Can the San Francisco 49ers turn things around after a 1-5 start to their season? Head coach Chip Kelly seemed to think the best chance of this happening includes benching Blaine Gabbert in favor of Colin Kaepernick at the quarterback position.
Kaepernick was unable to lead the team to a win over the Buffalo Bills in his first start. Will he fare any better against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7?
San Francisco will be without starting running back Carlos Hyde while the Buccaneers will be without starting running back Doug Martin. To make things a little more interesting, if potentially terrible, both teams have bad run defenses. The Bucs rank 28th in rushing yards allowed, while the 49ers are at the very bottom of the league in the same category.
Kaepernick was one of the league's up-and-coming quarterbacks, a new breed that was taking the league by storm with Russell Wilson and Cam Newton. He had several major playoff performances and ultimately earned a big contract from the 49ers. Last year, he was benched in favor of Gabbert after a steep decline in his play, and now this season, Gabbert has been benched for Kaepernick.
The 49ers gave Kaepernick a new contract that basically saves the team from egregious guarantees next season and also gives Kaepernick another opportunity to earn big money if he plays well. The team is adamant that the deal wasn't required for Kaepernick to play, but Kelly was also pretty adamant just a week ago that Gabbert was his long-term starter. Now Kaepernick is starting, and what happens from here will be very interesting.
How to Watch Buccaneers vs. 49ers on Sunday
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
TV: FOX
Announcers: Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale
Online: Sunday Ticket, FOX Sports GO
Team details
Records: 49ers 1-5, Buccaneers 2-3
How to watch: Full details here.
Last week's results: The 49ers fell to the Buffalo Bills, 45-16. The Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers, 17-14.
Odds: Many books have the game at even odds, though the 49ers, the home team, are favored by a point on some, according to OddsShark.
What's next: The 49ers will stay at home to host the New Orleans Saints. The Buccaneers will return home to host the Oakland Raiders.