49ers vs. Panthers: Previewing Week 2 for San Francisco

QBs Blaine Gabbert vs. Cam Newton

Speaking of quarterback play, it’s safe to say the Panthers have the edge in the signal-caller department.

Yes, the Broncos made Newton look human — both in Super Bowl 50 and in Week 1.

Plays like this one show how swarming Newton can be so effective:

Pressure will be the key for San Francisco if it wants to negate a dual threat like Newton. His passer rating dipped to 48.4 when under pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. So look for the Niners to try and apply a successful pass rush without risking his unique scrambling abilities.

Quarterback Blaine Gabbert also made good use of his scrambling abilities in Week 1. He netted 43 yards on the ground, which was almost as much as Rams running back Todd Gurley in the same contest (47).

The problem is with Gabbert’s accuracy and lack of established receivers. While slot wideout Jeremy Kerley made a nice impact, Gabbert’s lackluster passing numbers can’t afford to carry over into Week 2.

San Francisco will likely feature a lot of its running game, which hopefully sets up good use of play action. This is an area in which Gabbert thrived last year, per Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus:

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