The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Chicago Bears in Week 14 with a 38-13 victory. The Niners outscored the Bears by nearly 300 yards, gained the yards-per-play margin by a staggering 4.3 yards per play, and converted five of their six red zone trips into touchdowns.

Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams looked like a deer in headlights, while Brock Purdy resembled a seasoned veteran. The interim coaching change was supposed to breathe life into Chicago, but when they woke up they were down 24-0.

The 49ers looked better than they have in months, but I would attribute some of that to the Bears’ ineptitude. We should still give San Francisco credit for doing what good teams should do with weaker opponents, which is beat them by multiple touchdowns.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers from Week 14.

winner

Brock Purdy

The 49ers totaled 319 yards of offense in the first half, the most of any team in the NFL in the first half this season. It was also the most yards the offense had gained in a half since dropping 48 points against the New Orleans Saints in 2019.

The offensive was in full swing. Kyle Shanahan deserves the most credit for focusing on the strengths of his players, especially his quarterback.

What makes the 49ers offense so strong? Why were they more successful under Brock Purdy than any other quarterback during Shanhan’s tenure? It’s Purdy’s willingness to drive the ball down the field. He goes out of his way to throw the ball to the third level. This opens up the rest of the field for everyone else and forces the defense to defend everything.

Against the Bears, we saw the version of Purdy, the quarterback. On an early 20-yard completion, he gave Deebo Samuel an opportunity on an intermediate route. Samuel did a fantastic job of getting the ball back. It is a pass that will never be completed unless attempted. When Purdy wants to throw the ball, Deebo is covered.

Brock’s 32-yard throw to Kittle may have been his best play. He pumps down the sideline, recognizes a coverage breakdown and, after a quick regather, shoots across the field to Kittle. This illustrated Purdy’s processing.

Purdy finished the race in 20:25 with a 59 percent success rate. He added nearly a point to the scoreboard each time he dropped back and had four completions of more than 20 air yards. It was a near-flawless performance that could have been even better if she hadn’t been level with Ricky Pearsall on a throw down the field.

Shanahan’s aggression played right into his quarterback’s hands. Half of his completions were for first downs, and he was successful at every level.

Isaac Guerendo

The 49ers will trade a few big plays from their running back if it means they won’t be quite as efficient.

Guerendo finished the game with 78 rushing yards, a 4.6-yard average after contact and a 30-yard run to turn the field over. He also became the first to reach 20 miles per hour again this year. Guerendo’s three plays of 20 yards were the first of the season for a Niners running back.

He constantly fell forward when running between tackles. Guerendo adjusted, as he had more runs in a gap scheme in Week 14 than he had all season combined. If the 49ers want to be effective, their running backs will need to be effective both in and out of the tackles.

Guerendo did both and was also a weapon through the air. The former wide receiver got used to a pass across the field, reminiscent of Christian McCaffrey. We’ll be updated on Guerendo’s foot injury on Monday afternoon, but he did everything the Niners needed in the backfield against the Bears.

George Kittle

Kittle had tripled his goals from last week and every single one of them counted. All six of Kittle’s receptions resulted in first downs. Only one player has more receiving yards in Week 14 than Kittle. His 102 yards after catch would put him in the top 10.

Kittle had one reception against five different defenders. The Bears tried but had no answers. Kittle had catches of 23, 13, 22, 32, 18 and 32. There isn’t much to say about Kittle that hasn’t already been said. The only criticism I have is that there aren’t at least six goals for No. 85 in every game. That should be his lower limit when it comes to the distribution of goals.

loser

Caleb Williams

It was alarming to see the No. 1 overall pick look skittish in a pass rush without Nick Bosa. Williams was pressured 11 percent less than Purdy but was sacked six more times.

There were mixed coverage sacks, but 134 passing yards on 23 attempts against a defense that hasn’t stopped a pulse since Halloween says more about the opponent.

Williams threw it directly to Dee Winters on the first drive of the game. The rookie quarterback had a few turnover plays and was constantly late while holding the ball. As much as I want to give the 49ers credit, I thought the Week 14 result was more the product of a rookie quarterback.

winner

Renardo Green

Green is the kind of quality starter you take for granted when you play revisionist history and count the number of picks the 49ers traded away. The second-round rookie allowed three possessions – some of which came in the zone underneath – on five targets for just 21 yards. Green undercut a diving route from DJ Moore that he should have intercepted.

On Thursday, Green faces his biggest challenge of the season, but he has given us every indication that he will pass the test.

Talanoa Hufanga

Hufanga played 39 snaps and started on his return. Ji’Ayir Brown was demoted and only saw the field in 15 snaps. Hufanga played on the kickoff team for the first time this season.

Hufanga brought attention. He made three run stops and played near the line of scrimmage, but wasn’t afraid to take on an offensive lineman in the open field. Again, he’ll have to do it on a short week against Sean McVay’s offense, but Hufanga’s presence and energy were felt in a defense that lacked the latter.

Dominick Puni

Puni is a people mover. He doesn’t miss blocks when the 49ers run the ball. Even better: it paves the way for whoever has the ball. If you remove Guerendo’s 30-yarder behind Puni in that game, the 49ers still averaged almost a full yard more per carry than when running behind any other lineman.

Jauan Jennings

Kittle and Jennings combined for 14 of Purdy’s 25 targets. Jennings led with eight yards and 90 yards. Shanahan used Jennings as a pawn as he lined up on the sidelines just one more snap than in the slot. It was the second-most routes Jennings ran from that slot since the bye week in Week 9.

Eighty-three of Jennings’ yards came from the slot, which was the fourth-most in Week 14. Jennings caught all six of his slot targets, including four for first downs and two for touchdowns. This is where Jennings has his biggest advantage, and the offense was great again against the Bears.