SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Bears went through some significant change leading into Sunday’s game against the 49ers. Head coach Matt Eberflus got let go. Thomas Brown got promoted to interim head coach. Eric Washington took over as defensive play caller.

All that was designed to inspire better play. Things didn’t play out that way in a 38-13 loss.

The Bears got demolished by a banged-up 49ers team that played some excellent football and took yards in massive chunks while establishing a first-half lead that proved insurmountable for a Bears team that has been competitive despite not having the wins to show for it.

This wasn’t the debut Brown wanted, especially after making changes to the team’s preparation that was supposed to help the team get off the mat and end a prolonged losing streak. The Bears have now lost seven straight games in a season that is officially lost.

Let’s evaluate what went so horribly wrong in this Week 14 instant analysis:

Bair’s break down

Thomas Brown is well liked in the Bears locker room. The no-nonsense, straight shooter of a coach inspired enthusiasm about his promotion to interim head coach, with optimism surrounding his ability to get the Bears going again after a six-game losing streak.

That ultimately didn’t happen. The Bears played one of their worst games this season at Levi’s Stadium, getting trounced by a banged-up 49ers team operating without lots of their star power.

The Bears showed a bit of life later in the game, but falling behind 24-0 in the first half was a massive hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of. Brown’s debut didn’t go as planned on any level, with the offensive struggling to move the ball while the defense gave up one chunk play after another to make San Francisco’s scoring drives look easy. We’re at a point where it’s admittedly possible that the Bears could lose every remaining game on the schedule, especially if they continue to play as poorly as they did here in the Bay Area.

There will be less drama coming out of this contest, with all the in-season firings over and done with. It’s about playing out the string at this point, a sobering fact now that the Bears can’t finish above .500 and are securely in the NFC North cellar. This will be an offseason of more change, though it’s becoming clear some talent upgrades are required to remain competitive, especially on the offensive and defensive lines.

The Bears dip back into the NFC North next week in Minnesota, and must be far better to make that one a game. – Scott Bair

Key stat

Let’s start with the positive: Keenan Allen set an NFL record with his 950th career reception in the game, becoming the fastest player in league history to reach that mark:

But while Allen set a record, his team made some more dubious history in the first half in San Francisco.

The Bears offense notched just 4 total yards in the first half while the defense surrendered 319 yards.

The 315-yard differential in the first half was the largest in any NFL game this season.

The offensive output was dragged down by 4 sacks that totaled 30 yards. Caleb Williams threw for 27 yards in the first half but due to the sacks, the team secured -3 net passing yards (to go along with just 7 rushing yards).

The 4 yards marked the fewest by the Bears in a first half since at least 1991.

It is only the 3rd time since at least 2000 where the Bears had 1 or 0 first downs in the first half (also happened twice in 2017).

Pivot point

Opening kickoff.

Seriously.

This game was over early in the first half. While the Bears offense failed to do anything before the break, the Niners began the game with a 70-yard drive – on only 5 plays – for a touchdown.

San Francisco punted on its second possession but then scored touchdowns on back-to-back possessions and added a field goal before halftime.

The Bears, meanwhile, punted 5 times before half and the 24-0 deficit proved to be too much to overcome.

Caleb Williams connected with Rome Odunze twice in the second half but the game was well out of reach as the Niners offense kept its foot on the gas pedal all afternoon.

What’s next

The Bears re-enter NFC North divisional play in primetime, with a Monday night showdown with the host Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are fresh off a win over Atlanta, where Sam Darnold threw for five touchdowns. That should be a tough contest for a team that’s struggling like it is these days, even after letting Eberflus go.