SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers held the Bears to their lowest point output of the season Sunday, but it wasn't enough as the Chicago defense forced San Francisco to match its season-low point total.
The 49ers’ two-game win streak came to an end, and they were unable to secure their first winning record at Levi’s Stadium with a 14-9 loss to the NFC North champions.
Here’s the report card from the 49ers’ Week 16 loss to Chicago:
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Rushing offense
The 49ers couldn't get anything going on the ground after Matt Breida exited in the first half with another aggravation of his ankle injury. Jeff Wilson entered and carried 11 times for just 27 yards.
The 49ers picked up just four first downs on the ground while averaging 3.1 yards per rushing attempt.
Grade: D
San Francisco 49ers
Passing offense
The 49ers ended up attempting 38 passes, and Nick Mullens was sacked only once for 9 yards. But the Bears’ pass rush had a major impact on the game, as it prevented the 49ers from throwing the ball down the field.
Mullens' only interception came on a first-and-10 throw from the Chicago 20 in the fourth quarter. He led Marquise Goodwin too much, but Goodwin still should have caught the ball. Instead, the deflection led to a critical interception.
Grade: D
Rushing defense
The 49ers generally did a solid job against the run, as the Bears did not have a running play for 10 or more yards all game. Jordan Howard had a touchdown run, and Mitchell Trubisky picked up a fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter with a sneak, but the Bears averaged just 3.2 yards per rushing attempt.
The 49ers also came up with their first turnover since Oct. 28 when DeForest Buckner recovered a fumbled lateral in the first half.
Grade: B
Passing defense
Trubisky quietly had a solid performance, as he completed 25 of 29 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. The Bears kept the 49ers off-balance with a variety of movement plays to get Trubisky out of the pocket. Cassius Marsh recorded two sacks, and DeForest Buckner added one.
Tarvarius Moore had an up-and-down day, but he did give the 49ers' offense one final chance when he stripped receiver Allen Robinson at the end of a play in which it appeared the Bears had clinched the game with a first down after the two-minute warning.
Grade: D-plus
Special teams
Robbie Gould was perfect on all three of his field-goal attempts. What’s new? He made kicks of 33, 30 and 23 yards.
Punter Bradley Pinion had a nice game, as he punted four times and did not allow explosive Bears return man Tarik Cohen any opportunities. Pinion’s net average was 45.3 yards
Grade: A-minus
Overall
This was the kind of game the 49ers were expecting, but they did not take advantage of their opportunities to win the game.
The Bears’ offense was well-designed and found the holes in the 49ers’ zone defense. Chicago was particularly creative after getting inside the red zone.
The 49ers' offensive troubles really began when they got close to the goal line. Although the 49ers converted 50 percent of their third-down opportunities, the offense again bogged down in the red zone and didn't score a touchdown in the game.
The Bears are the NFC North champs, and the 49ers have to feel like they let one slip away.
Grade: C-minus