SANTA CLARA – Colin Kaepernick applied a bit of pressure to Blaine Gabbert during a pregame warmup, as he appeared to serve notice he is ready to resume the quarterback competition.
Gabbert then put together a solid showing during his three drives against the Denver Broncos defense, which pitched a shutout in its exhibition opener last week against the Chicago Bears.
The 49ers got better as the week went along against last year’s Super Bowl champions. The 49ers struggled mightily in a joint practice on Wednesday, and played better the next day.
On Saturday, the 49ers held their own against last year’s Super Bowl champions when the starters were in the game.