While we were focusing on Jay Cutler's concussion over here in Bears-land, the Niners had their own quarterback trouble. Alex Smith suffered a concussion last week against the Rams after a pair of hard hits and Colin Kaepernick stepped in during the second quarter. Chris Mortenson is reporting today that Smith will not play in tonight's Monday night showdown.

All signs were pointing to Smith playing in the game, as he was taking practice reps (up to and including Saturday's final game prep) and only had to pass his final concussion tests. So, apparently the independent neurologist told him that it wasn't going to work.

Colin Kaepernick gets his first career start after going 11-17 for 117 yards against the Rams, with eight rushing attempts for 66 yards and a touchdown. Kaepernick is the team's second-round pick from 2011, and offers a bit more of a scrambling/running threat than Smith does.

As Dane is fond of saying, stay tuned...