Will a starting quarterback please stand up for the 49ers?
The first and second games of the pre Season carried stark similarities – it was another slow start for the first team offense, before finding their way to the end zone on the third possession. Turnovers were an issue once again as San Francisco fumbled the ball three times but still managed to win the turnover battle by forcing two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and two fumbles out of Denver.
Surely the point of emphasis for the coaching staff will be ball security heading into the remainder of the pre season. Vance McDonald and Blaine Gabbert appear to be adding to their chemistry and for a team that is desperate for impact player in the passing game it is good to see that consistency from week to week. While there were some other contributions from the receiver group, a majority of them were one or two catch efforts which is still progress compared to the first game but clearly shows there is plenty of room for growth with this unit.
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The headline story continues to be the quarterback competition which actually hasn’t really been a competition yet. Kaepernick was ruled out for the game towards the end of the week but was able to perform a lengthy throwing session pre game. While Gabbert did lead the first team offense to a scoring drive it took a few possessions for the team to establish a rhythm.
Gabbert has taken all of the first team reps so far, which means he will be the starter for the game this week. The third pre season game also known as the “dress rehearsal” for the regular season will see the first team unit play a much larger portion of the game. With Kaepernick finally cleared to practice in full and suit up for this game, it will be interesting to see how much of a split he gets with the first team.
While I have been open in my perspective on whom I think the starter should be (when both are completely healthy), unless both play in week four of the pre season, Kaepernick will not have enough playing time to supplant Gabbert as the presumed starter. That being said, a poor showing in week three for Gabbert or simply the continual slow start could keep the decision alive for Chip Kelly.
I’m sure the fanbase does not want to see the team in a situation where a switch needs to be made during the year, but that could very easily be the way this plays out if the eventual decision is close at all. As long as Gabbert doesn’t get in his own way, all signs point to him as the regular season starter. The additional time to study the offense should end up benefitting Kaepernick. A positive output in either of the remaining two pre season games will go a long way towards keeping Gabbert’s lead as short as possible.
The elephant in the room with this situation is the clear distaste of the front office towards Kaepernick. Imagine a scenario where he ends up being the starter at some point in the year and proceeds to find success once again.This would effectively cut a majority of the blame that was placed on Kaepernick during the dreadful 2015 season. The continual locker room media leaks and rumors regarding his work ethic and relationship with his teammates were quickly placed under the microscope as last year continued to spiral out of control. If Kaepernick can rediscover his previous form through Kelly’s offense it would cast yet another shadow of blame on the front office for the way they pointed the blame rather than admit to their coaching staff misstep in 2015.
Heading into game three against Green Bay it will be a great test for the defense to battle against a potent offense that should be returning to its usual elite form this season. Lets see if the third game is the charm in terms of finding some early success on offense and solving these fumbling issues.
Ready or not the regular season is in the horizon and a tough opening schedule looms large for San Francisco.
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