49ers suffer 11th straight loss as injury-plagued Bears win 26-6

Complete Game Stats

San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick had been playing well. Since Week 9, following the 49ers' bye week, Kaepernick has thrown for 1,110 yards with eight touchdowns and only two interceptions. Following just five pass attempts where he completed just one for four yards and with a win out of reach, Kaepernick was replaced early in the fourth quarter by Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert had started the first five games of the season for the 49ers but was benched after the team lost four straight games.

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Last weekend, the San Francisco 49ers set a franchise record when they lost their 10th-straight game. The 49ers have not won a road game since their previous visit to Chicago in December of 2015. The 49ers won that matchup with the Chicago Bears in overtime when Gabbert hit WR Torrey Smith for a 71-yard score. This matchup with the Bears was only the second time this season that the 49ers were favored in a game. The last time was during Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – a game that they would go on to lose 34-17.

The 49ers went up against a number of backup players for the Bears, who have been devastated by injuries this season. That includes the team starting their third-string quarterback, Matt Barkley, due to injuries. That Bears offense came alive just before halftime and went on to convincingly beat the 49ers 26-6. For Chicago, it was the most points that they had scored this season.

The loss is the 49ers' 11th-straight. The good news is that San Francisco did not lose any ground in the 2017 NFL Draft and are still slated to select second overall. With just four more games remaining this season, the odds have increased that the Niner Faithful may have to endure a one-win season.

It was 35 degrees at kickoff in Chicago as heavy snow fell down onto Soldier Field for the San Francisco 49ers' game against the Bears. It was the first time playing in the show for both quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers and Matt Barkley of the Bears.

The conditions made things difficult for both teams early on. Nearly six minutes into the second quarter, RB Shaun Draughn blocked a punt on special teams which was returned to the Chicago 19-yard line by CB Dontae Johnson. The game's first official pass completion came on the resulting drive when Kaepernick hit TE Vance McDonald for a 4-yard completion to set up a Phil Dawson field goal that put the 49ers on the scoreboard first.

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Bears WR Deonte Thompson fumbled the ball on the following kickoff return and Draughn made an impact again, helping to force a fumble. CB Jimmie Ward wrestling the football away for the 49ers, giving the offense a starting point at the Chicago 37-yard line. Dawson hit a 28-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 6-0.

The 49ers lead was short-lived. A questionable pass interference call on CB Tramaine Brock in the end zone put the football on the 1-yard line for Chicago. On the following play, the Bears offense scored on a run by RB Jordan Howard to give Chicago a 7-6 lead prior to halftime.

Barkley was 4-of-8 for 64 yards in the first half. All four of his completions came on that final scoring drive after the two-minute warning. Kaepernick's pass completion leading to their first field goal was the quarterback's only completion of the first half.

The Bears' next two scores once again came courtesy of Howard, who scored on a 2-yard touchdown run following an efficient 10-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half and a 5-yard touchdown run following a 4-play, 59-yard drive. A field goal put the 49ers in a 24-6 hole. Late in the game, Gabbert was sacked in the end zone for a safety to add two points for the Bears.

Gabbert finished the game 4-of-10 for 35 yards in less than a quarter of play. RB Carlos Hyde finished the game with 92 yards rushing on 20 carries. Kaepernick and Draughn each added 20 rushing yards. WR Jeremy Kerley had a catch for 18 yards while TE Vance McDonald had two catches for nine yards.

Next, the 49ers will host the New York Jets on December 11 at Levi's Stadium in much warmer Santa Clara, California.

Notes and Quotes

"I thought we needed a spark on offense and get something going," head coach Chip Kelly said following the loss regarding Gabbert replacing Kaepernick.

Kelly said that weather seemed to be the only factor in Kaepernick's ineffectiveness. Prior to the game, the FOX crew reported that neither Kaepernick nor Barkley did anything special to prepare for the weather conditions. They simply prepared for the game.

Kelly said that they have not had any talks regarding the quarterback for next week. "There are no permanent decisions or anything like that," he said.

"The conditions that we practiced in had no effect on how we played today," Gabbert said following the loss. The 49ers practiced this week in hot-weathered Orlando, Florida.

"It's not my place to really argue on the sideline," Kaepernick said when asked if he tried to argue to stay in the game. "I want to make sure I do what I can to help this team win and that was the decision that was made so I'm going to support my teammates."

"Once again, as I've said all along, my focus is on the next game," Kaepernick said regarding a report that he will opt out of his contract following this season. "My focus has been on the Bears this past week."

"That's not my decision," Kaepernick said when asked if he thinks he will be starting next week against the Jets. "My feelings on it really don't matter at this point. I'm just going to do everything I can to make sure I'm prepared."

"Once again, it's not about my feelings," Kaepernick said. "It's about being able to help this team win. "This coaching staff didn't feel like I was out there being able to help this team win so they made a change, whether I agree with that or not."