting Gabbert than it did Kaepernick. Still, San Francisco's pass protection grades out with a minus-9.0 pass-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus.

Two of the biggest pass-rushing threats for the Bears are defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and linebacker Pernell McPhee. This tandem has combined for 10 sacks on the season. Both players typically line up on the right side of Chicago's front seven, so look for the left side of San Francisco's O-line to be tested frequently and often.

Left tackle Joe Staley and left guard Alex Boone will have their hands full.

Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith vs. Tracy Porter and Kyle Fuller

49ers wideouts Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith will need to be a part of the game plan Sunday if the offense looks to improve upon its abysmal last-place standing.

But this group will be facing off against Bears cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Kyle Fuller. 

Porter and Fuller are having solid seasons this year with PFF grades of plus-2.5 and plus-4.7, respectively. These two have also combined for two interceptions and 16 passes defended.

Aaron Lynch vs. Charles Leno

The Bears offense has endured its own woes this season, and one of the primary culprits has been the inability to protect quarterback Jay Cutler.

Cutler has been sacked only 15 times this season, but the veteran signal-caller has been pressured 114 times already.

Perhaps the biggest liability has been left tackle Charles Leno, who has a minus-13.7 pass-blocking grade, per PFF—lowest among all Bears O-linemen.

Linebacker Aaron Lynch has been lining up on the right side of San Francisco's front seven, and he remains the 49ers' best pass-rusher with 6.5 sacks on the year.

49ers Secondary vs. Alshon Jeffery

At 6'4" and 230 pounds, Bears wideout Alshon Jeffery is one of the primary threats Jay Cutler will have at his disposal in Week 13.

Jeffery leads all Chicago receivers with 605 receiving yards and is averaging 14.1 yards per reception.

It will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Eric Mangini schemes against Jeffery's prowess. Will the 49ers counter with cornerback Dontae Johnson, who is tall enough to match up? Or will the defense utilize a veteran corner like Tramaine Brock with some added safety help?

49ers X-Factor of the Week: Shaun Draughn

San Francisco is going to have a difficult time moving the ball through the air against the second-ranked Chicago pass defense.

But the Bears do have a notable weakness on this side of the ball: defending against the run.

Chicago has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards in the league this season (1,414) and opposing teams are averaging 4.8 yards per attempt on the ground.

As a whole, the Bears grade out with a minus-5.0 PFF mark on the year.

Can running back Shaun Draughn look to drop this number even lower?

Draughn has faced off against three tough run defenses this season: the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. Week 13 may be the chance in which Draughn finally breaks out and increases his 3.4 yards-per-carry mark.

But San Francisco's offensive line will have to perform at a much better pace than what has been the case this season. The O-line ranks dead last in the NFL with a minus-49.8 run-blocking PFF grade.

Still, the 49ers will need to move the ball on the ground in order to stand a chance on the road. So look for this to be the primary factor.

The 49ers are currently listed as 7.5-point underdogs in Week 13, per Odds Shark, with a predicted score of 31.2-13.4 in favor of the Bears.

San Francisco isn't a good road team. There really isn't any way around that statement. And facing off against a former defensive coordinator doesn't help the matter much either.

As was the case versus the Cardinals, the 49ers need to execute a near-perfect game plan to overcome their current shortcomings. 

Especially on defense.

The lowest point total allowed on the road this season was 27 in Week 8 to the offensively challenged St. Louis Rams. That trend doesn't settle well when examining San Francisco's chances for victory in Week 13.

But there is a possibility Chicago suffers a letdown game after coming away with an improbable victory in Week 12 at Lambeau Field. Will the Bears play down to their competition and allow the 49ers to hang in the game long enough to squeak away with an upset?

It doesn't seem likely.

The 49ers have yet to prove they can be effective on the road this season. So a prediction doesn't suggest San Francisco finding its fourth win of the year.

Prediction: 49ers 17, Bears 24

All statistics, injury reports, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist covering the San Francisco 49ers for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.