The San Francisco 49ers went in to Seattle this weekend and came out 37-18 losers the Seahawks, and the story of the game for the visitors was quarterback play.
Starter Blaine Gabbert mustered up just 119 yards passing in the loss, and head coach Chip Kelly didn’t pull him or indicate that backup Colin Kaepernick was about to get in the game at any point soon.
It apparently surprised an unlikely person — Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett. That’s because Bennett believes that it should be Kaepernick and not Gabbert getting the chance to lead that team.
In fact, Bennett believes that Gabbert doesn’t challenge opposing defenses much at all.
Bennett had this to say to the Seattle Times about the “challenge” Gabbert gives to opposing defenses:
“There is no challenge. He threw for 100 yards. The challenge is him reading the defense and staying in the pocket.”
This all got started when a reporter asked Bennett about a conversation he was seen having with Kaepernick following the game. The defensive lineman didn’t hesitate to give up that information, nor his opinion on the 49ers quarterback situation at all.
“I just talked about him getting a chance to play again,” Bennett said to reporters. “I think he’s a great quarterback. I think he’s just missing his opportunities. Hopefully he gets to play.”
Bennett said he was “very surprised” Kaepernick didn’t play on Sunday. Blaine Gabbert started for the 49ers and threw for 119 yards.
“I think Kaepernick gives the team a better chance of winning,” Bennett said, “but that’s just my opinion.”
Kaepernick has done more to draw attention to himself with his controversial sitting, and then kneeling, during the playing of the national anthem then he has with his play on the field.
He didn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence in his play on the field during preseason games this season, going just 13 of 24 for 117 yards and no touchdowns in two games of action this preseason. That included a start in the finale, where he went 11 of 18 for just 107 yards and no scores.
After Sunday’s game, head coach Chip Kelly wasn’t afraid to tell reporters that he didn’t even think of going to Kaepernick, and that should be telling about the situation in San Francisco.
It is one thing to have a bad game, but Gabbert has had a rough start to the 2016 season period. How little must Kelly trust that Kaepernick would be an option to spark this team if he sees what Gabbert has put on the field and still won’t go to the guy sitting (or kneeling) on the bench?
Perhaps Bennett is right, but it is interesting to see an opposing player give his two cents on the situation of another team in the NFL, let alone a division rival. That probably didn’t go over too well in his locker room or the opposition one either.
