SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Tomsula informed his quarterbacks Monday what everyone figured would be the case after the 49ers’ win Sunday over Atlanta: Blaine Gabbert has done enough to earn a second start.

That start will come Nov. 22 against at Seattle, where the 49ers have not won since 2011.

The 49ers’ former starting quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, is 0-4 in Seattle. He has thrown for just two touchdowns against six interceptions and has a 55.2 passer rating at CenturyLink Field.

Gabbert played well in Sunday’s 17-16 win, passing for two first-half touchdowns and helping seal the game with a five-yard bootleg for a first down on the 49ers’ final drive. He also was not sacked, the first time this season the 49ers have not allowed one.

“Blaine did a nice job, (did) some really, really good things with his feet and his arm and his brain,” Tomsula said. “Really did a nice job. So congratulations to him.”

Kaepernick and Gabbert were not told Gabbert would start until Monday afternoon, and Tomsula declined to reveal the choice during a news conference earlier in the day. At that time, 49ers players said they had no expectation or preference for a particular player.

“Either way, it doesn’t matter to me,” said tight end Garrett Celek, who caught both of Gabbert’s touchdown passes Sunday.

With the 49ers in their bye week, Gabbert will have two weeks to prepare for the Seahawks. Tomsula said players would be at the 49ers’ facility Monday and Tuesday this week before leaving for the bye week on Wednesday or Thursday.

Changes help Titans protect Mariota

Marcus Mariota showed Sunday what the Tennessee Titans believed when they drafted him: The quarterback can be special when given a little time to throw.

Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk wanted her franchise’s investment in the Heisman Trophy winner from Oregon protected when she fired Ken Whisenhunt last week, and interim coach Mike Mularkey followed up with a couple of lineup changes and tweaks the offensive scheme. The result was a 34-28 overtime win in New Orleans, where Mariota was not sacked and was hit only twice.

With the protection, Mariota turned in his best game yet after missing two games with an injured left knee, and he also surprised the Titans by being able to move around better than they expected. The No. 2 draft pick overall passed for a career-high 371 yards, the most by a Titans quarterback in nearly two years.

Mariota joined Tom Brady as the NFL’s only quarterbacks with four touchdown passes and no interceptions in two games this season. He also became the first rookie in NFL history to throw four TD passes with no interceptions in two games.

Mariota already has more TD passes (13) than either Jake Locker or Vince Young ever managed in a season with this team. Against the Saints in overtime, Mariota was simply perfect: 6-for-6 passing for 62 yards, capped by the game-winning TD pass to Anthony Fasano.

Jerry Jones is still all in on Hardy defense

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t backing down in defending his signing of Greg Hardy, but he is hedging his bets a bit.

“Greg has a commitment to us,” Jones said. “He has a commitment to do the right thing. We expect him to do the right thing. He has a commitment to his teammates and our team. The way it’s set up in the NFL, relative to behavior, and in fact we wanted to give Greg a second chance.

“And you lose that in the NFL if you don’t do the right things. If he will do the right things, if he will take advantage of the opportunities that he has got there and this second chance, then we’ll see how it goes.”

A couple of weeks ago, Jones called Hardy a “real leader” and spoke about hoping to sign him to a long-term extension beyond this season. But that was before photos of his battered ex-girlfriend, Nicole Holder, were published Friday by Deadspin. They put a vivid image to the idea of domestic abuse, with a number of people calling for Hardy to be cut by the team and booted from the NFL.

Hardy played Sunday night as the Cowboys lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and, afterward, he did not address reporters.

Bills name punching player captain vs. Jets

Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan is preparing to face his former team for the first time since being fired by the New York Jets, and linebacker IK Enemkpali will serve as one of Buffalo’s captains on Thursday night.

Ryan said Monday he had no trouble making the designation even though Enemkpali was released by the Jets for a punch that broke starting quarterback Geno Smith’s jaw in August.

Ryan, who was fired by the Jets in December after six seasons in New York, justified his decision by saying he traditionally selects captains based on their ties to Buffalo’s opponent.