The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears are set to face off in Week 14, and it's safe to say that neither of their respective seasons have gone the way they had hoped it would. And ahead of their upcoming clash, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan issued a blunt message regarding the state of both these teams.
San Francisco has been decimated by injuries all year long, and while that's not the only reason for their woes, it's played a big role in their 5-7 record to this point. Chicago, meanwhile, has fired both their offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron and head coach Matt Eberflus over the past few weeks amid their crawl out to a 4-8 start.
While there are a handful of things that haven't gone these teams' way, at the end of the day, their records show who they are. And that's precisely the point Shanahan made prior to this contest, noting that there are only so many excuses that can be made for the 49ers and Bears.
Per David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard, "Kyle Shanahan on the Bears (and this applies to the 49ers, too): 'There's a fine line between your record and what your team is capable of.'"
San Fran and Chicago have had disappointing seasons for different reasons. The Niners were expected to be one of the top teams in the league after nearly winning the Super Bowl last year, while the Bears were hoping to begin building their own championship contender with Caleb Williams under center.
Instead, both teams have struggled for their aforementioned reasons, and it's led them to this Week 14 clash. San Francisco will be desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, while Chicago just wants a win to help them snap their current six-game losing streak.
There isn't a ton on the line, but both teams will be looking to prove that they are better than their respective records suggest they are. The 49ers will have home field advantage in front of their home crowd at Levi's Stadium, with kickoff for this game being set for Sunday, Dec. 8th at 4:25 p.m. EST.