49ers punish sloppy Cutler to grind down Bears

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The San Francisco 49ers intercepted Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler five times on the way to a 10-6 victory over the Bears on Thursday.

San Francisco safety Michael Lewis made the final interception in his own endzone with less than 10 seconds remaining after Cutler had driven the Bears to the 49ers' 12-yard line.

The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for San Francisco (4-5) and gave coach Mike Singletary a win over the team where he had a successful playing career.

"It was a big relief," 49ers tight end Vernon Davis told reporters. "It's truly a blessing to be able to get this. We just have to keep winning."

San Francisco running back Frank Gore opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown in the second quarter and tallied 104 yards on the ground.

Gore has scored in his last three games and was a steady presence for the 49ers, who gained just 216 total yards.

Chicago made it 7-3 just before the end of the half with a 50-yard field goal by Robbie Gould, who added a 38-yarder in the third as the Bears pulled within one.

Home kicker Joe Nedney made a 21-yard field goal with 10:11 left to cap the scoring as the 49ers took advantage of Cutler's career-high five interceptions.

CUTLER'S STRUGGLES

Acquired in a trade with the Denver Broncos in the offseason, Cutler has struggled with his consistency and has a league-high 17 interceptions.

Cutler drove Chicago 68 yards in the last 2:47 before surrendering another turnover. He finished 29-for-52 passing for 307 yards as the Bears (4-5) lost their second in a row and fourth in the last five games.

"I have to apologize to our defense. They kept us in the game even with all the turnovers," said Cutler, who became the first Chicago QB to throw at least four interceptions in two different games since the 1962 season.

"We had a lot of stuff going it just didn't work out. I have to lead better."

San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith finished with 118 yards passing as he won his first game as a starter since 2007.

Smith, who took over the starting job for the 49ers late last month, is trying to help the team make their first postseason since 2002.

"I'm happy for this team," Smith said. "It's a step in the right direction."

(Editing by John O'Brien)