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San Francisco 49ers: Positional Progress Report for First Quarter of 2016

By Peter Panacy

October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly watches against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly watches against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) runs the football against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee (50) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) runs the football against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee (50) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Quarterback

No, Blaine Gabbert isn’t the answer under center. And it’s safe to say we’re seeing all that we will see, insofar as his playmaking abilities.

But head coach Chip Kelly won’t make the switch to Colin Kaepernick. Not yet, at least. At the earliest, this comes in Week 6 on the road against the Buffalo Bills (San Francisco will have an extended break between Weeks 5 and 6, due to Thursday Night Football).

Gabbert can be blamed for throws short of the sticks. But these checkdowns aren’t entirely on his shoulders. Remember, he’s not exactly getting help from 49ers receivers separating themselves from coverage.

Still, Gabbert remains the guy capable of making the great throw every now and then, only to have his efforts negated by the all-too-frequent inaccurate pass.

Up to Par

Gabbert is, at least, avoiding pressure and isn’t allowing himself to be sacked in an attempt to extend plays.

And we’ve seen some nice throws from time to time as well. A pass to tight end Garrett Celek against the Cowboys last Sunday was placed right where only Celek could haul it in. And coverage was tight too.

Gabbert also has 29 rushing attempts on the year, which might be a little too high, but it still reflects his ability to be mobile out of the pocket.

Needing Improvement

Everything else. As stated, every solid Gabbert throw is offset by two or three inaccurate passes or poor decisions.

Not surprisingly, Gabbert’s passer rating is 73. 1 on the season. And Pro Football Focus ranks him 33rd out of 34 qualifying quarterbacks on the year.

Switching over to Kaepernick may not be the answer. But it’s becoming clearer Gabbert is never going to be the long-term option San Francisco needs under center.

More from Niner Noise

Until a change is made, whenever that happens, fans will have to endure the inconsistent play the Niners quarterback has delivered over four weeks of the season.

Next: 49ers May Regret not Drafting a QB Earlier in 2016 NFL Draft

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.