SAN FRANCISCO–With both Alex Smith and Bears quarterback Jay Cutler out this week due to suffering from concussions, Monday night’s game between San Francisco and Chicago was dubbed “the Backup Bowl.”
This was the 49er’s backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s first NFL start, and due to his stellar performance many analysts now consider him as a potential starting quarterback in the league. Despite Chicago’s legendary defense, Kaepernick passed for 243 (184 in the first half alone) yards and 2 touchdowns. Maybe even more impressive for such an untested quarterback Kaepernick was also able to score on 3 of the first four possessions of the game—giving San Francisco a substantial early lead. For his first professional start, Kaepernick received a passer rating of 133.1 going 16 for 23 and ultimately lead the 49er’s to victory over the Bears 32-7.
Bear’s backup quarterback Jason Campbell did not fare as well. This was his first start since 2011 when he was still with Oakland. Despite a short touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, the team’s only scoring play, Campbell was sacked 6 times and threw 2 interceptions. The 40er’s Aldon Smith, with 5.5 of the 6 sacks, was responsible for much of the stiff defense that Campbell faced.
The 49er’s are now on a 4 game winning streak. Monday marked their 43 “Monday Night Football” tying the Dallas Cowboys for the most.
