Beyond the Numbers: Why 49ers Signal-Caller Blaine Gabbert Is Failing at Quarterback
By Peter Panacy
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert hasn’t done much to suggest he’s a long-term option under center. But Niner Noise looks beyond the stats to try and reveal what the issue is for San Francisco’s No. 1 signal-caller.
2016 has not been kind to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
Gabbert’s 49ers are 1-2 on the young season, and the Niners’ No. 1 quarterback’s stat lines have been less than desirable.
Coming off a 37-18 drubbing by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 — in which San Francisco went 4-of-15 on third downs — Gabbert’s play has prompted questions whether the 49ers would be better off starting No. 2 QB Colin Kaepernick.
That probably won’t happen soon. But it doesn’t mean we should avoid looking at the reasons why Gabbert is faltering.
These reasons go beyond the stat line. Yes, football is a game of statistics. We love numbers, percentages, ratios and the like. They’re important. Football is a numbers game, as most sports are.
And yet something is missing if we’re going to solely base a Gabbert assessment merely off the numbers.
But, to start, we have to establish those painful numbers to begin with.