Sunday Night Football Preview: Kaepernick Comes Full Circle

Colin Kaepernick and his San Francisco 49ers didn't need to be overly impressive on offense in their 28-17 Week 1 victory at Dallas. The Cowboys’ ineptitude on offense was glaring, as the 49ers raced out to a 21-3 first quarter lead thanks to two first quarter turnovers. Kaepernick was effective enough, throwing two early touchdown passes to Vernon Davis, racking up 201 yards through the air along with the fifth highest Week 1 Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) score.

Many fantasy experts are expecting a true breakout campaign for Kaepernick, as the 49ers wait out injuries and suspensions to their defense, signaling a move to a more pass-friendly offense. Kaepernick didn’t disappoint in Week 1, and is among the highest projected scoring quarterbacks this week due to his overly friendly matchup with the Chicago Bears.

The Bears enter Week 2 off of a disappointing home opening overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Bears hadn't lost a home opener since 2008, the year before the Jay Cutler era began.

Cutler was fantasy friendly in Week 1, throwing for 349 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he racked up a negative Passing NEP in the process. While Cutler didn't do a lot to help his team score points, his Success Rate of 58.82% was second in the entire NFL, trailing only Kaepernick. Turnovers killed his effectiveness.

The Bears have truly had zero success traveling to San Francisco since 1985, losing their last seven trips there by a total score of 227-34. Ouch. This game comes down to Cutler utilizing his massive weapons and avoiding turnovers. That is, of course, if those massive weapons end up playing.