Bears, 49ers seek positives in dismal season’s final stretch
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) A winning record, a shot at the playoffs and just about all hope for something positive got squashed almost as soon as the season started.
The Chicago Bears have that in common with the San Francisco 49ers. But at least they have won since the season opener.
San Francisco will try to snap a franchise-record 10-game losing streak when it visits Chicago in a matchup between two of the NFL’s worst teams on Sunday. The 49ers (1-10) have not won since they opened with a 28-0 win over Los Angeles, though it’s not like the Bears (2-9) have fared much better.
”I think these guys have been fantastic in terms of their approach every day,” San Francisco coach Chip Kelly said.
Both teams have been hit hard by injuries and poor play in general. They’re simply looking for some signs of progress in the final stretch of a dismal season.
”You are only as good as your record says you are,” Bears linebacker Willie Young said. ”We’ve been battling, from A to Z, we’ve been battling. I really feel that this year, with all of the young guys that we have, and even guys coming from winning organizations who are not familiar with dealing with adversity like such, I really think it’s going to help and build us as a team in the future.”
Here are some things to know as the 49ers try to end their slide against the struggling Bears:
BARKLEY’S CHANCE: Chicago’s Matt Barkley will try to build on a promising performance in last week’s 27-21 loss to Tennessee .
He threw for a career-high 316 yards and his first three touchdowns as a pro…