Fields throws 2 TDs, Bears top 49ers in Eberflus debut

CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Fields rolled to his left with two defenders closing in on him. As his quarterback scrambled one way, Dante Pettis broke toward the opposite side.

Fields saw his receiver wide open. He lofted a pass across the field, and Pettis took it the rest of the way for a 51-yard touchdown that kicked the Bears into gear.

Fields threw for two second-half scores, Eddie Jackson set up a TD with an interception and Chicago gave Matt Eberflus a win in his head coaching debut, beating the San Francisco 49ers 19-10 on a rain-soaked Sunday.

It was a sweet start for a new regime. The Bears decided to make major changes after last season, when they went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years.

General manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus took over for the fired Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy. And their first game was a win over a team that played in the NFC championship game last season. Go figure.

“I’m not surprised. I’m not surprised,” Eberflus said. “I thought the guys executed. I thought that they hung in there. That’s what you’ve got to do in the NFL. It’s never going to be perfect, it’s always going to be hard. Always. Most times it comes down to the end, just like that. That’s the way the NFL is.”

Fields shook off a rough first half. The long touchdown to Pettis, a former 49er, with the Bears trailing 10-0 was, he said, “the play that changed the momentum of our game.”

Fields connected with Equanimeous St. Brown for an 18-yarder early in the fourth to put Chicago on top 13-10. Jackson then picked off Trey Lance near midfield for his first interception since 2019 and returned the ball to the 21. That led to a 6-yard touchdown run by Khalil Herbert, making it 19-10.

Fields, the No. 11 overall pick in 2019,