The Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers are treating NFL fans to a shootout early on primetime. Both teams have found the end zone twice, and their offenses look ready for the big stage in the postseason.
These teams can still secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC and are doing their best to give themselves a chance to do so in Week 18. The Bears are shorthanded at receiver tonight, and DJ Moore hasn’t been involved much despite the absences.
DJ Moore’s Slow Start
Moore has been a non-factor in the first half. The offense has looked solid, but the Bears were beneficiaries of an early pick-six by Brock Purdy. They scored on a deep ball later in the quarter. Yet Moore hasn’t gotten any action with no catches in the first quarter.
Luther Burden III made the 49ers defense pay and has made the most of the opportunity with Olamide Zaccheaus and Rome Odunze out. This is shaping up to be a shootout, and the Bears will need their highest-paid receiver to get himself involved.
Moore hasn’t had a great year in 2025. He ranks 56th in PFSN’s WR Impact metric with an impact score of 73.9. He hasn’t had a game over 100 receiving yards, but finished with a season-best 97 yards and a game-winning touchdown in Week 16. The Bears are going to need Moore to replicate that production in the rest of this game if they want a chance at outscoring the red-hot San Francisco offense.
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Beyond tonight’s game, Moore will have to get into rhythm. Odunze hasn’t played since November, and if he can’t return to the field for the playoffs, it will put more pressure on Moore to produce at a high level. Burden is only just a rookie, and it would be asking a lot of him to be the main weapon in the playoffs.
The Bears need the win tonight to keep their chances of being the No. 1 seed in the NFC alive. A win would also guarantee the No. 2 seed. They would either host the Packers with a win or potentially secure a first-round bye if the Seahawks lost in Week 18.
Unfortunately, their defense is getting picked apart after the first drive pick-six, and the 49ers keep on scoring.
The question remains whether the Bears’ offense can keep up. As of now, they’ve been able to. But if Moore can’t get going, it could spell trouble for Chicago’s chances to win on primetime.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
