The San Francisco 49ers won against the Chicago Bears after a wild game.Bild: keystone
High tension in the NFL: There are still two playoff spots available before the last day of the game. The decision will probably come in two direct duels. The highlight of matchday 17 was the San Francisco 49ers against the Chicago Bears.
29.12.2025, 13:2929.12.2025, 14:12
49ers can hope for bye week after spectacle
The San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears gave every football fan a taste of the post-season on Sunday, two weeks before the start of the playoffs. In a game that couldn’t have been closer, San Francisco ultimately prevailed 42-38.
During the entire game, no team was able to gain more than seven points. The decision came after the Bears could only score a field goal with five minutes left. On the ensuing drive, San Francisco, led by quarterback Brock Purdy, was able to cross the entire field.
Jauan Jennings scored the decisive points with just over two minutes left after a caught pass and a nice run. The Bears managed to get close to the opposing end zone again, but ultimately missed the victory by two yards.
After his great performance a week earlier, Purdy also had a phenomenal performance against the Bears. The 26-year-old not only threw three touchdown passes, but also ran into the end zone twice. This despite the fact that the game started very badly for Purdy. His first pass attempt ended in a pick six.
After the sixth win in a row, there will be a big duel against the Seattle Seahawks on the 18th and final matchday of the regular season. The team that wins the direct duel not only secures first place in the division, but in the entire NFC. For the loser of the game, a defeat would be doubly bitter: in addition to missing out on a bye, they have to play away in the first round of the playoffs. In the only direct duel of the current season, San Francisco narrowly won 17:13 on the first day of the match.
Seattle won easily on Sunday at the Carolina Panthers 27:10 and left the field as winners for the sixth time in a row.
Punter is finally allowed to work again
Thomas Morstead has probably had one of the easiest jobs in the world over the last few weeks. The 49ers punter wasn’t needed for nearly a month. The last time Morstead had to go on the field was on November 30th against the Browns for a punt. After the following bye week, the 39-year-old was never called onto the field in the games against the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts.
Morstead’s services were called upon twice against the Bears. The 49ers had to rely on the punter once in the first and last quarters of the game. You could see Morstead’s joy after his first punt and he let his teammates celebrate.
ππ₯πππππ‘π: 49ers punter Thomas Morstead punts for the first time since November.
It’s December 28 π pic.twitter.com/7qCRJaFRKj
β Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 29, 2025
Thomas Morstead is finally allowed to punt again.
Big arithmetic in the NFC South
Two teams in the NFC, the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are still fighting for the final playoff ticket. But the Atlanta Falcons, who have already been eliminated, could still play a big role.
After both the Panthers (10:27 against the Seattle Seahawks) and the Buccaneers (17:20 against the Miami Dolphins) lost their second-to-last game on Sunday, the upcoming direct duel will almost certainly be decisive. But in order to catch the Panthers, Tampa not only has to win, but also hope for shooting help.
The table in the NFC South:
Because if the Atlanta Falcons win their last two games (on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Rams and in Week 18 against the New Orleans Saints) and the Buccaneers do their job, all three teams would have an 8-9 record. Since Carolina would then have won more direct duels, they would be winners of the NFC South for the first time since 2015.
Because the Steelers fumble, the Ravens can dream
With a win against the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers would have secured a spot in the playoffs. The Browns, who had only won three games all season, didn’t allow a touchdown and surprisingly won 13-6.
Now in the AFC North it’s a direct duel between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens on the final day of the game for the divisional title and the playoff place. For quarterback legend Aaron Rodgers, if his Steelers lose, it would be the last game of his career.
The Ravens won 41:24 on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers, who had already qualified for the playoffs. However, Baltimore had to do without star quarterback Lamar Jackson due to back problems and it is still unclear whether the two-time NFL MVP will be fit for the decisive game against the Steelers.
Patriots back on the AFC East throne
For the first time in six years, the New England Patriots are winners of the AFC East. While the Patriots won confidently against the New York Jets 42:10, the Buffalo Bills narrowly lost 12:13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. This means they can no longer intercept the Patriots on the last day of the game.
When the Patriots last won their division, Tom Brady was the quarterback of the six-time Super Bowl winner. If the Denver Broncos lose to the Los Angeles Chargers on the final day of the game, New England could still win the conference and benefit from a bye in the first round.
Josh Allen gives away the win
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills risked everything in their game against the Philadelphia Eagles. After a touchdown a few seconds before the end, the Bills decided to go for a two-point conversion. But quarterback Josh Allen clearly missed his teammate and sealed his team’s fate.
Allen had a very unfortunate scene in the first quarter: the quarterback fumbled the ball, which then made it a few yards towards his own end zone. Jihaad Campbell reached the playground equipment first. Ultimately, Allen was able to enjoy at least two rushing touchdowns. Both teams had already qualified for the playoffs before the game.
If Jalen Hurts
– lost a fumble that ended up losing 27 yards
– took a sack for a loss of 21 on 3rd & 8
– missed this 2-pt throw to end the gameheβd be buried endlessly for the next week, and then some.
Letβs make sure Josh Allen gets the same criticism.pic.twitter.com/EbuVRpSx5R
β Eagles Fan Central (@PhilaFanCentral) December 29, 2025
Josh Allen’s fumble.
NFL meets WWE
Before yesterday’s game, the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders had both only won twice this season. In the direct duel, the Giants clearly won 34:10. The Raiders are very close to the first overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Shortly before half-time there were scenes in Las Vegas that were more reminiscent of martial arts than American football. Chigozie Anusiem and Rico Payton had a vicious brawl on the sideline after a play.
The best scenes from Sunday
The tables
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