Host intro:
Look, it was just, in many ways, it was the same thing they had done with Colin. It was a very simple gameplan, just like they'd been doing with Kaepernick, but Gabbert just executed it at a higher level. And where it was really noticeable was on third down, he was excellent on third down. He was 8 for 11 for 115 yards, and both of Celek's touchdowns came on third down. And he had a scramble for a first down as well on third down. Third down is the money down in the NFL, and that's where in this particular game Gabbert was strong.
On lack of duress against Gabbert due to offensive line and/or Falcons weaker pass rush:
It's a combination, but I also think it's the way a quarterback like Blaine Gabbert, who by the way has been a pocket quarterback his whole career, whereas Colin Kaepernick has not, he's been a runner most of his career, going back I'm sure to when he played in high school, is quarterbacks who grow up as pocket quarterbacks, tend to get rid of the ball. There's a timing to the way they play that is, that's the way they've grown up playing the position. They hit their back foot and they get rid of the ball. And you see that with young quarterbacks. You see that with Derek Carr, you see it with Teddy Bridgewater. Teddy Bridgewater is a good example of that. A young quarterback still learning, but he's essentially a pocket quarterback, so he's always played the position where the ball comes out. And that's the difference between quarterbacks who are pocket quarterbacks, and quarterbacks who spend much of their lives being able to make plays with their feet.
On comparing Gabbert 2015 to how he looked in 2012:
Well, I think we have to be a little careful, first of all, because he played against a defense that is not a very good pass rush defense. And, he was able for the most part to drop and get rid of the ball without much pressure. And in this particular game, and that's all we have right now, the only evidence of Blaine Gabbert as a 49er in the regular season is really this game. He was very solid in this game. As the season continues and he faces more pressure, will the issue that he had in Jacksonville crop up? And it may very well, where he was very uncomfortable, very unsettled in the pocket when he faced pressure. And that's where he would break down. So I think all we can do is look at this game.
On facing Seahawks defense and line in particular being significant test:
Well, it's been coming on the last couple of weeks as well. What's going to be a very interesting matchup. We saw what happened when they played them before. It was a really tough go. Avril's really been getting juiced up over the last few weeks. Michael Bennett is really tough, whether he's a d-end or d-tackle. So, this will obviously be a huge, huge test.
On Garrett Celek performance:
Well, those were designed plays. It wasn't anything Celek did. The 11-yard touchdown, which I think, was that the second one or the first one? But the 11-yard touchdown, which came late in the first half, it was designed to go to him. It's what we call a stick-9-go. I actually think there was a mistake in coverage, which makes it seem like an easy throw, but it was a timing throw, and Gabbert threw it with the timing. And here's an example where the timing of the throw beat pressure. Because it was a stunt by Atlanta, and Adrian Clayborn got pretty quick pressure on Gabbert, but the timing of the throw, and granted he was open, which you're hoping for, but the timing of the throw beat the pressure.