Bears receivers had moments but were generally just average at gaining separation against a poor secondary and did not help quarterback Jay Cutler, struggling with accuracy issues of his own, with some second-rate execution.
Alshon Jeffery’s comeback to the football on a Cutler third-down scramble late in the fourth quarter was a critical first down, netting 30 yards, followed by a 26-yard catch by Marc Mariani to get the football to the San Francisco 4.
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Jeffery got the offense moving on the third possession with a 31-yard catch, finding a soft spot in the middle of the 49ers secondary and sharpening his angle across the field to get position underneath coverage. But those two Jeffery catches accounted for three-fourths of his 85 receiving yards and half his catch total (on 12 targets).
Josh Bellamy, who caught just one of four balls thrown to him, failed to use his body effectively to screen off a 49ers DB in the end zone, giving up a clear positioning edge and resulting in an incompletion. Bellamy also appeared to miss a block on safety Jimmie Ward, allowing Ward to break on a Cutler pass for an interception and touchdown return in the second quarter.
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Jeffery also did not get his feet turned properly on what should have been a third-down conversion in the second quarter when the 49ers were matching the Bears score for score. Neither catch was particularly easy but was the kind the offense needed to take control of this game.
NFL
Bears receivers were flagged twice on the second possession of the third quarter, once for an illegal formation and then for a false start by tight end Zach Miller.
Tight end Martellus Bennett caught three of four passes thrown to him but was inconsistent in run blocking.
Moon's Grade: D+