In a surprising upset that will leave the Bears wondering what might have been, the 49ers went to Chicago today and pulled off a 26-20 overtime upset.
Sometimes a game comes down to a couple plays, and that was the case in Chicago today: On the last play of regulation, Bears kicker Robbie Gould missed a field goal that would have won the game. And in overtime, 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert hit Torrey Smith with a 71-yard touchdown to win the game.
Gabbert was surprisingly effective with his feet, rushing for 75 yards in the game. Gabbert is not a great quarterback, but he’s continuing to show that he is better than he showed early in his career in Jacksonville — and better than Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback he replaced.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler completed 18 of 31 passes for 202 yards, with no touchdowns and one intercpetion. The Bears were effective on the ground, with Matt Forte rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown and backup Jeremy Langford adding 59 yards on 10 carries.
In the end, this game will be remembered in Chicago for Gould’s miss, and for the fact that it ends any realistic hopes the Bears had of reaching the playoffs. In San Francisco, this game will be remembered as one in which Gabbert provided the offense with a spark. Something it didn’t have much of when Kaepernick was running the show.