The San Francisco 49ers have not been horrendous. At the very least, they have been (a little) entertaining to watch. Both of those statements were untrue in 2015. But the 49ers have a serious issue. Put bluntly, Blaine Gabbert is not very good. Chip Kelly did not come to San Francisco to start Blaine Gabbert.
Chip Kelly Didn’t Come to San Francisco for Blaine Gabbert
Gabbert has not played poorly enough to be benched, but he has not been very impressive either. Gabbert is inconsistent. It is as simple as that. Many of Gabbert’s passes have fallen at the feet of his receivers, or the passes are sent soaring over their heads. Kudos for taking shots downfield, though. The biggest issue with Gabbert is his low ceiling. At his best, Gabbert is a less exciting version of Alex Smith. You read that correctly, less exciting than Alex Smith.
So maybe it is time for the 49ers to reevaluate their options. After Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers there was much chatter about Gabbert’s inconsistency. That, in turn, led to questions of whether or not we would see Colin Kaepernick return to the number one spot on the 49ers depth chart. But what does Kaepernick offer that Gabbert doesn’t?
Comparing Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick
The Tangibles
Both quarterbacks came out of the 2011 NFL Draft. Gabbert went right to work with the Jacksonville Jaguars while Kaepernick took a backseat to Alex Smith to start the Jim Harbaugh era. Both quarterbacks can be evaluated by looking at some basic statistics.
Let’s start with Gabbert. In five seasons, Gabbert has completed 55.8% of his passes for 36 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. The average yards gained per pass attempt for Gabbert is exactly six yards. His passer rating is a 72.1 (a perfect passer rating is 158.3). On the ground, Gabbert has rushed for just two touchdowns with and average carry of 3.6 yards.
Kaepernick has similar stats, but better. During his five seasons in the NFL, Kaepernick has completed 59.9% of his passes for 56 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and he has a passer rating of 88.4 with 7.4 yards gained per pass attempt. On the ground, Kaepernick has rushed for 11 touchdowns with an average carry of six yards.
Statistically, Kaepernick has performed better in just about every aspect.
The Intangibles
The 49ers need a playmaker. The team needs a player that can keep a defense on their toes. Gabbert is not that guy. Gabbert is capable of winning games, and he is capable of scoring touchdowns. But Gabbert does not have any real element of surprise, much like Alex Smith did not. Both quarterbacks have been known as “game managers” and do not provide much outside of that. This was why the 49ers drafted Kaepernick. Somebody, who now coaches for a team in maize and blue, saw that Kaepernick could shred defenses. And he did just that. Repeatedly.
Kaepernick has the ability to zip balls in-between defenders, hit a receiver in-stride downfield, and take off for a 90-yard touchdown run (looking at you Green Bay Packers). Kaepernick is a big, strong, fast quarterback who thrives under great coaching. His size and speed make him a threat to opposing defenses, and that is something that Gabbert is simply lacking.
The NFL has seen what Chip Kelly can do with quarterbacks. Nick Foles and Sam Bradford recorded their best seasons under Kelly. The former took the Philadelphia Eagles to the playoffs and nearly defeated the New Orleans Saints.
Time for a Change?
While a change in quarterbacks is highly improbable, here is a situation where change could potentially happen. The 49ers face the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, and Arizona Cardinals all before a bye week during week eight. Should the 49ers lose these three games and should Gabbert play poorly, a change could come.
Maybe it is time to see what Colin Kaepernick can do under new Head Coach Chip Kelly. Whatever happens, all eyes will be on Blaine Gabbert.
