San Francisco 49ers Rumors: Did Jim Tomsula Save His Job By Beating Falcons?
San Francisco 49ers rumors regarding head coach Jim Tomsula have shifted again. The San Francisco 49ers found a way to beat the 6-2 Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 8, possibly saving Tomsula’s job with the team. The 17-16 victory wasn’t clean, but it was a huge departure from how badly the team had played in the previous two weeks.
The Falcons had been heavily favored to beat the 49ers in Week 9, especially after starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick got benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert then proceeded to do well enough to lead the team to a big victory at Levi’s Stadium. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, there had been significant San Francisco 49ers rumors that Tomsula was close to being fired after the team started 2-6. Did this nationally televised victory save his job?
On defense, the 49ers held the Falcons to just 302 total net yards. That included only 17 net rushing yards from one of the top running teams in the NFL this season. Devonta Freeman finished with just 12 yards on 12 carries as the defensive line of the 49ers refused to budge. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman led the way with seven tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. The defense didn’t force any turnovers but came up with big stops when it mattered. Allowing only one touchdown on the day was a big step in the right direction.
The San Francisco 49ers rumors don’t stop with the head coach either, as there is still the matter of who will be the starting quarterback for the team in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. For now, the team gets to savor this win during the bye week, allowing some injuries to heal and for the fluid situation behind center to gain some clarity. It could take a lot of game tape review for Jim Tomsula to decide who will take the snaps against the Seahawks.
In his first start of the season, Blaine Gabbert completed 15-of-25 passes for 185 yards. He threw two touchdowns in the second quarter but also had two interceptions on the day. Gabbert now has a 60 percent completion rate to go with a quarterback rating of 76.3 on the season. For comparison, Colin Kaepernick is at a completion rate of 59 percent and a quarterback rating of 78.5 through the first nine games. Kaepernick also has six touchdown passes and five interceptions on his stat line.
At just 3-6 on the season, the San Francisco 49ers have a long way to go to be relevant in the NFL standings again. The team has to find a way to play better against the Seattle Seahawks, as the current losing streak continued with a 20-3 loss on October 22. The result was even worse because it took place at home, meaning the Week 11 match-up is going to be at CenturyLink Field. This is a place where the 49ers have struggled a lot, including a 17-7 loss in 2014, a 29-3 loss in 2013, and a 42-13 loss in 2012. The 49ers also lost there in the 2013 NFL Playoffs (23-17).
Has Jim Tomsula saved his job as head coach of the 49ers? Will Blaine Gabbert remain the starting quarterback of the team? Should Colin Kaepernick get another chance behind center? There are a lot of questions surrounding the team as it heads into an important bye week. It seemed like the front office gave up on the season after trading Vernon Davis to the Denver Broncos, but has it given up on the coaching and quarterback situation? Fans should prepare for two weeks packed with additional San Francisco 49ers rumors about where the team will turn next.
[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
