Only four episodes remain in this season of The Shawn Mackey Show, and as always, I’m still tweaking things to find perfection. Some people call it wishy-washy, I call it refining the product. I’m also working on upgrading my studio background and gearing up for full video versions of the show on YouTube next season, which will kick off in February with Cubs coverage once football wraps up.

Coming into this episode, I teased my upcoming list of my top Chicago Bears of all time, but there was far too much to unpack from the Bears vs. 49ers game to get fully into that just yet. For me, this was one of the first games all season where the Bears finally looked complete on offense. It didn’t end in a win, but did we really expect to keep stealing games at the buzzer forever?

This game pushed me over the edge emotionally. For the first time all season, I found myself yelling at the TV—especially during that final San Francisco drive. Offensively, the Bears went toe-to-toe with one of the league’s most explosive teams, scoring back and forth throughout the game. The run game wasn’t great, but the offense as a whole finally looked like it was starting to gel.

Defensively, however, this team has serious issues. Whether it’s Dennis Allen, the players, or roster construction by Ryan Poles, something is clearly broken. Giving up 200 rushing yards and nearly 500 total yards simply isn’t winning football. The Bears’ zone defense continues to get exposed, especially without consistent pressure from the defensive line. Brock Purdy picked it apart, and good quarterbacks will continue to do so unless something changes.

The Bears had chances late. A field goal gave them a brief lead, but the defense couldn’t get the stop it needed. Poor coverage, lack of pressure, and missed opportunities sealed their fate in a 42–38 loss. While officiating didn’t help, the defense ultimately failed when it mattered most.

On the positive side, Caleb Williams took a big step forward. He threw for over 330 yards with multiple touchdowns and showed flashes of why fans are excited about the future. Burden, Loveland, and the rest of the offense showed real chemistry, and DeAndre Swift surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season—a milestone this franchise hasn’t seen from a running back in years.

As for my champs and chumps, the offense earned praise for finally clicking, while the defense earned every bit of criticism coming its way. Looking ahead, the Bears must beat Detroit to close the season, build confidence, and enter the postseason with momentum. This team may be ahead of schedule in the rebuild, but without defensive improvement, their ceiling remains limited.