5 things to watch for in Chicago Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers

Can Braxton Jones and the rebuilt offensive line hold up against the 49ers?

Cody Whitehair will be the only starter on the offensive line who was in last season’s starting lineup. Well, there is a chance Sam Mustipher starts at center if Lucas Patrick is unable to snap the ball. Patrick is coming off a hand injury that required him to miss practically all of training camp.

Either way, the Bears’ offensive line went over a major overhaul. Patrick was signed as a free agent. James Daniels was allowed to leave via free agency. Teven Jenkins, last year’s second-round pick, was moved from tackle to right guard.

Braxton Jones was drafted in the fifth round out of Southern Utah to start at left tackle with veteran Riley Reiff being signed to be the swing tackle.

Jones is going to go from blocking against Big Sky defenders to matching up against Nick Bosa. Welcome to the NFL rookie.

Bosa had 15.5 sacks last season with two coming against the Bears.

Jones surprised a lot of people by winning the starting job. He will have to prove he is up to the task of blocking Fields’ blindside against one of the best pass rushers the NFL has to offer.

Hopefully, the game plan calls for giving Jones tight end or running back help. There will be times Jones will be lined up one-on-one against Bosa. He is going to have to show his size and athleticism can make up for his lack of NFL experience.

The line as a whole has to prove it can hold up against an elite NFL defense. The 49ers’ D is more than just Bosa as they have plenty of other defensive linemen capable of wrecking a game.

Larry Borom made eight career starts at right tackle last year. He has to show he can open holes for the run game. If the protection does not hold up, the Bears have no chance of pulling off an upset.

The new look defense trying to contain the 49ers’ offense.

Eberflus may not be calling the defense but it was his call to switch the defense from a 3-4 base to a 4-3 front. Gone are Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks but Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith remain.

Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson got some help in the secondary when Poles used his first two draft picks on Kyler Gordan and Jaquan Brisker.

Eberflus emphasizes his defense to take the ball away. The Chicago Bears defense should have a chance against second-year quarterback Trey Lance. Lance will be making his third career start. The Bears have a chance to confuse the young quarterback and get him to make mistakes.

Deebo Samuel wrecked the Bears’ defense in last year’s matchup. He had seven catches for 171 yards, including going for 83 yards of a screen pass.

The Bears will also have to deal with Brandon Aiyuk and Elijah Mitchell. They will have to find a way to generate a pass rush against Trent Williams and his fellow linemen. If the Bears’ new-look defense can cause some turnovers and limit Samuel, Aiyuk, and Mitchell’s big plays, they have a shot at pulling off an opening game upset.