Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals' Mathieu gives 49ers' Gabbert nod over Kaepernick

Published Nov. 25, 2015 11:36 p.m. ET

foxsports

The San Francisco 49ers made the right move in benching Colin Kaepernick in favor of Blaine Gabbert. At least that's the opinion of Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu.

With the Cardinals set to visit the 49ers on Sunday, Mathieu offered an assessment of the differences between Gabbert and Kaepernick in a conference call with San Francisco reporters on Wednesday.

“Not to take anything away from Kaepernick, but it seems like Gabbert has a little better grip on what’s going on,” Mathieu said. “If he gets in a situation, he knows where the ball needs to go. He’s a (heck) of a passer. He’s underrated when you talk about how well he can throw the football.”

It didn't help Kaepernick's cause that Mathieu and the Cardinals saw him at his worst in their most recent matchup. Arizona intercepted Kaepernick four times, returning two for touchdowns, in a 47-7 romp over the 49ers in Week 3.

“It seems like he takes care of the football way better,” Mathieu said of Gabbert. “If he gets in a situation where he feels pressure, he’s not just going to give the defense an opportunity to make a play.”

Having played the Niners twice a season, Mathieu acknowledged that Arizona was familiar with Kaepernick's tendencies. Still, he gave Gabbert higher grades across the board.

"He’s better in the pocket, has a better feel for coverages," Mathieu said. "It seems he can get to the line, see a coverage and then go to a different play. Or see a coverage and not throw the ball. You can see Gabbert’s maturity and the different things he does well that Kaepernick doesn’t do well.”