{"id":7324,"date":"2016-12-01T20:39:59","date_gmt":"2016-12-02T01:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=7324"},"modified":"2016-12-01T20:39:59","modified_gmt":"2016-12-02T01:39:59","slug":"7324","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/12\/01\/7324\/","title":{"rendered":"San Francisco 49ers Week Thirteen Keys to Victory"},"content":{"rendered":"

The San Francisco 49ers<\/strong> are having an abysmal 2016 season thus far.\u00a0 After starting the season with a 28-0 blow out of the Los Angeles Rams<\/strong> they have lost ten straight.\u00a0 Week thirteen brings a chance for a second victory on the season versus the Chicago Bears<\/strong>.\u00a0 Chicago is an ailing team suffering through a serious hit from the injury bug.\u00a0 Most recently that bug saw quarterback Jay Cutler<\/a><\/strong> sent to season ending IR.\u00a0 Regardless, the Bears are a resilient team and have not quit on their coach or the season.\u00a0 Three keys to victory will help San Francisco add another tally to the win column.\u00a0 The first of which is having success running the ball.<\/p>\n

San Francisco 49ers Week Thirteen Keys to Victory<\/h1>\n

Run the Football<\/h3>\n

Running the football will be easier said then done against the Bears.\u00a0 To this point in the season the Bears actually have the eighth best rushing defense in the league.\u00a0 Yet, last week versus the Tennessee Titans<\/strong>, Chicago gave up 149 rushing yards on 29 attempts.\u00a0 This means there are holes to be exploited in the Bears defense.\u00a0 Colin Kaepernick<\/a><\/strong> will be a big key to this.\u00a0 Last week, Marcus Mariota<\/a><\/strong> ran for 46 yards on only four rushing attempts.\u00a0 Kaepernick needs to get at least ten attempts in this game.\u00a0 The key will be to use trap plays and option runs to keep the bears defense guessing.\u00a0 Confusion will be the key to breaking off big runs.\u00a0 This will also be a crucial aspect in controlling the clock.\u00a0 The Bears are ranked 28th<\/sup> in the league in time of possession<\/a>.\u00a0 San Francisco needs to slow down its own offensive attack to take advantage of this statistic.<\/p>\n

Pressure an Inexperienced Quarterback<\/h3>\n

Matt Barkley<\/a><\/strong> has had plenty of time to sit, watch, and learn the game since being drafted in 2013.\u00a0 But, the fact is Barkley has little actually in game experience.\u00a0 Though Barkley did play well last week and threw his first three career touchdowns, he also had two interceptions.\u00a0 In fact, Barkley has thrown eight career interceptions in his limited playing time.\u00a0 The key will be to disguise coverage\u2019s and try to trick the young quarterback into a pick.\u00a0 Dropping a defensive lineman into the flat after showing blitz may coax Barkley into a mistake.\u00a0 The 49ers defensive secondary must also do its job and stick to the Bears receivers.\u00a0 This will give time to the 49ers defensive line to get home and pressure Barkley.\u00a0 San Francisco needs to come out of this game with at least three sacks if they hope to win.<\/p>\n

Step Up Against the Run<\/h3>\n

San Francisco ranks a disappointing dead last in the league against the run this season.\u00a0 Season ending injuries have been a major contributing factor to this.\u00a0 Big play makers such as Navorro Bowman<\/strong> and Arik Armstead<\/a><\/strong> have both ended up on injured reserve.\u00a0 49ers opponents this season have averaged 5.2 yards per rush.\u00a0 This cannot happen on Sunday if San Francisco wants to stay in this game.\u00a0 Linebackers Nick Bellore<\/a><\/strong> and Gerald Hodges<\/a><\/strong> haven\u2019t been able to fill the big shoes left by injury.\u00a0 Expect Chicago to exploit this weakness and pound the ball right up the middle.\u00a0 The interior defensive line and entire 49ers secondary need to play smart and disciplined.\u00a0 Fill the gaps, wrap up, and gets sound tackles.\u00a0 Otherwise, arm tackles and poor angles will lead to big plays for Chicago.<\/p>\n

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