Numbers can help tell a story in a football game. Here's a look at 10 important or interesting statistics that could play a role in Sunday afternoon's game between the Bears and San Francisco 49ers.
0:
Sacks allowed by the Bears' offensive line in Week 12 against the Titans, the second time this season that Chicago's quarterback has been kept upright the entire game. The only previous time it happened was on October 9 at Indianapolis. On the year, Bears quarterbacks have been sacked 22 times.
1:
Career touchdown receptions for both Bears tight end Daniel Brown and wide receiver Deonte Thompson. Each player reached the end zone as professionals for the first time in the Week 12 game against the Titans. Brown caught a 7-yard pass from Matt Barkley in the first quarter, while Thompson hauled in a 6-yard throw from Barkley in the fourth.
3:
Running backs in the NFL that average more yards per rushing attempt than Chicago's Jordan Howard. The Bears rookie averages 5.1 yards per attempt, trailing only Miami's Jay Ajayi (5.3), New Orleans' Mark Ingram (5.3) and Buffalo's LeSean McCoy (5.2). Howard has been running particularly well of late, averaging 5.4 yards per carry over his last four games.
5.1:
Rushing yards per play allowed by the Chicago defense in Week 12, the highest average given up by the Bears in a game this season. Tennessee had 149 rushing yards on 29 attempts. The Bears did well stopping the Titans' primary rushing weapon, running back DeMarco Murray, who had just 43 yards on 17 carries. But it was backup runner Derrick Henry (eight carries for 60 yards) and quarterback Marcus Mariota (four rushes for 46 yards) that carved up the Bears. On the season, Chicago's defense ranks eighth-best in the NFL by allowing 3.83 rushing yards per play.
10:
Consecutive losses by the 49ers heading into the Week 13 game at Chicago. San Francisco won its season opener, a 28-0 shutout of the Rams on Monday Night Football. Since then, however, the team has yet to secure a win. The losing streak is the longest draught in San Francisco's franchise history.
28:02:
Chicago's average time of possession this season, which ranks fourth-lowest in the NFL. The Bears won the time battle versus the Titans in Week 12, the sixth time in a game this season they have held the ball longer than their opponents. San Francisco is one of the three teams who hold the ball for less time than the Bears on average, as the 49ers average just 26:33 of possession per game, fewest in the league.
54:
Passing attempts by Bears quarterback Matt Barkley in Sunday's game versus the Titans. Coming into the game, Barkley had only attempted 65 passes total during his four-year career. The 54 attempts in a game were the third-most ever for a Chicago quarterback, trailing only Billy Wade's 57 passes in a 1964 contest at Washington and Erik Kramer's team-record 60 attempts on November 16, 1997 versus the New York Jets.
125:
Receiving yards for Chicago's Marquess Wilson in the Week 12 contest versus Tennessee, a career-high for the fourth-year receiver. Wilson gained those yards on eight receptions, which also registers as a single-game best.
171.8:
Rushing yards allowed per game by the 49ers this season, the most in the NFL. Opponents have gained 1,890 yards on San Francisco on the ground this year through the first 11 games. Seven times already opponents have gained more than 170 rushing yards in a game versus the 49ers.
409:
Total yards accounted for by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the team's Week 12 game at Miami. Kaepernick ran the ball 10 times for 113 yards, while also completing 29 of 46 passes for 296 yards through the air.
