Bears, 49ers equal 28-year-old record with 1st-quarter ineptitude
CHICAGO -- The Bears (2-9) and San Francisco 49ers (1-10) tied a 28-year-old NFL record on Sunday when both teams failed to complete a pass in the first quarter.
Bears quarterback Matt Barkley and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick went 0-for-3 combined as a steady snow fell at Soldier Field.
The Bears and 49ers game is the first since the New York Jets and New England Patriots on Nov. 13, 1988 to have no completed passes in the 1st quarter, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Jets and Bengals last played a game in 2009 when there were zero completions in a quarter.
San Francisco finally moved the ball through the air when Kaepernick hit tight end Vance McDonald for a four-yard completion at the 7:41 mark of the second quarter.
But points are at a premium on Sunday. The 49ers blocked a punt and returned it to Chicago's 4-yard line, but San Francisco'sRashard Robinsonwas called for unsportsmanlike conduct for making a snow angel in the end zone.
The 49ers had to eventually settle for a field goal.
San Francisco entered the game with the NFL's 30th-ranked passing offense. The Bears were 15th.
