>>Howard's Three TDs Leads Bears Past 49ers

 

Jordan Howard ran for 117 yards and a career-high three touchdowns and the Chicago Bears handed San Francisco its 11th straight loss, beating the 49ers 26-6 on a snowy Sunday.

 

The 49ers (1-11) extended their franchise-record losing streak and set a club low with 6 yards net passing on a day when Colin Kaepernick got lifted for Blaine Gabbert.

 

The Bears (3-9) finished with a season high in points and picked up a rare win in a matchup between two of the NFL's worst teams.

 

Matt Barkley, making his second start with Jay Cutler sidelined by a season-ending shoulder injury, went nearly the entire first half without a completion.

 

But he led a touchdown drive near the end of the second quarter and finished 11 of 18 for 192 yards.

 

Howard, who came in with two rushing touchdowns, scored on a 1-yard run near the end of the first half.

 

A fifth-round draft pick from Indiana, he added a 2-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the third and a 5-yard run midway through the quarter.

 

Howard's three rush TDs are tied for the second-most by a Bears rookie in a game.

 

Kaepernick completed just 1 of 5 passes for 4 yards and was sacked five times. He also ran for 20 yards on six attempts before Gabbert replaced him in the fourth quarter.

 

Gabbert was 4 of 10 for 35 yards and sacked for a safety near the end of the game.

 

Carlos Hyde ran for 92 yards, but the 49ers remained winless since they shut out Los Angeles in the season opener.

 

>>Packers Hold On For Win Over Texans

 

Aaron Rodgers was 20 of 30 and threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns, Jordy Nelson had 118 yards receiving and a score, and Green Bay pulled away from the Texans with two fourth-quarter touchdowns beating Houston 21-13 on Sunday for their second straight win as they try to keep pace with Detroit in the NFC North.

 

With snow falling at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers were back in their element and the Packers are back at .500.

 

Brock Osweiler connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 1:51 left to get within eight for Houston. Nick Novak missed the extra point, with footing slippery at Lambeau.

 

Osweiler finished 22 of 35 for 202 yards.

 

Randall Cobb did a snow angel in the end zone after a sliding, 9-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter that gave the Packers a 7-0 lead. 

 

In the third quarter, Ryan Griffin did a Lambeau Leap into the waiting arms of a group of Texans fans after his 6-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-1 finished a 10-play, 63-yard drive to tie the game at 7.

 

The Texans are tied with idle Tennessee and a half-game ahead of Indianapolis, which plays the New York Jets on Monday night, for the AFC South lead.

 

Julius Peppers' sack of Osweiler on second-and-1 at the Houston 41 with 56 seconds left in the second quarter gave the 15-year veteran 142 1/2 for his career, snapping a tie for fifth on the career list with Michael Strahan. Chris Doleman is fourth on that list with 150 1/2.