In a fairly shocking (to me anyway) development, Blaine Gabbert is playing some decent quarterback these days. Granted, the Falcons and Bears aren’t quite the Seahawks or Cardinals, but even in those losses, the Niners looked better than the earlier losses to those respective teams. Not much, but yes, better. In the Cards case, the O moved pretty well but couldn’t score.
I guess i just thought Gabbert would look like he did last preseason, and frankly his whole Jacksonville career, where he floundered around and threw weird passes to no one in particular. Granted, being a starting QB for the Jaguars is no square deal, and he was under the gun wht whole time as the savior and such, but hew appears to be getting his game under control. Sure, he took some sacks he shouldn’t have, and this highly conservative offense is not reminding anyone of the 1988 Niners, but Gabby did finally hit a deep pass in stride to Torrey Smith for the game-winning TD in OT, and he did convert some nice 3rd and long plays. Things that were lacking in Kaepernick’s time at QB this season.
The line is playing nominally better, and Kilgore Trout is back. At TE, mind you. The run game, even with Gabby’s 44 yard scamper (75 total), was anemic. However, Shaun Draughn is proving to be a very solid find off of the scrap heap. He had a nice 26 yard catch and run on a 3rd and 5 play to go with his 1 yard TD run.
The Niners were outplayed, out-hit, and out-hustled for the most part, but the defense didn’t break given all the field position problems the offense presented. At times it looked like no one wanted to win this, but hey, a win is a win. Draft position be damned. This isn’t the NBA, where teams routinely tank for better draft spots. Football is way too easy to pick out the guys mailing it in. I have to give credit to Jimmy T for getting the guys somewhat ready for this, and to Trent Baalke for getting scrap-heap guys like Shaun Draughn, and Gerald Hodges, a couple of in-season finds that have helped this year.
Funny thing is, Gabbert was rated the worst BACKUP in the league at the start of the season. Now he’s 2-2 as a starter. Imagine that. I guess that $2 mill a year was well-spent.
Forty Niners Forever 
It was a good win, the confidence in some of our younger players like Tartt and Ward is showing. I guess we will see Gabbert as our starting QB next year and maybe that’s not the worst thing that could happen. And, I agree about the draft order, let it fall where it may. To me the worst thing that could happen is Jed not cleaning house and of course there is always the possibility that he could pick a whole new staff of losers, but if he doesn’t address the real issues then we will be seeing this product for awhile.
Right. This season is all about player evaluation, not about these coaches saving their jobs.
Baalke and the coaches need to go. Clean house. The only coach, once again, I like is Rathman. He wants to stay and be the RB coach? Let him.
If not for the injuries our running game isn’t bad. But maybe Rathman has had enough of the bullshit that’s going on around him. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
Tartt is playing well after the collective disaster in Seattle.
Looks like we get to face Johnny Eightball in the mistake by the lake game.
http://abc7chicago.com/sports/browns-move-qb-johnny-manziel-back-to-starting-role/1112654/
This should be an interesting game. I actually think Cleveland is better than their record and that we’re not quite as good as ours. I hope for the win but I’m not holding my breath.
Please Winder whatever you do don’t hold your breath. Bad idea. Bullit may take you up on that idea.
We can only hope he shows up for that game inebriated.
Gabbert and Alex Smith have similarities, career arc, QB style, but that ends where Gabbert has the arm to do what he did in OT.
Gabbert is building his confidence, you can see it, and he has enough talent to go with the experiences he has learned from.
Niners take a QB next draft regardless, but Gabbert is doing enough to keep the job at the moment. Lets hope he continues to grow and gains more confidence.
Oh and his interviews are easy to watch. That’s refreshing in itself.
Yeah. Didn’t think Gabby would be doing this well. Nothing spectacular, but he isn’t falling on his face.
Which is pretty much what I expected.
Funny, the Bears respect us more than a lot of our own fans:
http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/What-the-Bears-Said-after-Overtime-Loss-to-49ers/432542e8-f565-4025-8ab5-dbd85a1385b6?sf16652129=1
And, beyond that, what was with Adam Gase? You’d think that he would take shots at our ramshackle CBs. Nope. Ground and pound for the most part. This guy wants to be a head coach? He’ll give Greg Roman a run for his money. A slow grind to nowhere.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I agree on the QB situation. I thought we should have drafted one in 2014, let alone this year.
Yeah I expected the same. Baalke has his own ideas.
Scot-O rolls out another snarky column, but he did get off a pretty good line:
“The game was such a non-thrilling head-clanger that all the fans in Soldier Field were forced to undergo concussion protocol after the game.”
http://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/ostler/article/Win-in-Chicago-may-be-the-dawn-of-a-new-day-for-6680179.php
The other thing with Gabbert, he is only 26, 2 years younger than Kap. So with the right coaches maybe he gets better. It is not like he is 32 or 34 years old and at the end of his career. What if the front office drafts a QB and can learn behind Gabbert? What if the front office drafts for the O line. Oh and is Hyde going to be back next year? Is a great running back needed or just a couple of good ones? A team could have two good backs and platoon them. Just a thought.
F Hyde can stay healthy, he’s the real thing. They need an offensive coaching staff that can utilize the guys we have. We DO have some talent.
Speaking of inept, these are the class teams of the NFC East.
Looks like the refs are pulling for Dallas.
gabbert is probably just the right guy for Goff to sit behind for a year or two. i think it’s vastly underestimated how important it is for a young QB to sit on the bench and learn for a year or two. steve deberg filled that role back in the day and BG could be just the guy for JG. the trick is moving down in the draft to get him. i realize they have many other needs but to me, if you have the chance, get JG and then you have a year or two to get the rest. but if i go this route, i’m loading up on the OL. if your qb is constantly in the ground he can’t be successful. this whole scenario would look much better if they had focused on the defensive backfield like they should have for the last 3 years. that just shouldn’t be a need at this point.
Right, wisco. They didn’t draft for corners or o linemen like I thought these past couple years. Let alone a 3-4the round flier at QB.
Which is why I want a new GM. There is nothing g to show on offense in these drafts.
Schneider in Seattle just have away $7Mil to CB Cary Williams Chuck.
Baalke isn’t the problem.
It appears the Whiz Kids, Jed and Paraag are interfering in his assigned duties.
Money Ball isn’t the answer for me.
Baalke is the ONLY guy in the mix who has NFL Scouting experience in that mix.
He needs an Offensive-minded HC to help him develop the roster on that side of the ball.
He likely have Harbaugh the Kaep Pick and, we know where that stands right now.
He was smart enough to spend a 6th on Gabbert, which may be beneficial from a Cap standpoint going forward.
This is one of the crappiest games ever. DSJ is s moron. As us McFadden for going OV there.
I disAgree NJ. This team had a ton of immediate needs due to all the known defections that were coming. They didn’t address CB or o line. They needed an ILB and drafted an OLB. With all the draft picks Baalke had we did t fill the necessary holes.
How stupid s Dallas? Leaving DSJ singled up near the end zone?
Now wash gives up the 50 yard kr.
Berger?
What gives?
You MIA or what?
Got a couple of Fat Men in the Middle to keep an eye on.
Jarran Reed – ‘Bama 6’3″/313
Sheldon Rankins – Louisville 6’1″/303
Both guys are used at DE&DT
The search continues…
Bergs is pulling a NoFear.