The 49ers this season have lost games in a variety of ways. They’ve dropped lopsided games and close games, night games and day games. On Sunday in Chicago they lost a snow game.
The Bears – a bad team that came into the day with just two wins and without starting quarterback Jay Cutler – easily knocked off the 49ers at Soldier Field 26-6, giving Chip Kelly’s team its 11th straight loss.
The 49ers offense was so bad -- just 147 total yards -- that Colin Kaepernick was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of Blaine Gabbert.
The only bright spot for the Niners is they stay in the hunt for the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft at 1-11. They trail only the 1-12 Cleveland Browns with four games to go.
On Sunday, the 49ers took a 6-0 lead in the second quarter on a pair of short Phil Dawson field goals of 31 and 28 yards after Bears turnovers.
But the 49ers should have come away with 14 points instead of six. The Niners’ Shaun Draughn partially blocked a Bears punt that allowed Dontae Johnson to return the ball to the 4-yard line. Johnson thought he had scored – his foot was out at the 4 – and he and his teammates celebrated in the end zone. They were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, with the ball pushed back 15 yards to the 19. At that point, the 49ers offense could only muster 6 yards to set up Dawson’s first score.
Then on the ensuing kickoff Jimmie Ward recovered a Bears fumble to give San Franciso the ball on Chicago’s 37. Again, the Niners had to settle for a field goal.
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Meanwhile, the Bears were riding rookie running back Jordan Howard, who was able to have a big game while both teams were having trouble passing in the frosty weather. Howard ran for three touchdowns and 117 yards. Backup quarterback Matt Barkley, in his second start for the injured Jay Cutler, completed 11-of-18 throws for 192 yards.
Before being benched, Kaepernick – who had played well in recent weeks – completed just 1-of-5 throws for 4 yards. Gabbert surpassed that yardage total on his first pass attempt, an 18-yard strike to Jeremy Kerley.
Gabbert finished 4-of-10 for 35 yards.
The 49ers come home this week for a Sunday matchup at Levi’s Stadium against the New York Jets.
