The 49ers started Colin Kaepernick over Blaine Gabbert looking for less big mistakes and more big plays. It didn't take long for Kaepernick to reward their decision.
Kaepernick, through a little more than a quarter in Buffalo, gave San Francisco's offense the passing spark it needed. His early passer rating was a near-perfect 153.3, going 5-for-7 for 103 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown to speedy wide receiver Torrey Smith in the second quarter.
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Kaepernick overshot Smith on a potential scoring deep ball in the first quarter. He had not done much running early in the game, with 3 attempts for only 9 yards, but everyone knows he can be much more dynamic than the athletic Gabbert.
Smith was rather non-existent through the 49ers' first five games, catching only 9 passes for 106 yards despite being targeted 23 times by Gabbert.
Gabbert was too checkdown-heavy with slot man Jeremy Kerley working as his best target. Smith got half his previous season yardage total on one play with Kaepernick, who is a much better and more accurate deep ball thrower.
So much for Kaepernick being distracted by the outside noise and controversy over his flag protests during the national anthem. He looks healthy and locked into what Chip Kelly wants to do with his special physical talents on the field.
