Week 11: Kaepernick, 49ers D expose banged up Bears

Heading into Monday Night's 49ers-Bears game which featured two backup quarterbacks as well as the top two scoring defenses in the league, a hard fought battle between two NFC heavyweights was expected to be on display. Instead, fans would be treated to a one-sided shellacking as only one team showed up to play. Having lost their last eight meetings in San Francisco and without Jay Cutler, the Bears would turn to Jason Campbell who last started a game in October of 2011 with the Oakland Raiders. As for the 49ers, with Alex Smith sidelined with a concussion, coach Jim Harbaugh would be forced to turn to Colin Kaepernick who's first career start would end up being one for the books.

The Chicago Bears entered Monday's game as one of only two teams who've yet to allow opponents to score on opening possessions this season (Packers the other). But a blazing start from Kaepernick would put an end to that as the second-year QB who set numerous records at the collegiate level with the Nevada Wolf Pack, got the 49ers on the board on their first four possessions sparked by a David Akers field goal on San Francisco's opening-drive. After marching down the field with ease on their first possession, Kaepernick would throw his first career touchdown pass on the following drive, a 3-yard toss to tight-end Vernon Davis. Showing no signs of a young inexperienced quarterback, Kaepernick's second possession would be even more impressive than his first as he drove the team down-field, setting up Kendall Hunter for an easy run in to cap off an 8-play, 96-yard scoring drive to put the 49ers up, 17-0, before later adding another Akers field goal. 

Keeping the chain gang busy by picking up first down after first down, San Francisco's punting unit wouldn't be called upon until their fifth offensive possession, a three-and-out forced by the Chicago defense with 51 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Having been outplayed in every asset of the game in the first two quarters and a 20-0 score at the half to prove it, the Bears would face their largest deficit since 2010. A deficit that would increase to 27-0 once Kaepernick connected with Michael Crabtree in the end zone from 10 yards out. After a nightmare of a first half for Jason Campbell who tallied just 21 yards on 4-of-8 passing attempts and an interception, the only bright spot for the Bears second-string QB would be a 13-yard touchdown pass to receiver Brandon Marshall late in the third quarter. The rest of the game would be better off forgotten for Campbell who was under pressure almost all game long, mostly thanks to 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith who entered Monday's game with 9.5 sacks on the year before adding 5.5 more to pass Denver's Von Miller for the league lead with 15. 

The duo of Aldon Smith and Justin Smith or better known as the "Smith brothers", would prove to be too much for a worn out Bears o-line that saw Campbell get sacked a total of six times and throw for two interceptions. The stingy 49ers defense also added a safety in the fourth quarter. With a league-best 31 takeaways, the Chicago defense would fail to add to their turnover total as Colin Kaepernick played a near perfect game, making the dominant Bears defense look rather pedestrian. With 243 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns, Kaepernick finished Monday's stellar performance with a passer rating of 133.1. Coach Jim Harbaugh who was checked into a nearby hospital earlier in the week due to an irregular heartbeat, would have little to stress about in this one as his boys handily defeated the Bears by a score of 32-7, as Kaepernick became only the third QB over the last 10 seasons to win on Monday Night Football in his first career start. 

Something Harbaugh might lose a little bit of sleep over in the near future however, is the quarterback controversy that is bound to surface once Alex Smith is cleared to play. Will he go with the guy that led the 49ers to within a game of the Super Bowl last year or this young kid coming off an impressive victory in his first career win? Whatever he decides to do, Harbaugh will be the first to tell you that having two good quarterbacks is a good problem to have.

Week 12 Preview: As the 49ers get set to hit the road for a 2-game road trip, their week 12 stop at New Orleans will be no walk in the park. After losing their first four games of the season, the Drew Brees led Saints (5-5) have recently caught fire, winning five of their last six games. And with the 49ers quarterback position currently in the air, whoever gets the nod will have to play through the raucous crowd that the Superdome has become known for over the years. Expect whoever is under center for the 49ers to get the job done on Sunday with a 24-21 win that could very well come down to the final possession.


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