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All statistics and snap counts are taken directly from the NFL's Game Statistic and Information System.
The Chicago Bears couldn't find a way to beat Blaine Gabbert and the San Francisco 49ers, losing in overtime 26-20. It was a game that saw all three phases have a hand in the loss. The offense floundered on occasion, the defense gave up too many big pays late, and the special teams couldn't close the game out.
The Bears were riding high after going into Green Bay on Thanksgiving night and winning, but the inconsistencies from this team have popped up all season long. Just when they look like they've turned a corner, we're reminded that this team is in year one of a new coaching regime. Whether they like to use the term 'rebuild' or not, Bears' general manager Ryan Pace still has some work to do on his roster.
Good teams take care of their business at home against three win teams in December and the Bears simply aren't a good team. Yet.
The failure to climb back to .500 obviously hurts, but the big picture for this team is still the future. As an organization, they are in a better place now than a year ago, and the arrow is pointing up for the franchise.
The Bears got the better of the Niners in most team stats, but San Fran had the edge in two crucial ones. Chicago was hit with 8 penalties for 72 yards, to 6 for 50 for the 49ers, and the only turnover of the game was a killer.
San Francisco's Jimmie Ward intercepted a Jay Cutler pass and took it all the way back for a touchdown. The pick came on a flubbed slip screen, and it's just one of those throws a QB makes where he's throwing blind. Cutler assumes the wide outs will make the blocks needed, but on this occasion no one blocked Ward.
See take @ward_jimmie with the pick 6! #SFvsCHI https://t.co/F3I9MflfOe
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 6, 2015
It sucks, but it happens.
The Bears led in first downs 20 to 13, in total yards 364 to 291, they had a slight edge in 3rd down percentage 8-17 (47%) to 7-16 (44%), and they led in time of possession 37:24 to 24:46. This was a game the Bears could have won, a game they probably should have won, but they couldn't make a play when they needed one.
The 49ers had a playmaker on their roster as Blaine Gabbert dominated the Bears late in the game. Yeah, Blaine Freaking Gabbert.
He won the game in overtime with a 71 yard bomb to Torrey Smith, but his 44 yard TD run tied the game with less than 2 minutes left. On that game tying drive, Gabbert was sacked on the first play, but he was nearly flawless after that. He completed just 1 of 2 passes on the drive, but he had 3 scrambles for 60 yards.
Overall he was 18 of 32 for 196 yards, with that backbreaking passing TD, and 84.9 passer rating. He also had 6 runs for 75 yards and that heartbreaking TD.
Blaine Freaking Gabbert.
FYI - All the charts are Total snaps played - Percentage of snaps played
Offensive Line
| Player | Offense | Special Teams |
| Matt Slauson LG | 78 - 100% | 6 - 18% |
| Hroniss Grasu C | 78 - 100% | |
| Kyle Long RT | 78 - 100% | 6 - 18% |
| Charles Leno Jr. LT | 78 - 100% | 6 - 18% |
| Patrick Omameh RG | 78 - 100% | 6 - 18% |
| Jermon Bushrod | 12 - 15% | 6 - 18% |
| Vladimir Ducasse | 6 - 18% |
The Bears averaged 4 yards per carry on the ground and the Niners had 2 tackles for loss. Chicago's pass protection allowed a single sack and a lone quarterback hit.
Bushrod was used as a 6th offensive lineman for a 2nd consecutive week.
Omameh was hit with two holding penalties.
Quarterback
We already talked about the interception by Cutler, and his 64.2 passer rating was the worst mark he's put up since December 15th of last year. He completed 18 of 31 passes (58.1%) and he had 10 yards on 4 rushing attempts.
Not the best game for Cutler, but it's possible his mind was elsewhere; Jay Cutler's brother-in-law goes missing in Utah desert.
Running Backs
| Player | Offense | Special Teams |
| Matt Forte | 44 - 56% | |
| Jeremy Langford | 28 - 36% | |
| Ka'Deem Carey | 6 - 8% | 4 - 12% |
Do the Bears now have a three-headed monster at running back? The Bears found time for three of their running backs this week.
Forte had a solid all around game, with 21 carries for 84 yards (4.0ypc), a rushing TD, and he caught all 5 of the passes thrown his way for 39 yards. For his career, Forte has 12,374 yards from scrimmage (8,380 rushing and 3,994 receiving) in just 116 games and check out this nugget.
#Bears Matt Forte needs 6 receiving yards to become the 12th player in #NFL history with 8000 rushing & 4000 receiving yards in their career
— Lester A Wiltfong Jr (@wiltfongjr) December 7, 2015
The fastest player to the 8,000/4,000 mark was Marshall Faulk, who did it in 107 games. Number two on the list is Marcus Allen who did it in 131, so Forte had a great shot at becoming #2 all time.
Langford ran well, with 12 carries for 59 yards (4.9ypc) and he caught 2 of 3 passes for 9 yards. But the one pass he missed was another drop.
After the Bears talked about Forte and Langford being on the field at the same time during the week, that didn't come to fruition yesterday.
Carey had a rushing TD among his 5 attempts for 17 yards (3.4ypc).
Defensive tackle Mitch Unein was in for one snap as a fullback and the Bears scored a TD again. Every time Unrein has been on the field on offense this year, the Bears have a TD to show for it. I don't know about you guys, but it sure seems like the key to unleashing the offense is more Unrein.
Tight Ends
| Player | Offense | Special Teams |
| Martelus Bennett | 60 - 77% | |
| Zach Miller | 35 - 45% | 12 - 35% |
| Khari Lee | 1 - 1% | 10 - 25% |
Both Bennett and Miller were battling rib injuries, and neither made any big plays. Bennett caught 3 of 4 passes for 14 yards and Miller nabbed the 1 ball thrown his direction for 6 yards.
Wide Receivers
| Player | Offense | Special Teams |
| Alshon Jeffery | 75 - 96% | |
| Josh Bellamy | 68 - 87% | 14 - 41% |
| Marc Mariani | 55 - 71% | 9 - 26% |
| Deonte Thompson | 1 - 1% | 12 - 35% |
| Cameron Meredith | 4 - 5% |
The Bears were missing Eddie Royal (again) and Marquess Wilson, which gave Josh Bellamy the start opposite Alshon Jeffery. Bellamy caught one of the 4 balls thrown his way for 16 yards and he had a tackle on special teams. He was also the guy that missed the block that led to the interception.
Jeffery led the team with 85 yards receiving on 4 catches. Cutler targeted him 12 times.
Mariani caught both passes thrown his way for 33 yards and he returned 5 punts for 38 yards.
I'll hit on Thompson in the next section, because he had a good special teams day.
Special Teams
| Player | Special Teams |
| LaRoy Reynolds | 24 - 71% |
| Sherrick McManis | 27 - 79% |
| Lamin Barrow | 24 - 71% |
| Harold Jones-Quartey | 18 - 53% |
| Robbie Gould | 12 - 35% |
| Sherrod Martin | 20 - 59% |
| Patrick Scales | 12 - 35% |
| Patrick O'Donnell | 12 - 35% |
The Bears had some good, some bad, and some ugly during their 3rd phase yesterday.
Thompson had 92 kick return yards on 2 returns, including a 4th quarter 74 yarder that put the Bears in position to win. Pat O'Donnell put 3 of his 6 punts inside the 20, and he had a 42.8 average. Jones-Quartey and McManis had 2 tackles apiece. The Bears also blocked an extra point.
The Bears tried some trickeration on their first punt return and it went for a TD, until the ref caught LaRoy Reynolds doing some unnecessary holding. The touchdown was negated.
On his birthday, Robbie Gould missed two field goals, including what would have been the game winner from 36 yards out. Gould did make 2 FGs and he made both his extra points. I think it's a little to early for the cut-Gould chatter, he had a bad day, it happens.
Defensive Backs
| Player | Defense | Special Teams |
| Kyle Fuller CB | 61 - 100% | 5 - 15% |
| Adrian Amos S | 61 - 100% | 10 - 39% |
| Tracy Porter CB | 61 - 100% | 1 - 3% |
| Chris Prosinski S | 60 - 98% | 15 - 44% |
| Bryce Callahan CB | 36 - 59% | 9 - 26% |
| Alan Ball CB | 5 - 8% | 8 - 24% |
Kyle Fuller has been playing some very good football of late, and against the 49ers he had 4 tackles and a pass defense. Tracy Porter had 2 tackles, Prosinski had 1 tackle on D and 2 more on special teams, and Amos had 3 tackles. Amos also seems to be the guy that blew the coverage that led to the overtime TD.
From the Sun Times,
Cornerback Tracy Porter told reporters that Amos' assignment called for him to stick with Smith, who was running a corner route. Instead, Amos broke off his coverage and was nearly 15 yards behind Smith when he made his catch.
"We just had a miscommunication on the play and we let one go," Amos said.
With no one covering Chicago's deep right third, Torrey Smith, who was in the slot in San Francisco's twins formation, ran a corner route away from the Bears middle third safety, Prosinski.
The game winner!! @BlaineGabbert to @TorreySmithWR. Watch. Repeat. #SFvsCHI pic.twitter.com/Ifv2zLQvgH
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 6, 2015
Amos also had a shot to take Gabbert down on his TD run, but he seemed to pull up in anticipation of a QB slide. When asked if he was hesitant to hit Gabbert with the rules protecting QBs, he agreed and said he wouldn't do it again.
Nickleback Bryce Callahan had 4 tackles, 2 PD, and he was the guy that had the punt return TD called back. He was credited was a 34 yard punt return.
Linebacker
| Player | Defense | Special Teams |
| Shea McClellin ILB | 61 - 100% | 4 - 12% |
| Jonathan Anderson ILB | 31 - 51% | 10 - 29% |
| Christian Jones ILB | 25 - 41% | 18 - 53% |
| Pernell McPhee OLB | 34 - 56% | |
| Sam Acho OLB | 25 - 41% | 27 - 79% |
| Willie Young OLB | 34 - 56% | 4 - 12% |
| Lamarr Houston OLB | 34 - 56% | 1 - 3% |
I found it interesting that McPhee, Houston and Young all played the same amount of snaps. With Young and Houston both playing better of late, could Chicago trot out all three together in a 3 OLB pass rushing package?
McPhee had a tackle, a QBH and a PD. Houston had a tackle and Acho didn't scratch the stat sheet.
Young continued his good play picking up 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 tackle for loss and 2 QB hits.
McClellin led the Bears in tackles with 9. He also had a pass defense. Jones had a tackle on D and one on ST. Anderson had tackle and a PD.
Defensive Line
| Player | Defense | Special Teams |
| Jarvis Jenkins | 41 - 67% | |
| Eddie Goldman | 36 - 59% | 4 - 12% |
| Will Sutton | 25 - 41% | 4 - 12% |
| Ziggy Hood | 14 - 23% | |
| Mitch Unrein | 27 - 44% | 8 - 24% |
Goldman had himself a good game with a couple of sacks, 3 tackles, 2 TFL, 3 QBH and the aforementioned blocked extra point.
Unrein had a couple of tackles and Jenkins had a half a sack, 2 tackles and a QBH.