The topic of Colin Kaepernick still being without a job in the NFL a month before kickoff is one that has been weighing on my mind and one I've thought about writing about for awhile now, but the recent signing by the Miami Dolphins to bring in Jay Cutler, a guy who had to be talked out of retirement, was the final straw. Whether you like the guy or not, defend or oppose his decision to kneel during the national anthem, it's now become very obvious that the guy is being blackballed from the league. Need I remind you that Colin Kaepernick who never once has been arrested for anything, did absolutely nothing illegal when he peacefully protested by taking a stand against social injustices for the victims who aren't fortunate enough to have the outlet or stepping stone to do so and yet he's been treated like a felon.
Kaepernick, now at the ripe age of 29, has garnered very little interest from teams despite putting up solid numbers in 2016 and having very little to work with on an anemic 49ers offense. With a career record of 32 wins and 32 losses, including four playoffs wins and a trip to the Super Bowl in which Kaepernick was the deciding factor that helped San Francisco get over the hump and claim their first NFC Championship since a guy named Steve Young manned the position, the former quarterback out of Nevada boasts a resume that most players at the position could only dream about, including Cutler. And while Kaepernick might not be that same mysterious yet dominant quarterback that ran amok in the 2012 playoffs and put up record-setting numbers against the Green Bay Packers that still has cheese heads waking up in the middle of the night with cold sweats, the man still possesses more than enough talent to earn himself a job in the NFL, albeit as a starter or backup.
Even before Cutler and the Dolphins agreed on their one-year, $10 Million pact, Miami head coach Adam Gase considered both Tim Tebow who isn't even playing football these days and Kyle Orton who's last snap came in 2014, over Kaepernick. Two names that are rather laughable and who's success in the NFL pales in comparison to Kaepernick's. But hey, if a guy who's heart for the game has been questioned on multiple occasions walked away from the game of football to become a broadcaster, is known for being soft, has been much more injury prone, tends to rub his teammates the wrong way and throws for more interceptions is what Adam Gase and the Dolphins wanted and didn't mind overpaying for, then they definitely found their man in Cutler. I get it, the two spent time together in Chicago and Cutler, now 34-years of age, is familiar with the system in place, but if we're going off of numbers alone, those are tilted in Kaepernick's favor as well.
When comparing the production of the two quarterbacks since Kaepernick's first full year at the helm in 2013, Cutler has Kaepernick beat in passing touchdowns, 71 to 62, but he's also thrown almost twenty more interceptions than Kaepernick during that span, 46 to 27. And while Cutler has amassed more passing yards than Kaepernick, 11,151 to 10,422, Kaepernick more than makes up for it with his legs with 1,887 rushing yards compared to Cutler's 534, bringing the total to 14,196 total yards to 11,685 in favor of Kaepernick. Cutler who went 51-51 in his 8-year stint with the Bears, also has more fumbles lost (16), despite Kaepernick (13) having the ball in his hands a lot more as he's rushed for 8 touchdowns compared to only 3 from Cutler. Though Cutler narrowly edges Kaepernick in completion percentage by just over two percentage points, 61.9 to 59.8, Kaepernick's passer rating is more than three percentage points better at 88.9 to 85.7. Then again Kaepernick doesn't do himself any favors because he's got an afro. You know, because looks and hair styles matter in the NFL even if they'll be covered with a helmet, right?
Unfortunately, the Dolphins aren't the first team to scoff at the idea of bringing Kaepernick aboard and the guys those teams chose to sign instead are just as laughable. Before Ryan Tannehill suffered a knee injury in training camp which triggered Miami's need for a QB, the Baltimore Ravens had shown interest in Kaepernick for similar reasons as quarterback Joe Flacco has had to watch his team practice without him while he recovers from an ailing back. But once again, Kaepernick was passed on this time for a guy from the Arena Football League named David Olson. And then there's the Seattle Seahawks, a team that needs no introduction to Kaepernick or the tools he possesses having faced him several times while with the rival 49ers. Though Seattle would show Kaepernick the most interest of all and even flew him out to meet with the team personally, they would end up signing a guy who's thrown one fewer interception (12) than he has games played (13) in Austin Davis. What makes even less sense is their reasoning for signing Davis over Kaepernick as Seattle head coach Pete Carroll praised him by saying, "He's a starter in this league... I can't imagine that someone won't give him a chance to play." So apparently Carroll thinks Kaepernick's good enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL but not good enough to be a backup. I think all that rain and precipitation Seattle is known for has clouded Carroll's head... And then there's teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, both of whom have been in need of a quarterback for years but for whatever reason aren't pounding on Kaepernick's door or willing to at least kick the tires on the QB who has more career playoff wins since he's been in the league than either team has appearances.
For a league that's been known to give second chances, a la Michael Vick who actually committed a crime but had little to no problem finding a job in the NFL after being released from prison for his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring, Kaepernick's case is a little fishy and is blackballing in its purest form. Though NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his panel of team owners will never admit it, it's very clear that they're trying to send a message to the rest of the league and its players that if you use their platform to protest, no matter if it's legal, you'll suffer the consequences whether fair or not.
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Week 13 - With the 49ers in Chicago to face off with the (5-6) Bears, San Francisco head coach Jim Tomsula found himself going up against a former colleague -- Vic Fangio who served four seasons as the Niners defensive coordinator before landing the same job title in the windy city during the offseason, as well as Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase whom Tomsula beat out for the head coaching job. In what would be a struggle offensively for most of the game by both teams, the game would have to be decided in overtime.
After three and outs in each of San Francisco's first two possessions, the Bears took an early 6-0 lead on a pair of Robbie Gould field goals. Celebrating his 34th birthday, the rest of the day would be one to forget for the longtime Chicago kicker. Seeking their first 1st quarter touchdown of the season, the Niners would strike pay dirt in the form of a Jimmie Ward interception he took to the house. Playing in Chicago for the first time not far from Northern Illinois University where he played collegiately before being selected in the first round of last year's Draft, the interception marked the first of Ward's career, helping put his team on the board and end a first quarter touchdown-less drought that had reached 11 games. Kicker Phil Dawson would fail to tack on the ensuing PAT, however, as the 49ers suffered their first missed extra-point since 2003. With the game tied at 6, both teams would exchange rushing touchdowns as Matt Forte scored for Chicago, only to be matched by San Francisco's Shaun Draughn who scored his first touchdown in a Niner uniform.
The game would remain tied at 13 heading into the 4th quarter. It would be there where the Bears and 49ers would once again exchange rushing touchdowns, this time by a pair of unlikely recipients as both Ka'Deem Carey and Blaine Gabbert logged the first rushing touchdowns of their career, both capping six-play drives in the 4th quarter. Carey's would come first as he found the end zone from 4-yards out, followed by the longest rush of the season by a 49er -- a 44-yard scramble up the middle by Gabbert who showed athleticism on the play that nobody knew he had as San Francisco once again tied the game at 20 apiece. But Gabbert's late-game heroics were nearly erased on the ensuing kick as the 49ers special teams surrendered a 74-yard return to Deonte Thompson with under two minutes remaining. The return would put Chicago in position to win as Bears head coach John Fox called on Gould to kick his team to victory. But after missing his previous attempt in the third quarter, nothing was promised. And from 36-yards out, the Bears' Pro Bowl kicker shanked the kick wide left, spoiling his birthday and sending the game into overtime. It would mark the first game of Gould's career in which he missed a pair of field goals 41-yards or fewer.
With both teams going three and out on their first possession in overtime, Gabbert wasted little time on San Francisco's second drive as he aired it out along the left sideline where he found Torrey Smith all alone for the 71-yard walk-off touchdown. Prior to his game-winning reception which led to his 49er teammates mobbing him in the end zone, Smith had one catch for five yards. Gabbert threw for 196 yards on the day and led the team in rushing with another 75 yards as the 49ers pulled off the 26-20 overtime victory. Chicago's Jay Cutler threw for 202 yards in a losing effort as San Francisco claimed their first road win of the season and first of Tomsula's career. Niners receiver Anquan Boldin caught five passes for 37 yards, helping him reach 13,000 career receiving yards in what's been a stalwart career in the NFL and one that could very well result in a Hall of Fame induction one day.
Week 14 Preview - At 4-8 on the year, the 49ers will look to build their first winning-streak of the season when they pay a visit to Cleveland to take on the 2-10 Browns. Coming off a 37-3 shellacking by their inner-state rivals the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns are looking to bounce back at Home. Having endured quarterback trouble of their own this season, Cleveland has decided to name Johnny Manziel their starting QB heading into Sunday's game. While Manziel gives the Browns their best chance of winning games over fellow QB's Josh McCown who's now injured and Austin Davis, the former Heisman Trophy winner is coming off a 2-game absence as Cleveland coach Mike Pettine decided to discipline his young QB after videos of Manziel partying in his native Texas surfaced over the internet. The Niner defense will look to keep the duel threat quarterback at bey with another stellar showing on defense and build on their first road victory of the season.
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While most of us feasted on turkey dinners and spent time with our families on Thanksgiving night while being glued to our TV's for Thursday Night Football, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears had some unfinished business to settle in the NFC North. Free-falling from the NFC power rankings, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers suffered their most recent loss and fourth in their last five games, at home to the Chicago Bears. On a night in which they honored future Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre and inducted him into their own Hall of Fame by retiring his iconic number 4, the Packers were unable to deliver a victory to the Green Bay faithful on a cold and rainy night at Lambeau.
With Packers great Bart Starr in attendance for the Favre ceremony, Green Bay's current great quarterback Aaron Rodgers had himself a sub-par performance under his own standards. In what's been a rough month for one of the NFC's heavyweights which entered Thursday night's game clinging onto a tie for first place in the NFC North with rival Minnesota, the Packers dropped consecutive games at historic Lambeau Field. Just three weeks after surrendering their first defeat to the Lions at Lambeau Field since 1991, Chicago's Jay Cutler finally escaped the frozen tundra with a win under his belt after failing in his first four attempts. Chicago's defense held off a late surge and comeback attempt by Rodgers and company when a fourth and goal attempt from the 8-yard line went sour for the cheese heads as Packers receiver Devante Adams was unable to come up with what would've been the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute remaining.
James Jones also had a go-ahead grab slip away as the ball was stripped from his grasp in the end zone a play earlier which set up the big fourth and goal try. Cutler threw for 200 yards and a touchdown in the win, besting Rodgers who appeared to be hurt after taking a sack, but came back into the game and threw for 202 yards to go along with a touchdown and a late fourth quarter interception. Packers running back Eddie Lacy rushed for 105 yards on 17 carries and caught Rodgers' lone TD pass, but lost a costly fumble in the first half. The turnover set up the Bears who capitalized on the miscue with a 7-play scoring drive which tied the game at 7 before the half as they improved to 5-6 on the year under first-year head coach John Fox. Meanwhile, Green Bay fell to 7-4 on the season with the loss and currently remain a half game behind (7-3) Minnesota for first place in the NFC North who takes on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Green Bay handed the Vikings a loss in their own home just a week ago and are now hoping to get some help from the dirty birds as they try solving their own problems while currently holding onto an NFC Wild Card spot.
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The Chicago Bears who had not beaten the San Francisco 49ers on the road since their lone Super Bowl season in 1985, had the odds stacked against them after falling behind early on Sunday night as the 49ers kicked off the grand opening of their new home -- Levi's Stadium. Facing the Bears for the first time since his coming out party in Week 11 of 2012 when he shined in place of the injured Alex Smith on Monday Night Football to eventually win over the starting QB job, Colin Kaepernick followed up a flawless Week 1 performance vs the Cowboys with one of his ugliest outings yet. Out of the gates, however, the Niners had all things working for them as they forced a three and out on Chicago's opening possession before blocking a punt which set up an easy touchdown as Kaepernick connected in the end zone with Michael Crabtree.
Hoping to crash the party, things didn't look good early for Bears QB Jay Cutler and company as Chicago was unable to put anything on the board offensively for almost the entire first half. A Phil Dawson field goal and a rushing touchdown from Frank Gore gave the 49ers a 17-0 lead as San Francisco threatened to take a big lead into the locker room at the half despite two turnovers by Kaepernick. It took them until the last minute of the first half, but the Bears were able to wake up on offense and exploit San Francisco's rookie cornerback Jimmy Ward who was outmatched by the much taller and stronger Brandon Marshall as the Pro Bowl wide-out came down with three of Jay Cutler's four touchdown passes on the evening.
A second field goal by Phil Dawson to open up the start of the second half gave San Francisco a 20-7 lead. But where Cutler excelled in the second half, showing poise and patience, Kaepernick crumbled. The Bears, who entered the game with a record of 3-140-1 all-time when trailing by more than 16 points on the road, rallied behind a pair of 4th quarter turnovers by the 49ers QB to score 21 unanswered-points in the second half to pull out the comeback win, 28-20. By no means did Jay Cutler have a monstrous day throwing the ball as he finished with only 176 yards passing, but he managed to play mistake-free football and capitalized on good field position whether it was created by penalties (there were 26 of them overall, 16 by SF) or on turnovers. Kaepernick, who was near perfect in the season-opener, was anything but in prime time as he finished with 248 passing yards, 64 yards rushing, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions and 1 fumble.
After allowing more than 100-yards rushing to Dallas' DeMarco Murray in Week 1, the 49er defense were lights out in defending the run, holding the Bears' Pro-Bowl running back Matt Forte to only 21-yards on 12 carries and even did a good job in containing Chicago's stellar receiving tandem in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery who combined for only 95 yards on 8 receptions. But it's where three of those passes hauled in by Marshall were caught. Bears tight-end Martellus Bennett also caught a touchdown pass from Cutler, spoiling the debut of Levi's Stadium.
Week 3 Preview: With little time to lick their wounds and prepare for their next game, the 49ers will take a trip to the desert where they'll meet the (2-0) Arizona Cardinals who currently sit in first place in the NFC West with both San Francisco and Seattle being tagged with losses in Week 2. Despite the absence of Quarterback Carson Palmer who will also sit out vs the 49ers in Week 3 while nursing a shoulder injury, Arizona had no trouble on the road where they defeated the New York Giants, 25-14 behind backup QB Drew Stanton. Hoping to get back in the win column, the 49ers will look to make Stanton's second start of the 2014 season a rough one.
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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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After the Bears' 21-14 loss at home in the NFC title game to the Green Bay Packers, QB Jay Cutler is taking heavy criticism regarding his play and health. Trailing 14 to nothing in the third quarter with only 80 yards passing to show for, Cutler was pulled from the game in favor of back-up Quarterback Todd Collins. What seemed to be more of a mechanic issue or struggle to find his rhythm, turned into a more serious injury than first thought, as it's been learned that Cutler has a torn MCL in his left knee. With Cutler sidelined prior the injury was officially announced, it wasn't long before players and fans alike began bashing Cutler over Twitter, as he became a trending topic on the social network within minutes.Unlike those questioning whether or not he was hurt, Cutler's teammate and defensive captain LB Brian Urlacher came to his QB's defense, as did Bears head coach Lovie Smith, stating that Cutler was indeed hurt and not faking his injury. Having been the most sacked QB in the league this season, leading the NFL with a whooping total of 52 sacks, including a career high 9 sacks against the New York Giants earlier this year, there's no doubt Cutler has had his fair share of cuts and bruises since the start of the season. Cutler's toughness shouldn't necessarily be questioned, based on that stat alone, despite the arguments former and current QB's such as San Diego's Philip Rivers recently made. "I would've played until I had to be carted off the field, but that's just me." Rivers said.
Though he's been bombarded with the widespread skepticism, I personally can't attack Cutler, but I will make the case that players in the past have remained in the game after suffering more severe injuries, such as Donovan McNabb who returned to the field after suffering a broken ankle in 2002. For Cutler, a 2008 Pro Bowler during his tenure with the Denver Broncos, the biggest disappointment has to be the sour ending to his impressive season in which he bounced back from a disappointing 2009 campaign when he threw 27 Touchdowns to go along with a league leading 26 Interceptions for a 7-9 Chicago Bears team. Improving off his forgetful season just a year ago, Cutler helped the Bears to a division leading 11-5 record by compiling 23 TD's and 16 INT's, resulting in a better QB rating, despite throwing for fewer yards.Even with Cutler out for most of the second half on Sunday, the Bears hopes of making it to Super Bowl XLV were anything but over, as third string Quarterback Caleb Hanie took over for the injured Todd Collins. Down 14-0 in the fourth quarter, Hanie led the Bears offense to a touchdown during his first series on the field. After a costly pick-six to defensive lineman B.J. Raji, Hanie moved Chicago down field for another score to bring the Bears within seven, before a late Sam Shields interception with less than a minute remaining ended the possible rally, sending Green Bay to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1997.
