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Thayer: Bears Shouldn't Underestimate Gabbert-Led 49ers

(CBS) Coming off their Thanksgiving win against the Packers and still alive in the playoff hunt, the Bears can't afford to underestimate the 3-8 49ers when the face off at Soldier Field on Sunday.

"If you think that San Francisco's just going to show up and lay down, that's when you're really setting yourself up for defeat," Bears radio analyst Tom Thayer told WBBM Newsradio's Josh Liss.

The Bears could face a challenge similar to the once they had against the Broncos two weeks ago, Thayer said, with Blaine Gabbert having taken over at quarterback for the struggling Colin Kaepernick.

"They've elevated their quarterback play by moving Blaine Gabbert into that position," Thayer said. "He has more athleticism. He plays with his head up. The team seems to bond around him a lot more. They've been able to include their running game more now, because they don't have the threat of a running quarterback. And defensively, they're still a good football team."

You can hear more of Thayer's thoughts on Sunday's matchup and his analysis of the Packers' surprising win over the Lions on a 61-yard Hail Mary on Thursday night at the link below.

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