'Twas the week before Thanksgiving and all through the
league, not a torn shoulder was an issue as Colin Kaepernick looks set to be a former San Francisco 49er. There
was much talk that he was needing a rest, and Blaine Gabbert came in and beat Atlanta. The narrative then
changed to Gabbert being the sacrificial lamb offered up to the Seattle Seahawks, and Kaepernick would
be back afterwards.
Well, as expected the Niners lost in Seattle, but Gabbert
showed once again that he is operating the Niners offence in a much better
fashion than we have seen from Kaepernick all year long, now news emerges that
Kaepernick asked to go on injured reserve and has had surgery on his
non-throwing shoulder, meaning from the Niners viewpoint this is now Blaine
Gabbert’s team till the end of the season.
The way Kaepernick’s contract was structured and being outplayed by
Gabbert it now seems an iron clad certainty that Kaepernick has played his last
down for San Francisco, if Gabbert can now keep them from the overall number
one pick may influence if it remains his team next year.
The Seahawks have their own passing of the torch moment, with
news Marshawn Lynch requires surgery
the Hawks turned to undrafted rookie Thomas
Rawls, who turned it on. Bear in
mind that this same 49ers defence held Davonte
Freeman, the then rushing leader to just 12 yards in their last outing,
Rawls was not having any of that. He
went for over 200 yards on the ground and almost 50 more receiving with two
touchdowns. Gabbert did not disgrace
himself though and he did have his first choice receiver in Anquian Boldin this time out, but the
Niners are desperately missing Carlos
Hyde from their own backfield, it will be interesting to see what Gabbert
can do when he has a legitimate running threat behind him, and he has already
rediscovered the Tight End position, albeit the week after Vernon Davis left the team.
Meanwhile division leader Arizona Cardinals kept rolling in a last second win over the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a win that maintained the Cardinals three
game lead but meant a whole lot more for personal reasons to former Bengal, Carson Palmer. This was a much stronger Bengals side than
the one who didn’t turn up last time out against the Texans, but at the key
moments, Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald
combined to put the Cardinals in place for the winning Field Goal. They have San Francisco next for all looks
good for the Cardinals, whilst the Seahawks entertain Pittsburgh, could Bruce
Arians old team do his new one a favour this time around.
The Rams
meanwhile seem to self destruct again, Case
Keenum despite appearing to be concussed was left in the game and two plays
later fumbled the ball back to Baltimore who despite losing Justin Forsett with a broken arm and as
it turned out Joe Flacco with a ACL
/ MCL, but Flacco stayed in to end the game and moved the Ravens down to the
winning Field Goal.
After the game two bits of Rams news, Stedman Bailey involved in a shooting incident and had been shot in
the head several times reportedly, although thankfully he remains in a stable
but critical condition. Thoughts and prayers for continued swift recovery. Also the Rams announced as playing at Twickenham in 2016 against an NFC East
opponent, now we just need to know if that will be the St Louis or Los Angeles Rams coming to London.
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