3 Reasons the Bears Will Upset the 49ers in Week 1

Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season is just over 24 hours away from beginning. As usual, most of the action takes place on Sunday, including a clash between the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists the 49ers as the decisive 6.5-point road favorites over the Bears.

Even if the 49ers are the better team on paper, you can never say never. The Bears have a decent team filled with upcoming young players that could wind up surprising some people. If San Francisco underestimates Chicago too much, an upset could be in the cards.

Here are three reasons why the Bears will upset the 49ers in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

49ers vs Bears Week 1

1. Uncertainty in Trey Lance

Jimmy Garoppolo may still be on the 49ers' roster, however, sophomore Trey Lance is the team's starting quarterback. Though Lance has a lot of talent, some are uncertain if he's ready for the job. For starters, he hasn't played a full football season since 2019. It also doesn't help that there have been rumors about San Francisco's coaching staff having second thoughts about Lance throughout the offseason. Needless to say, the Bears' defense needs to get at the 49ers QB early and often to throw him off his game. With Lance lacking substantial NFL experience, making his life hell from the get-go gives Chicago its best chance at an upset.

2. 49ers Unproven O-Line

The 49ers' offensive line took a hit this offseason with offensive guard Laken Tomlinson's departure. While the group is still solid without him, it's somewhat unproven. Aaron Banks slides in as Tomlinson's replacement, however, he only played five snaps in his 2021 rookie year. Meanwhile, center Jake Brendel only has three starts in 37 career games. San Francisco's success has always depended on a reliable o-line and if the 49ers' offensive linemen can't step up right away, the Bears could disrupt their opponent's game plan — especially if Lance has his struggles too.

3. Bears' Improved Passing Game

Outside of Darnell Mooney, the Bears didn't have many wide receivers that they could count on last year. Even if their group isn't the most impressive, it has improved thanks to additions like veteran Byron Pringle and third-round rookie Velus Jones Jr. Along with tight end Cole Kmet, Chicago's passing game should flow a lot better than it did last year. While the 49ers have a solid secondary, they may underestimate Chicago's passing attack. If that happens and QB Justin Fields has immediate chemistry with his weapons, the Bears might be able to match San Francisco's offensive output.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.