Jim Tomsula sticking with Blaine Gabbert as 49ers QB

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Tomsula has determined that Blaine Gabbert's performance in Sunday's 17-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons was good enough to allow him to keep his job as the starting quarterback.

No announcement was made, but clearly Tomsula's performance was deemed good enough to keep his as well.

When the 49ers return from a bye to face the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 22, they will begin a seven-week jog to the finish line of a race in which they already know the result.

Not acceptable, as team president Jed York tagged last season, a label that cost Jim Harbaugh his job.

It will be shocking if Tomsula's first-year record will match Harbaugh's last. The 49ers would have to find six wins among the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams to finish 9-7 and better last year's 8-8 record by a game.

No question, 7-9 is much more likely, and even that appears to be wishful thinking.

So 49ers fans, players and, presumably, even their coach are left to wonder: What will be acceptable this season?

Surely, the excuses have started to pile up.

When Tomsula took over the team, he hoped to have offensive tackle Anthony Davis, defensive end Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis, all of whom retired, and linebacker Aldon Smith, who was fired.

And since then they've demoted quarterback Colin Kaepernick, traded tight end Vernon Davis and punter Andy Lee, and lost running backs Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush, center Daniel Kilgore and safety Antoine Bethea to injury.

There's talk of bringing back Hyde and Kilgore, but the question is: Why?

In an attempt to save Tomsula's job?

This is where York needs to step in again and say: Not acceptable.