Miscommunication on defense dampens Bears' playoff outlook

CHICAGO -- For a defense that went six straight quarters without surrendering a touchdown, the Bears picked a horrible time to fall apart on Sunday.

After holding San Francisco to less than 200 total yards up until the closing minutes of regulation, Vic Fangio’s unit completely fell apart, allowing the 49ers to score a pair of long touchdowns that probably sealed the Bears’ playoff fate.

The most costly, of course, was Torrey Smith’s 71-yard game-winning touchdown, which stemmed from a simple lack of communication on the left side of the Bears’ secondary.

According to veteran cornerback Tracy Porter, the Bears were in a Cover-3 defense on the game’s final play. The problem, however, is that…