Here comes a strangely familiar question: Should the 49ers call more plays to take advantage of their nimble, running quarterback?

Yes, we’re kidding. Sort of.

Blaine Gabbert might not zoom downfield with Colin Kaepernick-like swiftness, but he ran with striking efficiency in Sunday’s 26-20 victory over Chicago. The final numbers: 75 yards on six carries, including a 44-yard, game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Gabbert had five runs of 6 or more yards against the Bears. In many ways, he was San Francisco’s most reliable option during a mostly sluggish offensive performance at Soldier Field.

Head coach Jim Tomsula insisted the “zone option” is still in his team’s playbook. Tomsula smiled as he spoke.

“He’s a very good athlete,” Tomsula said Monday of Gabbert. “He can run, he’s fast, he’s strong. You got to see that (Sunday), but we see it in practice.”

The Bears saw it firsthand, especially on the game-tying drive. Gabbert scrambled three times — 9 yards to pick up a first down, 7 more yards soon thereafter and then the long TD jaunt up the middle.

The 49ers needed Gabbert to show off his wheels because the rest of the offense frequently sputtered. Their running backs gained 46 yards on 17 carries (2.7 average).

“Coming out of the gates, it wasn’t where we wanted it to be or expected it to be,” Tomsula said of the offense. “We did have a 16-play drive in the second quarter, and that’s what we want to look like. … Then there was a lull again. So there were a lot of things to feel good about and grow from, along with things we need to continue to fix.”

Tomsula and his staff are encouraged by Gabbert’s progress. Once considered a washout after three dreadful seasons in Jacksonville, he has found new life since replacing Kaepernick with the 49ers.

Gabbert might not be the long-term solution at quarterback, but he’s earning his teammates’ confidence — especially after Sunday’s late-game performance, culminating in his 71-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Torrey Smith.

“He’s a take-charge guy, a leader,” running back Shaun Draughn said. “He’s poised and calm every time we’re in the huddle.”

The 49ers have averaged 17.3 points in Gabbert’s four starts, a slight improvement from their output in eight games with Kaepernick (13.6).

At any rate, Tomsula clearly sees this as a justified second chance for Gabbert after his struggles in Jacksonville.

“The bottom line to me is, Blaine came out of college at 20 years old (actually 21) and became a starting quarterback in the NFL with the Jaguars,” Tomsula said. “I’m not critiquing anybody’s team, but it was a tough situation. …

“Sometimes, looking at it from a different vantage point can do a world of good.”

Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick