Blaine Gabbert on why he struggled this season: “It’s the consistency factor…You get consistent with reps.”

SANTA CLARA

Former starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert spoke at his locker Tuesday afternoon. Here’s a transcript, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

 

What is your reaction to the move that was made today?

“It’s a tough deal, but a change is made like that, it’s what the coaches felt best for this team. It sucks. I don’t like it. I don’t like not playing. I’ll be very forward about that. But, at the same time I’m still going to come into work the same way I’ve always come into work the three years that I’ve been here. Put my best foot forward. Still continue to prepare. I’m not going to slack on the film work just because I’m not playing. That’s not how I am as a person. That’s not how I’m going to approach this situation. So, moving forward, I’m going to still prepare the same, be the same guy in the locker room, lead these guys and just keep chipping away.”

 

When you look back at the last five games, are there things that you wish you had done differently–?

“Yeah, hindsight is always 20-20 especially in this game that we play. The quarterback is under such a microscope. But, yeah, there’s always going to be throws you want back, always going to be decisions you want back. I can honestly say I played hard, gave it my best shot. I wasn’t good enough. We didn’t win enough football games. We didn’t score enough points on the offensive side of the ball and that’s the way it goes. It’s a tough situation and [head] coach [Chip] Kelly had to make a call.”

 

Is five games enough for a quarterback to really show–?

“You never know. I can’t answer that question. I just know that I didn’t do enough in five games to keep the starting job. That’s just the way it goes. It’s a performance-based business and if you’re not performing at the highest level you know you’re not going to play. That’s just kind of the way the cookie crumbles almost.”

 

So, how will you support QB Colin Kaepernick?

“Like I said, I’m going to continue to prepare the same way I have in the three years that I’ve been here. That’s the only way I know how is just to continue to work hard, still go through my weekly preparations as if I was a starter. That’s how I go. [New Orleans Saints QB] Luke McCown taught me that as a rookie. You prepare the same way week-in and week-out because you never know when you’re going to play and that’s really the thing that you can fall back on late in the season is your routine, what you know, kind of in your daily routine.”

 

When did you find out?

“This morning. Good news to wake up to.”

 

Is there anything you can do to help support your replacement, because you’ve had five games already?

“Like I said, I’m going to continue to prepare the way I know how to prepare and whatever I can do to help this team I’m going to do. But, like I said, I’m going to stick to my routine, stick to the way I watch film, the way I practice and just keep to that.”

 

Even in practice, as if you are a starter, nothing changes? You’re going to practice as if you are the starter and keep the mindset?

“Yeah, you have to. That’s the way the quarterback position is in the NFL because you’re always one play away and you’ve still have to approach each practice rep like a piece of gold. You’re not going to be getting the bulk of the reps, but at the same time you’ve just got to make the most of the reps that you do get.”

 

Have you spent the last few days studying Buffalo?

“Yeah, I was catching up on film, doing the normal film study. But, like I said, that doesn’t change. My film study and my preparation throughout the week, it doesn’t change whether I’m the one or the two. That’s how I’ve always been. I’m not going to slack whatsoever in how I prepare for this football team, how I watch this film, how I get myself ready to play a game. That’s never going to change as long as I’m playing.”

 

Did you have a feeling these last few weeks that you had to kind of look over your shoulder and that Kap was kind of lingering there?

“No, you’re never going to play your best ball when you’re looking over your shoulder. This game is tough enough to begin with and if you’re playing like that, that’s not a recipe to be successful. That definitely wasn’t the case at all the first five games of the year.”

 

ME: We’ve seen you make every throw. We’ve seen you make some extremely difficult throws the past few weeks. Why do you feel you’ve struggled to make them consistently?

“Yeah, it’s the consistency factor. That’s something that we’re always striving to be more and more consistent drive-in and drive-out, game-in and game-out. You get consistent with reps and it just happens to be I got five games, didn’t make the most of the reps and that’s kind of the way it is.”

This article has 123 Comments

  1. Passing 20+ yards downfield since 2011:
    Blaine Gabbert – 25% comp pct, 6 TD, 13 Int
    Colin Kaepernick – 38% comp pct, 16 TD, 11 Int

    Kaepernick (2015):59 completion %, 6.6 yards/at., 78.5 rating(Worst of his career)
    Gabbert (2016):58.0 completion %, 5.9 yards/att., 69.6 rating

      1. I have no idea. I just found it interesting that when asked the question he went into a generic response that didn’t mention Kap or answer the question.

      2. Remember… Seb was pulling for Gabbert to be kind and step aside…’allowing’ Kaep to play. I’m convinced Seb is right–Gabbert is being a kind man, he’s allowing Kaep to start.

        1. Yep, and once the Niners build up a 3 score lead if they are lucky, I hope Kaep is magnanimous and will allow Gabbert to play. At least for one series.

          It will help solidify the locker room, and maybe Gabbert is best used as a non starter, a reliever. With less pressure, he will not press, and make those easy throws.

          It would keep Kaep fresher, and allow Gabbert to feel involved more. It would be a class act for Kaep, and justify my faith in him.

          1. Oh the humanity…

            Colin row the boat ashore, Hallelujah
            Colin row the boat ashore, Hallelujah

            Gabbert help to trim the sails, Hallelujah
            Gabbert help to trim the sails, Hallelujah

            1. If I had a hammer,
              I would hammer in the morning.
              I would hammer in the evening,
              All over this land.

              Kaep has a hammer,
              He’s hammering for justice,
              He’s hammering for freedom.
              All over this land.

              1. Coach, I feel like singing.

                Happy days are here again,
                The skies above are clear again.
                Lets sing a song of cheer again,
                Happy days are here.

                Altogether shout it now,
                There’s no one who
                can doubt it now,
                So let’s tell the world about it now,
                Happy days are here again.

              2. Coach, I hope to see more of your posts. Your football acumen brings lots to this site, and I respect you opinion.

              3. Oh Seb… Don’t forget you called Kaep out very early when the National Anthem issue first surfaced… In sum, you concluded he was misguided.

              4. Where have all the coaches gone, long time passing?
                Where have all the coaches gone, long time ago?
                Where have all the coaches gone?
                They ignored Seb’s bloat’d posts, everyone.
                When will they ever learn?
                When will they ever learn?

            2. Ev’ry mornin’ on the blog you’d know he arrived
              He’d post eight goofy rants; another 10 by five
              Kinda big in the head and bulbous at the hip
              And everybody knew ya didn’t give no lip to Big Seb.
              Big Seb, Big Seb, Big Bad Seb (Big Seb)

          2. Seb, seb, seb—

            Pro athletes do not “step aside” and let the other fellow play a little bit, too. This is not a gentleman’s game. I know you know this…..

            Why do you say these insane things??????? Just to see who will bite on it?
            Your old buddy TomD is lurking around……

  2. Everyone needs to stop blaming Gabbert. He didn’t have much to work with. I hope he gets his job back.

        1. They could go back to Gabbert. It is clear that Chip doesn’t like Ponder. It is a choice until Gabbert is deactivated, although it is a long shot, and not what I would do.

          1. Gabbert won’t get another shot. He had 5 games to prove what he could do.
            Old wind up will get the next 3 games. Then it will be Ponders turn. Then it will be draft 2 QB’s and sign a veteran. Maybe Thad Lewis will be that guy.

            1. If Gabbert’s taking the #2 reps and Ponders doing the scout team it’s hard to say Ponder will replace Kap if he flounders.

  3. He didn’t have much to work with.

    He has all the physical tools to work with, however he has the Yips….

  4. Either way, we’re screwed. If he plays well and restructures his contract, he’s gone next year. He wants out. This season is lost. We should have done what the redskins did with griffin and kept kap inactive for the season.

  5. Going back to Kelly’s comment about not having many options for changes due to lack of depth. This obviously is a dig at Baalke, intended or not. But I don’t like the comment, regardless of how true it is. How would the current backups feel about such comments? The TEs and WRs aren’t performing. Does comments about a lack of depth inspire players like Streater, Burbridge, Bell? Same goes with all of the backups at positions that have struggled but the current starters have been retained. Just doesn’t seem like a smart comment to make from a player motivation perspective.

    1. Naw, he is just keeping it real. ANY team with a 4 game losing streak does not need to be rosily senarioed. They need a cold drenching to wake them up.

      Yes, by mentioning the lack of talent, it is a kick in the teeth to Baalke. No, the players do not want to be coddled.They want the truth. It would be better to be inspired by coaches who want them to achieve greatness, instead of clueless coaches who will tell them they are so talented, they do not need to practice.

              1. And if Kap is not the second coming of Elway, it might be best for you to change your name to Sebskov and move to Russia.

          1. Like many 49ers fans, oh wait, you are simply a Kap fan, there is no faith in old wind up coming in making much of difference. I would not take that bet either Seb. Ill give you credit, you might be dumb but you are not stupid.
            #stormwatcholdwindupsundayinbuffalo!

            1. Prime, I sure am glad that I will not have to be confronted with that scenario of watching Kaep leave and haunting the Niners for years, because Kaep is still a Niner, and has regained his job that he lost due to injury.

              I will get to watch Kaep play for my favorite team, and hopefully, he will do that for years to come.

              Buffalo tends to shoot themselves in the foot, so I hope Bellichhick will have given Chip some pointers on how to beat them.

              Like you said, a storm is coming.

              1. Amazing how your tuned changed from wanting Kap to leave to exact sweet revenge for years to come to now the 49ers being your favorite team.
                Sorry Seb, you have been exposed. We all know who and what you root for. Nice try!

              2. Dont worry, Prime. You have not seen anything, yet. Since you chose to start engaging me again, I will relish making you eat your words, especially the ones about Kaep taking the league by storm.

  6. You’ve been in the league since 2011 basically hanging on , all that time it’s obvious you have never spent any real time on your mechanics, which are abysmal. Really when this guy drops back it’s a 50-50 deal

  7. Niners should trade Gabbert to a team that is crying for a decent QB. With the attrition rate, at least 3 teams will be looking hard for a QB.

    Gabbert does have talent. maybe he would thrive in a different system.

    If they could get a second round pick for him, I say pull the trigger. it would be like the AS situation. He would be let to move to a team that will let him start. The Niners would get a hopefully high second round pick.

    1. No one in their right mind would give up
      a 2nd round pick for the Blaine Train .. Seb ..

      (a .. “conditional” .. sixth .. maybe)

      Gabs .. IS .. where he will do
      the most good …

      with a clipboard in one hand … and a
      pair of tweezers in the other …

      (for pulling the pine-splinters
      from his backside )

      1. Considering Goff garnered 6 picks, including 2 firsts and 2 seconds, a second for Gabbert seems very cheap.

        Maybe make it a conditional second. If the team makes the playoffs, it becomes a first the next year.

        1. You are comparing a recently drafted QB with a bust. No one would do that.

              1. Considering he was the number one overall pick and cost 6 draft picks, then languishes not as second string, but as a third string backup, sure the heck he appears to be a bust.

                Only a clueless tool would look at him right now, and say he is not a bust. 6 draft picks and he cannot sniff the field. If Case Keenum is beating him out, he really must be bad.

              2. There’s a big difference between saying your concerned and calling the guy a bust.

                I said he’d be a bust before he was drafted. Who cares? I’m a hack. But as I studied his games against good defenses, and what he was allowed to do at the line in such a simplistic offense, coupled with the fact that he would be developed by Fischer, who hasn’t developed anything since McNair, I came to the conclusion that this guy is a perfect candidate to bust. Will he be bust? No one knows, but since the draft and training camp, there is no one that can argue that the chances haven’t increased in that timeframe, that he will be a bust….

              1. Yeah, yeah, I know. You were salivating over Goff as your big draft crush. How dare I criticize your pick of the best QB in the draft. Many many mocks had him going in the first, while I maintained that the Niners should draft Buckner, or if he was gone, they should have traded back to stockpile picks in the second and third rounds.

                Going from the air raid to a pro style is a piece of cake.

                However, I also saw those games when he struggled, and he looks emaciated when compared to Kaep. Goff and Dak Prescott should have switched draft positions.

                Goff has potential to be a good QB, but right now, he is not only a huge disappointment, he is a bust. Just my opinion.

  8. Gabberts will have a fine career as a back-up. He has shown exactly where he can add value. Kaep also is going to show exactly who he is, which is inaccurate, predictably inconsistent. And then comes Ponder, or some other cheap, low talent classic Baalke scrap heap signing. It’s really challenging being a fan for this dumpster fire of a management situation.

  9. Team is sixth in offensive touchdown scored so far. Probably last in tds allowed. How does it fall on Gabbert?

  10. Nice, Grant. You lob a softball to Gabbert with your effusive praise, but get to the heart of the matter when you talked about consistency.

    Maybe you should have concentrated on his inaccuracy, something you brought up since the OTAs.

    1. Neither side was expected to throw the ball a lot. With rain, they may not throw at all :)

      1. Depends on the wind. Rain is not the problem. Wind or wind&rain is the problem. Off the lake, wind could be a problem.
        Rex is coming HARD off the edges.
        Lack of pass rush will be our D’s problem.
        #SantaClaraBrowns

  11. Don’t worry Gabbert, it’s not your fault as much as that dumba** Trent Baalke who has exercised extreme negligence in ignoring the QB position (among others) since becoming GM…. If he had a brain we’d have a starting caliber QB not named Colin Kaepernick or Christian Ponder that would allow you to ride the pine as you so eloquently do….. What a disaster.

  12. Today’s lesson in Seb-logic:
    Let’s see, after a highly disappointing flame-out in Florida as a 1st Round bust, Gabbert is traded to SF for a 6th round pick. Here he shows that he is who everybody in the NFL thought he was and he loses his job.
    Now Seb thinks some GM is going to give SF a 2nd round pick for him!
    A SECOND ROUND PICK!!
    This after bashing him tediously on here for weeks.

    Does Seb’s Kap idolatry remind anyone of DS’s emotional basket case crush on Alex Smith?

    1. BT, I thought that I was measured and reserved in my critiques of Gabbert. I could have been way more harsh, but actually was rooting for him to succeed, even while he was sucking big time.

      What I did say, was that Gabbert’s play was hurting the team.

      1. I was focusing on your unusual thoughts on player valuations when you speculate on potential trades; i.e. 2nd for BG.
        My last comment refers to what seems to me to be an emotional attachment in your zeal for a guy who hasn’t been good since 2013. Like who you want.

    2. Brotha,

      Didn’t think it’d be possible but Seb’s idolatry of Kaepernick is way more over the top than ol’ DS back in the Smith days.

        1. I remember those Alex lovers crowing about how the Chiefs were winning all those games.

          Too bad AS reverted to form, and did not throw a TD pass or one over 20 yards to his WRs for an interminable time.

          last season, AS tried to run the hurry up offense while huddling up. That kinda defined him.

          1. You must be Bayareafanatic or 23Jordan. Both those guys were banned for Niners nation and you openly admitted that to. So who are you really Seb?

            1. On NN, I was po niner.

              They still talk about me over there, but I like it here just fine.

              They even mentioned one of my favorite posts – Forcing Kaep to be only a pocket passer is like putting an Abrams tank in a pit. Having an O line that collapsed like a house of cards just allowed them to beat him like a pinata.

              1. Nope, now that he has been named the starter, I hope he stays as the Niner QB and helps them win multiple rings.

                You are just speculating how mad I would be if Jed and Baalke succeed to drive him away. Since that seems to not be the case, it is now moot to speculate about it.

              2. Glad to see Jed showing some leadership. Maybe he is growing up and maturing.

                Jed is terrified that if he does drive Kaep away, Kaep could pull a Haley and haunt the Niners for years. Glad to see him think things through, and the loss of power by Baalke is welcome news.

                Baalke is now a dead man walking, and it could not happen to a more deserving guy. The Niners will not be able to attract decent FAs until Baalke is gone, and the Niners can ill afford another poor draft. Hopefully, the ACL strategy will no longer be employed. It has been a spectacular failure.

                Maybe Jed DOES want to win.

              3. Wrong again, Seb..
                When an Abrams tank “throws” at you, you get hit-nearly every time.
                When Kap throws at you, someone in the 2nd row may get hit.

                Seb, your becoming tiresome with this Kap idolatry………

            2. Saw, it is also tiresome to see the screeds continue, even after he has regained his stating job. Maybe you should wait until after the Bills game.Then you will not be exposed by seeing Kaep redeem himself.

              I actually do not expect the Niners to defeat the Bills. They just beat the Rams who beat Seattle.

              However, I expect a hard fought game, and want to see competent QB play. I would be content to see Kaep hand off to Hyde who can gain over 100 yards, and let them win it on the ground. Still, I would be thrilled to see Kaep air it out, and see the Niners score a few TDs through the air.

          2. Too bad AS reverted to form, and did not throw a TD pass or one over 20 yards to his WRs for an interminable time.

            Once again logic is completely ignored by you for one player and twisted for another that you place above the team.

            1. Mid, I am just amply proving my point that there can be many degrees of fandom, and if one who likes a player a lot does not mean he has to hate a team. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact, I dislike the Cowboys, their owner, the players AND their fans. Yet I do not feel the same way about other teams. It is all relative.

              Declaring that I am not a true fan is just Y’all trying too hard. Grasping at straws trying to define me is laughable. I know who I am, and I know lots of posters who hate this team with more passion and energy than I could ever could muster. Maybe you can snipe at them. You know, the ones who want the Niners to tank for a good draft position.

              Right now, I am wondering how the Niners can beat the Bills. Originally, I thought that it would be an easy win, because they had Roman. Now that he is gone, I am not so sure, especially considering how well they are playing. Now they have Anthony Lynn, a former Niner, and one of my candidates to have been the Niner HC before they hired Chip. I think he is more than competent, he is dangerous.

              Guess with Kaep leading them with a decent O line, and Hyde healthy, they have a chance.

              The defense needs to play disciplined and the team needs to play error free. No self inflicted wounds.

              Most importantly, Chip needs to go bold.

              1. Someone in the 2nd row has a chance of picking one off. Only problem is, it will be coming in like a howitzer–intended for a 5 yard out–but being confused by the Defense–kap will be picked off again.

  13. Man, people don’t understand how the 49ers work–or actually how dysfunctional they can be. Or they don’t want to know?

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    California Kid Nick Russo Steve Naventi Mark Sanz Joni Bauer Money23Meaks Riddim Senpai Dallin Page Spencer Haire

    1:50 PM – 11 Oct 2016

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    Vijai Shankar ‏@vshankar05 · 19h19 hours ago

    @timkawakami The PSLs blind them from seeing or understanding

    Dimond_Mike ‏@Dimond_Mike · 18h18 hours ago

    @timkawakami What would you compare this York era too? Late Al Davis? Chris Cohan? Something else? Is it worse than all those?

    TomD’s Response: Like a chameleon, the 49er Org. is all of the above.

    ODE TO KAP

    A storm fans asked

    football’s to fast

    so just get rid of that pass,

    the beer vendor, the receiver, all once hit by my pass,
    and one team trainer, concussed, alas,

    One missle here or there, we have 3rd downs to spare,
    with our defense, who cares,

    so stop them D, give Kap another chance,
    and One more distraction to sell the PSL(ers) a lance,

    because the next York distraction will sellout,
    NFL Execs rejoice,

    not having to force the 1st owner to sell,
    did not quell, the impending team financial sale.

  14. Fan, Actually making a European Daily Newspaper for errant throws is not what you expect from an NFL starting QB, especially while marketing your team there.

    Randy Moss: Colin Kaepernick gave me my first dislocated finger.
    Posted by Michael David Smith on December 12, 2012, 7:36 PM EDT, NBC Sports, PFT

    Colin Kaepernick is armed & dangerous: Young QB tattoos opponents and allows San Francisco 49ers offense to flex their muscles

    “He’ll take your fingers off if you don’t watch it,” says tight end Vernon Davis. “I talk to him about a little less mustard all the time.”

    The 49ers wide receivers all align themselves to catch passes from anyone else but Colin Kaepernick

  15. someone asked .. (a few threads ago) ..
    if I played any football during my attendance
    at CSM …

    I played the same position
    Gabbert is playing now .. which is ..
    Guard on End Tackle ..

    (Guard the water bucket on the
    End of the bench.. and Tackle
    anyone who tries to get it )

  16. https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-why-colin-kaepernick-is-exactly-what-chip-kellys-offense-needs/?utm_content=bufferfc93c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=nfl

    “The good news is that there’s very little room for this to be a bad move. Gabbert currently sits rooted at the bottom of PFF’s quarterback rankings, with a 39.1 overall grade, below even the human turnover machine that is Ryan Fitzpatrick this season. Fitzpatrick has thrown twice as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (five), and Gabbert has still managed a to earn a lower grade.”

    1. Well, Baalke leaned in and said that they were going to run the ball…..

      Too bad with the new rules, it is now a passing league.

      However, great teams will not be skewed one way or the other, Most playoff teams will be effective in both phases of the game, and they will be balanced, so they cannot defend against only the run and dare them to pass.

  17. The rumors about Garnett starting at right guard makes no sense to me. Beadles is the worst lineman on the Niners o-line, according to PFF. If Garnett was going to start it would seem to me he would replace Beadles not Tiller.

    1. There is a three game stretch where the 49ers play Miami, Chicago, and New York (Jets). If the 49ers are able to win any more games, it will probably come from that stretch.

    2. I predicted 3 before the season, but you never know. They’ve already played the Cowboys and Cards without their starting QB’s so maybe, they take advantage of a team with similar injury troubles later on.

      1. I predicted they’d be lucky to win 4 games with Roger Gabbert, and 8 with Lightning Rod. Looks like it will land in the middle at 6….

        1. I said 8, but with Kaep starting, maybe 9 or 10 wins with a chance at the playoffs.

          Since he is starting now, I will stick with 10, even with a 4 game losing streak. They will play some one win teams.

            1. Seb may be growing it himself up there in Sebastapol. Pretty nice town, really………….

  18. I’m thinking Rocket’s three will be in the money. I knew this team had potential to swing wildly and we would know 4 games in. At 5 we can surmise they aren’t improving…

  19. Sounds like a contract has been agreed between Kaep and the 49ers. As expected, he can void the contract at end of season to become a FA.

    1. So now Kap can be Kap and play with without any cloud hanging over him? — well maybe except the rain clouds in Buffalo…

  20. Poor Gabby has my sympathy from the Jags to the 9ers to who knows the Browns to close out his career.

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