Brent Jones spoke on KNBR this afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers quarterback controversy.
Q: Based on what you saw last night, what direction do you the 49ers ought to go at quarterback?
BRENT JONES: “I watched Colin Kaepernick all preseason, and it didn’t seem like he had taken it to the next level from last year. It wasn’t a demonstrative, ‘Yeah, I’m competing for the starting quarterback position.’ I had only seen him in the Wild Cat formations the few times Jim would bring him in.
“That being said, I was really impressed with him in the Rams game after the first four or five snaps. It looked like all of a sudden he was starting to take control. He grew from that experience last week, having a week of practice under his belt he grew exponentially.
“When he walked on the field last night, he looked like he was the starting quarterback. I look at body language. First play of the game, he was so smooth. It was a great play action fake, Heck of a pass and he just kept going from there.
“What you have is a young kid who’s very raw, yet talented. A kid who’s an athlete, who creates problems for defenses because of his running ability, his size, his strength, his mobility in the pocket. He made a few plays last night that, quite honestly, Alex would not have made – scrambling in the pocket, moving around and then pulling the trigger on a couple of big passes, one for a touchdown, and it’s interesting because against the Rams he would have ran those balls. He would have scrambled. But I was really blown away with his awareness, his pocket presence, his command, his leadership.
“All those things being said, I wanted to hear what Jim would say in the postgame press conference, because no matter what I think or what any fan thinks, it’s really what Jim Harbaugh thinks. And Jim did not squash the quarterback controversy whatsoever. He could have said, ‘Alex Smith is out, he missed a game with a concussion and he is our starter going forward.’ Jim basically said he likes to play the hot hand, which leaves it open in a pretty significant way.
“I’m sure Alex didn’t want to hear that, but the reality is Jim knew what he was doing. Everything that he said last night – and calculated in his head, because he had plenty of time to think about it – he exactly what he was going to say would create a reaction in the locker room and outside the locker room. He’s not surprised by this. He’s leaving it open right now. So, there is a quarterback controversy, for the lack of a better word. I don’t know about ‘controversy.’ There is a competition. In Jim’s mind, it’s an open field.”
Q: Do you think Kaepernick has outperformed their expectations?
BRENT JONES: “Yes, and it’s one of those great problems to have. It was that significant: A big Monday night game the 49ers needed to have against one of the best defenses in the NFL, one of the top teams in the NFC, with your starting quarterback out. Jay Cutler didn’t play, but all the Bears defenders were playing. He made them look silly all night.
“The 49ers played offensively as well as I’ve seen them play all year in my opinion. Frank Gore had his classic 17 attempts. He had some good, tough running yards. He was up around 80 yards. Kendall Hunter ran hard, which is always great to see. And Kaepernick will always be able to make big plays with his feet, but he was so poised and so impressive in the pocket, and that’s the one thing. You knew he had a strong arm. You can document he has a stronger arm than Alex. He’s a big kid. He’s a strong kid. But he has mobility in the pocket, and his awareness of where the rush was coming, to side step, to spin, to get out of trouble and to still make a play, because one of the greatest times that you can make a big play is a quarterback scrambling and moving out of the pocket. The defense has to account for two things: They have to account for the quarterback running and then covering the wide receiver and tight end. It creates quite a conundrum for the defense. If you have that, it is a powerful asset, and I think the 49ers probably sat back and said: ‘Holy cow.’ This is what we saw from this kid at Nevada Reno that we haven’t seen in this full context yet.
“But if they have that, if Colin Kaepernick plays like that for the rest of the season, the 49ers aren’t going to lose. He creates so much of a problem. His accuracy was great. He made a couple of tough throws that you have to have a strong arm to make. His touch was great. It’s hard to get that much out of a young quarterback this early in his career.
“We tend to want to overreact. He’s still a young quarterback. He can still come back in a week or two weeks or three weeks and make young quarterback mistakes, but you saw his full potential exemplified last night. Now, what does that mean going forward? I don’t know, because I’m not in Jim’s mind and I’m not in the locker room, but Jim didn’t squash it. I don’t know whether he wants to inspire Alex to pick it up – I know he had a good game a few weeks ago with his completion percentage, but prior to that our offense was lagging and not looking so great. We had a couple of games where we were barely squeaking by. The reality is Colin Kaepernick creates massive problems for defenses trying to prepare for the 49ers.”
Q: I was surprised they came out passing.
BRENT JONES: “It was a gutsy plan, and I love that. It caught the Bears so off guard. The 49ers coaches absolutely outcoached the heck out of the Bears last night. It wasn’t even close. The Bears never saw it coming. They never adjusted. It was like a one round prize fight and they just took upper cut after upper cut until it was a knock down and a knock out. You could see constantly the play action sucking those linebackers up. The offense was operating on all cylinders. It felt like the Niners could dial up anything and make it successful. It’s just rare that you have a young quarterback who’s able to pull the trigger on so many variations of offensive plays.
“There’s a part of me that thinks Jim played the media perfectly this week. I thought Alex Smith was playing for sure. And I think the Bears may have fallen into that. I don’t know how much they prepared for Kaepernick, and if they did, they probably prepared for a disheveled second-year player scrambling a lot vs. making great play action fakes, standing tall in the pocket and making laser-type throws on the money all over the field.”
Q: Don’t you think the 49ers should stick with Alex Smith? He’s done well.
BRENT JONES: “I think what’s in the 49ers coaches’ heads right now, is does the upside of Colin Kaepernick outweigh his downside vs. Alex. Alex isn’t going to have the same degree of downside as Colin would in a pressure situation and having coverages disguised and what have you. That’s the situation they’re presented with and that could be a moving target. It hasn’t been handled on a weekly basis successfully ever. So Jim at some point over the next three or four weeks, or maybe before the playoffs, or maybe he tinkers with the position and makes a package for each – I have no idea what Jim is going to do. Just know that Jim has a plan. The reality is nobody else knows it, or maybe a couple of the coaches do.
“We’re in store for some excitement at this kind of lull point in the season. Of course it was a great game last night, but if there was an MVP, man, it was Colin Kaepernick. I never thought I’d be saying that, because our defense played phenomenally last night. It made the Bears look silly. Our rush defense was outstanding. Our coverage was everywhere. They couldn’t complete a pass that meant anything. It was a pretty darn significant night, but this young man took the Bay Area by storm last night, and if you’re Alex Smith, you’ve got to be thinking: ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I have a concussion and I’m out for a week and this happens.’ But that’s why the 49ers drafted Colin Kaepernick.”
Q: The receivers seemed very pleased with Kaepernick after the game – Vernon Davis in particular.
BRENT JONES: “It’s funny how that happens. I’m sure Alex was thinking, ‘Where are my guys?’ I know Vernon’s been a big proponent and stayed strong for Alex for a couple of years now. But it just goes to show you what happens in the course of a season. Vernon hasn’t been involved the last three or four or five games. Maybe he feels like he’s getting open and he’s not getting the opportunity. And here comes Kaepernick, and he got it to a couple of play makers and all of a sudden they’re singing his praises. It’s interesting, because receivers can be a fickle crew, and your favorite quarterback is the one who throws it to you the most. Those guys had high praise for the young man last night, and rightfully so, and so did the coaching staff. That just fuels the fire of this alleged quarterback controversy.
“There are going to be people speaking up from both sides of the isle. We’ve outlined what both guys bring. It’s going to be interesting to watch if the 49ers say, ‘Our upside’s greater with Kaepernick, let’s let him role.’ One thing is for sure, I don’t think Jim’s going to decide it over this next week. He’s not going to say one guy’s definitively the starter. But I think over the next two, three, four weeks they’re probably going to both get a chance and maybe all of a sudden he draws the line in the sand and says, ‘We’re going with this guy and here’s why.’ At some point you’ve got to take the guessing out of the locker room. You’ve got to block a little bit differently for a guy who’s scrambling around back there.”
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Well then, let’s find out if he can! JH stepped in it so he might as well roll with it now. Start CK the rest of the year and the playoffs. Why not??
I agree.
Yeah, why not?
Why not roll the dice with an unproven quantity, in a season when you’ve got a VERY legitimate shot at the Super Bowl?
With all due respect, Hof, because years when your team is THIS good don’t come along every season. Harbaugh, Roman, et. al. are in the best position to judge, but the basic question is, “Which guy gives us the better chance to win?” It’s NOT about finding out about the future; it’s about winning NOW!
We know that Alex can’t beat the Giants.
Rusty
The QB who gives us the best chance to win played on Monday. This strange notion that CK is unproven is ridiculous. He was great against a top notch D, has played that way in practice (according to VD), and has a track record of success. He’s not as unknown as some make it sound. With AS, we get inconsistent play. It’s hard to know which Alex shows up. If the Alex of the Giants game shows up, we’ll have a hard beating even bottom dewllers.
@ Nick:
This strange notion that CK is unproven is ridiculous.
Well, if you say so, it must be true.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/niners-talk/49ers-fan-base-proclaims-Kaepernick-the-?blockID=804311&feedID=2800
Nice post Balls. Glad Harbaugh and his staff are the experts. You going to debate them next?
Bottom line, if they were happy with Smith’s production eek would not be having this conversation. Now go ahead and post that useless QB rating you’ve hung your hat on all year. Oh…. I told you so.
>>This strange notion that CK is unproven is ridiculous.
He’s proven himself over the course of one. single. solitary. game. I guess that’s enough of a sample size for the crazies around here.
Disclaimer: I believe and hope that CK will become the next 49er QB legend. But to anoint him so after ONE GAME? Come’on man!
Another POV to throw some water on the Thanksgiving gobblers here:
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_22038329
“I’ll offer a couple examples why the job, for now, still must belong to Smith — and why it’s always dangerous to fall for a quarterback after only the briefest of glimpses.
We don’t have to look very far for the first: Troy Smith. Remember him, the Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State? He signed with the 49ers in 2010, eventually moving up from third string to become a starter in the wake of an injury to Alex Smith.
Troy Smith won his first start in San Francisco with a dazzling comeback over Denver and after winning his second by throwing for 356 yards to beat the Rams, then-coach Mike Singletary said: “It’s like watching Brett Favre.”
No, it wasn’t. Not after opponents dissected Troy’s game. Not after Troy lost a couple starts. Troy Smith tumbled back to earth and, ultimately, out of the NFL.”
@ bay:
Glad Harbaugh and his staff are the experts. You going to debate them next?
Absolutely not. Harbaugh is the expert; we’re just know nothing fans. Unlike you, I haven’t questioned his decisions to date; I have no reason to start now. Besides, it doesn’t matter what I or you think; Harbaugh’s opinion is the only one that matters.
Bottom line, if they were happy with Smith’s production eek would not be having this conversation.
Of course we would. We’ve been having it during the entirety of the 49ers’ 20-6 run under Harbaugh and Smith.
And while you’re reading minds, I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 100. Can you tell me what it is?
Is the number 11? : )
Rib,
There is a huge gap between the abilities Kaepernick brings to the position and those of Troy Smith. You are right to be cautious though. As I posted on my blog right after the game, you need to look no further than the man he tied for most yards in a 49ers debut (Garcia) to see that the rest of the road might not be so easy.
The biggest difference between Kaepernick and those guys is the strength of the team behind him. The team Garcia took over had one of the worst pass defenses of all time, so he spent most of those games trying to keep up. As for Troy S, well Singletary was the head coach, enough said there.
Whichever direction Harbaugh and Co go, the stakeholders should be excited because the leadership has proven they can deliver.
Jack, ability != proven himself. The NFL, past and present, is littered with able busts.
I said about CK’s performance after that 4th pre-season game that I’m feeling much better about him if he’s ever called into action this season (especially after his rookie year showing). And with one game under his belt I’m feeling ever better. But to predict greatness, Superbowl capable, MVP, HOF, everything else I’ve been reading here on the basis of one single game – a game that Keap himself said Chi didn’t throw anything at him that was unexpected – is just crazy. It makes me question the sanity of the majority of the posters here.
@ Jack:
Nice try, but no. I guess you just aren’t the mind reader that bay is.
As for the rest of your comment, I tend to agree with what I read as cautious optimism. Kaepernick showed a lot Monday night, but the sample size to date is small, and we have yet to see what adjustments NFL coaches will make once they have sufficient film on him and how he will respond to those adjustments.
That said, as you noted, Harbaugh knows what he is doing. We should just sit back and enjoy the ride, whatever decision he makes.
Claude and Ribico
I put more weight in what Vernon David, Tony Dungy, and the coaching staff say/do rather than Ratto or Monte Pool. VD said that CK has played in practice the way he did on Monday. Dungy – on KNBR – stated that unlike Troy Smith, Flynn, etc, CK is not likely a one hit wonder based on his track record. He was consistently dynamic and good in college. To top it off, JH isn’t sold on AS as the starting QB. If CK were such an unknown commodity and not ready (as you Smithers want to make it out), why didn’t JH just squash all this chatter and say that Alex Smith is the starting QB?
Rib,
I agree. Unfortunately that must not have come through in my above post.
The only difference is the overall strength of the team behind them. If Kaep is indeed the greatest of all time, we will know in about 10-15 years.
@ Nick:
I agree that thus far, Kaep looks better than Troy Smith (didn’t see Flynn play, so I can’t comment on him). That doesn’t change the fact that the sample size is too small for anyone to make a rational conclusive assessment of his abilities. That’s why I am cautious in my optimism.
But it was fun to watch him shock the crap out of the Bears.
Nick,
The QB who gives us the best chance to win played on Monday. This strange notion that CK is unproven is ridiculous. He was great against a top notch D, has played that way in practice (according to VD), and has a track record of success. He’s not as unknown as some make it sound. With AS, we get inconsistent play. It’s hard to know which Alex shows up. If the Alex of the Giants game shows up, we’ll have a hard beating even bottom dewllers.
The only problem I have with this Nick is you are trying to make a pretty big conclusion off of a very small sample. It was one start, a very good one, but it was one start. I’m excited by what I saw, but I’m also tempering my expectations because I know the game is not that easy and Kap is going to be tested the more he plays.
As for the Coaches, I think they are happy with what Smith has done and why wouldn’t they be? He’s been pretty solid and at times more than that and they are winning games. I’m guessing Harbaugh as he is prone to do, wants to keep people wondering, namely the Saints until the last possible moment. It’s a new tool in his belt and he’s going to use it.
Every game he plays he will get better.
Said this last week, but will repeat it again. Kaepernick is just lifting off, while Smith is more like Charlie Bucket, trying to burp as fast as he can so he doesn’t get chopped to bits by the fan on his ceiling.
Love that movie.
Rocket,
The original version is one of my favorites.
Yeah the first one with Gene Wilder is a classic. The Tim Burton/Johnny Depp remake was flat out creepy.
I think he should. Hofer finally woke up!
I smell sarcasm. Hoff you don’t really think this. And if you truly do I disagree. Why fix something that isn’t broken yet. It’s been one game. NOW if Smith isn’t cleared to play by today. You have to give CK all of the reps in this very short week and give him another shot Sunday. Tell Smith that because of the short week and his unclear availability that CK will get the start since they have the momentum this far with him. When smith is cleared to play and gets the full week of reps then you bring him back. That way you save his fragile feelings from being hurt and you get a better look at what ck can do in a tougher environment. If CK looks like a rookie then you still have Smith ready and willing to play hard. If CK looks dynamic again then you have a clear cut qb for the season. IMO I have the 49ers losing this game no matter who plays. We never win in that pit. And the saints are hot right now. I don’t think Smith can handle that environment nor ck. I see this as one more of our 4 losses left. And I’m counting the tie as a loss which should have given us an 11-5 record.
Hofer, I would only start CK if Alex is not healthy! We are 7-2-1 and this is not a time to change starting QBs! CK played an amazing game and i am so excited about his future but lets give him more time to develop and go back to what was working in the past. GO NINERS
Well said Chicago & I agree with you completely.
I think the fans who want to see K-Gun start from here on out are a bit Nuts. You don’t start a young QB with 1 NFL game experience when you’re trying to win a Championship THIS year.
Clearly they are not thinking at the Bigger Picture here & the “Dynamics” of your team. K-Gun’s future looks bright but it’s not now it’s 2013. Alex has the experience & the ability to win a Super Bowl now & I don’t care what the nay-sayers think or say.
If JH helped AS from a horrific player into a adequate efficient on a good day, although inconsistent QB, he can help CK with his talents and smarts, into a top 5 QB, he is no dummy in drafting him.
The CK we saw on Monday night is no resemblance to the CK we saw in the ’11 pre-season, so the Harbaugh effect is paying dividends already.
Good Point Ribico,
Also I am sure that Roman would love to see CK set the world on fire, it will improve his chances in getting a head coaches job, perhaps with Cal, with AS he is not going to get the same buzz because of Smith’s limitations, flaws and mundane play.
Even B Jones sees it and states it..He (CK) made throws that Alex wouldnt..Guarantee Alex gets sacked four times last night and would have settled for a field goal on the Crabtree touchdown…But..but…but Alex lead us to the NFC championship…No he didnt defense great S.T. teams with best starting field position in the NFL did..But..But..But…hes the third rated passer in the NFL!Of course he is…you would be to if hald your passes were checkdowns to F.g and the others are all under 15 yards…Alex is a good guy a decent Qb and a good teamate,the way this team is built Blaine Gabbert could lead them to the playoffs…Ive known Smith was not gonna be good since his second year and he just never seems to go away kinda like a cold sore of the 49ers..Just when you think hes gone …Bam! There he is again..I havent seen the ball thrown around like that since some old guys named Joe and Steve were in town..
AS is too much of a team guy. He should get in JH’s face and say what did you mean, “tend to go with the hot hand”!?? He needs a little Jay Cutler in him, but it will never happen. Maybe he’s that way one on one with JH but who knows?!! He should be!!
Funny part is that when Alex gets upset, he’s good. Aggressive good. We’ve seen it before. Maybe he needs to pull a Steve Young and start yelling at his head coach on the sidelines.
AS should at least know where he stands with JH. He was thrown under the bus and JH will deny it. AS needs to speak his mind he has nothing to lose.
Alex is lucky to even be a niner hof..Sticking wit him all these yrs..poor play..bad shoulder and all.. They dont owe him anything..nobody wanted him in free agency..nobody
I agree with you on that Hofe.
As is to much of a gentle soul, maybe to a fault. We all know he is the consummate team player. But a firebrand type coach like Harbaugh no doubt would like to see some more fire in AS, hence the pads pounding before each game.
I’m just not sure if Harbaugh does it for AS or for himself (lol).
AS is not good enough to do that to JH, without Harbaugh AS would be carrying a clipboard
Neal
The caddy can’t all of a sudden go off on the coach. Can you imagine the surprise on JH’s face if Alex tried to stand up to him?
Brent was a beast. This feels like the changing of the guard, but CK is going to have to prove he can read disguised defenses and I am willing to bet he gets his chance against the Saints. If his execution results in another dominating performance, I don’t see how you would be able to stem the tide of excitement and enthusiasm within the lockeroom for CK7 as the teams starter.
Brent Jones put it perfectly.
1. Kaep looked fantastic and has a great ceiling.
2. Harbaugh is playing the media. No one knows who is going to play next week, even if he already knows Alex is out (concussion or Kaep’s performance or whatever)
Brent should know better. This was one game/one start. SYoung has the correct perspective. The Bear defense was not expecting a pocket passer. CCasserly mentioned on NFL.net that CK played especially well on the first 15 scripted plays – 10/11 – then went down hill from there. That’s why I say let him play it out and see how he does. What do the 9ers have to lose?
Did Casserly also note that the 49ers were up 17-0 after those first 15+ plays that made up the first 3 possessions?
Jack,
CCasserly did note that the Bears run a base defense and very similar to GCosell, expect much more from the Saints blitz defense. But hey, thanks for asking!
Hey Jack
Don’t tell the Alex Fluffers that CK is the first Niners QB since 2002 to lead 4 scoring drives to open a game.
On another note, Casserly hasn’t been relevant since the 1990s. He’s absolutely never right and looks like a down-on-his-luck out-of-work drunken Bozo the Clown. Have a shave, Bozo. Then go retire somewhere. You have a b s o l u t e l y NO idea what the hell is going on in the NFL in the 2000s or 2010s…
Didn’t really answer the question.
Let the Saints move and blitz. The Rams did it to him cold off the bench and he still completed over 60% of his throws and put the team in position to win.
“Who’s been wrong more than Charley Casserly since he left the Redskins? Wherever he’s been, whatever he’s done, his percentage is like a meteorologist…He has no relationship with this team, I’d say less than zero. He’s never here, I don’t know if he’s ever been to a game. He’s never been to a practice…at least he put his name on it and I’ll put my name on it and say, like he usually is, he’s 100-percent wrong.”
~ Bill Belicheck
Jack,
At least this time you called me hofer!
And what exactly do you disagree with Brent about? He said his performance was fantastic (true) and Harbaugh has a decision to make. Nowhere did I read Kaep should start the next game.
IMG
Read between the lines then, my dude…
Hofer – I re-read the column, I still don ‘t see it. Effusive praise for Kaep but very very clearly I see that he thinks Harbaugh is being very deliberate about his statements to keep the opposition guessing.
There is zero doubt in my mind that is that Brent is saying.
It may very well be the case (and I would be shocked if it wasnt) that Harbaugh is going to give Kaep every opportunity to win the job full time, but I also think that is not the case this year, with SB aspirations on the line.
>>Don’t tell the Alex Fluffers that CK is the first Niners QB since 2002 to lead 4 scoring drives to open a game.
And?
That’s a great number for CK. But I hate to tell you, it’s the number of scoring drives over the course of the game that wins it. And an .800 winning percentage over the last two years tells me there have been plenty.
Now you see why I call Alex a “successful” QB?
Rib,
scoring early is incredibly important. Did you not see what early scoring this game did for our defense? Scoring early allowed us to “manage” the game in the 2nd half?
Kaep could have gone for 300 easily had the coaching staff not slowed things down in the 2nd half. The main reason they were able to do it is early production.
Of all the plays that impressed me the most was Kaep getting away from three Bears D linemen which included Peppers. He straight armed one to the ground and then had the intelligence to throw the ball away and not lose yards. AMAZING. In his first NFL start.
Ribs
You’re wrong. With a defense like the Niners have, to score on the first 4 drives, for a total of 20 points, allows the defense to pin it’s ears back and attack the QB. There’s a direct correlation between Kaepernick putting his team up by 20 points in the first half on 12-15 for 184 yards and Aldon setting a single game MNF record for sacks. Think before you post next time.
Being 19-5 (the Niners record with a very safe Alex Smith protecting against turnovers) is a nice statistic, but it reflects more about the team than the QB (see Flacco, Tebow, etc…).
Ribico
and that’s why you put Alex Smith’s picture in your avatar. You’re one objective observer.
bay, you don’t have to convince me CK played extremely well in that game.
As far as when points are scored – cruise to an early blowout or win a last minute squeaker, they all show up the same in the W-L column. Like Neanderthal I beleive you are confusing football with some other sport. Perhaps formula one where the standings are based on points instead of wins.
>>There’s a direct correlation between Kaepernick putting his team up by 20 points in the first half on 12-15 for 184 yards and Aldon
No, more of a correlation between an abysmal Chi oline that is 2nd in the league in giving up sacks and yards lost to sacks (Chilo Rachel? really?) and them starting a backup that couldn’t even hold on to his job as the Raiders QB. The Raiders. Think about that one.
Rib,
I don’t know how you can ignore the importance of scoring early.
>>and that’s why you put Alex Smith’s picture in your avatar. You’re one objective observer.
No, I did it as a passive-agressive poke in the eye to the haters who have been mercilessly running down the Niners QB with the best 2 year W-L record in nearly 2 decades. To tell the truth, I’m less of a Alex fan as I am in refuting the utter nonsense I hear about him day in and day out.
>>I don’t know how you can ignore the importance of scoring early.
Important, sure. Critical? You tell me how many games the Niners have run up big early scores during their recent 20-5 run? I’ll let you do the research this time. If it’s a significant number, I’ll concede the point.
Not many games Rib. Because Smith usually starts slow, and doesn’t have high production.
But when you look at games like the Cardinal game and the Bills game you can absolutely see the importance of early leads. Big leads.
Managing the games, playing the field position game and not attacking enough constantly leaves this team in a dog fight.
Lack of production puts you in a situation like were were in with the saints last year. Needing a miracle comeback with 1;47 left in the game even though the defense handed you five turnovers…….
The staff knows this. Kaep is our starter next year my crystal ball guarantees it.
>>But when you look at games like the Cardinal game and the Bills game you can absolutely see the importance of early leads. Big leads.
Yes. At the final gun they contribute a notch to the W col. Unlike those 10-6 outcomes.
So I did some poking and look what I found:
GB 16-7 ht lead
Det 14-7 ht lead
NYJ 10-0 ht lead
BUF 17-3 ht lead
AZ 17-0 ht lead
So you are right, an early lead does go a long way in predicting the final result. But wait, those were games that Smith was playing, how can that be when they are being just merely “managed”?
Rib,
the Greenbay game I agree with. Against Detroit 3 out of the the 4 drives ended in punts. SLOW STARTER.
Against the Jets they had one score in the first five drives and it was Kaepernick that scored on a wildcat.
Scoring early is huge and Smith is a slow starter.
How do you ignore that Kaep scored on his first four possessions. Makes you sit up and think at least a little.
>>How do you ignore that Kaep scored on his first four possessions
I’m not ignoring. As responded to you in some other posting, you don’t have to convince me CK played a great game. I’m not playing the “yeah, but…” game here.
The only thing remotely approaching a “yeah, but…” is the sample size, which any sane fan has to factor in.
What bugs me the most is the attitude that in order to build up CK, we have to tear down AS’s contributions to the team’s recent success. That goes in the other direction too, but not nearly as much here in hater central.
What bugs me the most is the attitude that in order to build up CK, we have to tear down AS’s contributions to the team’s recent success.
Right on the money Rib. I don’t get this mentality either. We were winning with Smith, he was on a run of 90+ completion percentage when he got injured, yet here we are reading people taking shots at him.
It’s fine to be excited about Kap and support him, but why do it at the expense of the other guy? Why not enjoy the fact it appears we have 2 capable QB’s that can lead this team to victories?
Somehow this place always figures out a way to put a negative spin on a positive development.
Why you ask Rocket? Because the haters have made so many predictions and assumptions that now they think being right about CK validates everything they ever said about Alex. Their campaign has always been “I told you so”. That’s a joke.
Kaepernick has shown he is a good player. But one game does not mean he has arrived. I think we all need to see more. People always have asked can Alex string together 2, 3, consecutive good games together, well what about CK, can he? Lets hold off the anointing and told you so’s til we have more to base it on.
@ Prime:
Because the haters have made so many predictions and assumptions that now they think being right about CK validates everything they ever said about Alex.
This.
Then again, jordan wasn’t exactly right about Kaepernick. He predicted that Kaep wouldn’t play in 2012 because Josh Johnson had secured the No.2 QB spot in training camp.
I meant Neanderthal not Hofer – my bad
Rocket
The problem with you Smithers is you use AS stats to your advantage but not the entire picture, ok 90% passing rate, but he still can’t score in the first quarter, we are still bad in third down and red zone play and AS, get’s sacked way to often. also he cannot extend a play, he is limited, flawed, can’t see the entire field, will dump it to Gore for a 2 yard return, when primary is covered and it is 3rd and 14. AS is very inconsistent and some would argue he has played 4 below average games, also he can’t hit his biggest weapon VD, on a consistent basis. Believe me, when AS is let go next year, their will not be a bidding war for his services.
Is so easy for people to get caught up in the moment. JH will do what is best for the team. If its AS going forward then its AS, if its CK then its CK. The best player at any position should be playing. I only saw CK make one bad play even tho it gained I think 8 or 9 yards. Hard to say if his performance is a flash or can he bring it all the time.
Has anyone given it any thought Harbaugh said what he said to keep next game coaches preparing for either AS or CK. That will present practice time problems. Just a thought.
The Niners are a serious contender for the Super Bowl, these chances do not happen often. It is imperative that JH makes the right decision regarding the QB, guess that is why he is paid the big bucks. Going forward, whoever he selects will be just fine with me. I trust JH.
Under,
JH made his play so he should live with it. Play CK the rest of the year period. Why not? I’m sure he will play every game each and every week the way he did last night. There is no defense that will adjust and CK will just stroll into SB as the MVP. Good times.
Hof
I think JH needs to do what is best for the team. There is an entire organization dependent on his decisions. This is a very important time in Niner history. These times do not come often so one must be careful to play the best player for the team. I expect him to make the decision without loyalty to AS and making sure that CK performance is not going to be a flash. Its a tough call.
Under,
I hear you but I’m skeptical that the 9er team gets any closer than they did last year. TBD.
Hof
If it were my decision to make, I would play CK against the Saints and see what happens. I agree with you Smith needs to voice his displeasure, but the team player that he is – I doubt he will.
Skeptical why, Hofer? If CK plays up to his potential, don’t you agree the team will go to the Superbowl and win it?
Under,
Thanks for your response. I agree. Play CK for the Saints game. What I didn’t like was JH throwing AS under the bus by saying, “we tend to play the hot hand”? Since when? Based on what? Then JH realized that AS is 18/19 in the AZ game and 7/8 in the STL game so he then said, “we have two hot QBs”! AS needs to get feisty. Enough with the team BS. They aren’t treating him with any respect are they?
Hof
Gotcha on throwing AS under the bus, I didnt view it that way till now, valid point and one I agree with.
Hofer
Take it easy bud. I know you’re frustrated. But, I don’t think JH threw Alex under the bus. For a change – he gave an honest answer. Let’s not turn on the coaching. JH will make what he thinks is the best for the team. I don’t see the downside of having CK be the starter and AS be the experienced backup. What’s wrong with that scenario?
Nick,
I have nothing to be frustrated about. The 9ers won and are the 2nd seed. I’m just stating facts and comments by TDilfer and SYoung.
A question for you, when did JH go with the hot hand last year? Or this year before AS was injured? Of course he through AS under the bus.
*threw*
Hofer
That’s a good question. Aldon Smith comes to mind. He took over from P. Harrelson who was no slouch, but Aldon had the ‘hot’ hand.
Nick,
That was apples and oranges. The “hot hand” only refers to QBs. I reiterate, JH said. “we tend to go with the hot hand” when discussing the QBs last night. I ask, since he’s been with the 9ers, what “hot hand” is he referring to since AS has started each and every game?? JH then realized that AS is 25/27 his last two games. He then started backpedaling…
“In Harbaugh we trust… as long as Alex is the starter.”
Hofer,
if the high percentage AS completed were that significant the coaches wouldn’t be entertaining a change.
There isn’t enough early scoring and scoring period. This isn’t a personal decision, it’s a professional one. If AS is good, but CK has the ability to be great and make those around him more productive, then that’s the call. Period. This isn’t about taking care of one guy, or looking out for one guy.
Hofer,
“Of course he through AS under the bus.” Why? Because he didn’t declare Smith the starter? Come on, we have been through this before. Smith played caddy for Harbaugh and Harbaugh and Roman went Mission Impossible to “evaluate” Manning shortly afterwards. Alex is elite, Crabtree has the greatest hands of all time, blah blah blah. Actions speak louder than words and they always have.
BigP,
The point is JH has been very protective at every presser. This one he was not. If this is the way he feels I have no problem with it but he needs to have a one on one with AS and let him know this is the deal. Not through the media. Not very JH like based on his history. That’s the point.
Hofer,
Maybe he did have a conversation with Smith beforehand, just like he did right before heading out to evaluate Manning.
If Smith is too thin skinned and this becomes an issue for him, there may not be much decision to be made by Harbaugh.
Jack,
If that is all you have, skip the comment next time.
Hof
Quit being so thinskinned
LOL. Ok here you go then.
No one threw anyone, under a bus. Regarding when Harbaugh started going with the hot hand, he never had to worry about it last year because Smith took all but a handful of garbage time snaps in one game. Like Kawakami said in the piece I linked earlier, they have been planning this process since Harbaugh took the job.
In business, good companies are always creating transformations years in advance, and this is the case here. The process just became a little accelerated here due to the injury. If Smith gains clearance, and they still decide to start Kaep, it will signal the true changing of the guard.
Jack,
When I look for an objective non-biased opinion here, I read my my longtime blog bud Adam or Rocket. Again, not to be rude, but I’m simply not interested. Thanks and good evening.
You can’t go wrong with those two. They are great commentors.
Hofer,
I understand he is protective to the press usually, but his actions often contradict his words, that is my point. Maybe he is just sending Smith a message, it can’t always be all warm and fuzzy. That being said, there isn’t a easy way to really handle the situation in a delicate manner. You have two QB’s playing at a high level and one is most likely the future of the franchise, there comes a point where CK won’t improve without playing time. When he plays like he did last night, he deserves the opportunity to compete with Smith. Harbaugh is all about competition because it brings out the best in players, he would be a hypocrite if he didn’t apply that same mindset to the QB’s.
Wow Hof is being sensitive.
Harbaugh KNOWS exactly what he’s doing. They didn’t draft CK7 to watch him sit! At the same time, Alex is doing what is asked of him and is getting the job done and is a team captain. It’s easy to hate on Alex the QB for his stats, teammates respect him for his work ethic.
CK was pretty average midway through the 3rd. He will make mistakes too. They were settling for FGs, in case no one noticed. It’s CK’s upside vs. Alex’s steady as she goes even if it bores us to tears.
Oh yeah — the best thing about the current QB situation is the SF Giants! Alex says he loves the baseball Giants so much — well, get your ass in the bullpen like TL!
New topic — Which Niners are going to the Pro Bowl? My list:
OFFENSE
Iuapati
Goodwin
Staley (On Reputation)
Gore (alternate — too many good backs ahead of him)
Vernon Davis
DEFENSE
A.Smith
Bowman
Willis
D. Goldson
ST
Andy Lee
If they had an event for checkdowns Alex would be MVP!….I can see it now..Alex drops back..no pass rush but hes running…looking…running…throws to Gore gain of 2!…….(Golf clap)
Golf clap – great!
Start Kap against NO – let’s see how the kid does on the road, indoors, in a hostile environment. If he aces it, he starts the rest of the year. If he doesn’t, Alex comes back, rested, as the starter.
Can’t argue with Brent : )
Bay,
Of course not, he agrees with you. How about Steve Young? Can you argue with him?
No. He has his opinion. He’s flip flopped a lot in terms of Smith. Doesn’t matter. It’s up to the coaching staff and the players.
And you have to admit if you are a Smith fan it doesn’t look good beyond this year. An indicator of that is BS’s departure from the blog the last 48 hours….
What do I care what Brent Jones has to say about the 9ers starting qb? I would like to know how Mr. Jones feels about wasting all of his investors moneys. Now thats news, not stirring this bla bla QB pot Grant.
Really? Is he Brent Madoff Jones?
pretty much
That sucks. I thought not. Got a link?
investment news. no Madoff but a failure at biz for sure
Thx
Due to recent events I thought this might be more relevant now, than when I first wrote it.
http://ninerchatter.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-ck7-project.html
Now thats an aticle! Well thought out I couldn’t agree more with it. seems as Harbaugh is chomping at the bit to cut Kap lose. This offense with Le Michael Kap Crab Davis Hunter that oline and defense. Be prepared for a DieNASTY!
I keep seeing this canard from the usual suspects that Kaepernick had “an Alex Smith type game”. It is, quite frankly, bull feces.
This year Alex has averaged 192 yards per game (not counting the Rams game). That figure includes games against some horrible pass defenses.
CK dropped 240 on one of the best pass defenses in the league. His YPA and A/YPA were a full yard higher than Smith’s this season. He was twice as good at pushing the ball downfield. All of this in his 1st start – not his 8th season.
It’s only one game and no one knows if CK can sustain this level of play. But calling it a typical Alex Smith game is baloney. If Alex typically played at this level there would have been no “evaluation” of Manning and there would be no question today who the starter should be going forward.
Good stuff Clem.
Clem, your “Precious” is another man’s “Baby Jesus” (see RRatto’s article on CSNBay)! Now that’s good stuff!
Hofer that’s just silly. I have not been a supporter of Kaepernick by any stretch of the imagination.
His game last night was miles better than the average Smith game. That’s a simple fact. I have no idea if CK can continue to play that well going forward. We have 7.5 years of proof that Alex can’t.
First Starts
QB Date. Opp. Att. Com. Yds. TD Int. Result
Smith 10/9/05 Indianapolis 23 9 74 0 4 L, 28-3
Kaepernick 11/19/12 Chicago 23 16 243 2 0 W, 32-7
I’m a big time Smith critic, but even I think the comparison of Smith starting his 1st game as a rookie versus Kaep starting after being developed on the pro level for 1 1/2 years is ridiculous.
Perhaps it is, but so is the vastness of the chasm that separates the two performances.
About as vast as the differences between this team and this set of coaches and the 2005 team and it’s set of coaches. It couldn’t be a more apples to oranges comparison but if it still means something to you then by all means continue to latch onto it.
To be fair (and remove all excuses) we should compare to a Smith game against a good defense this year.
How about the Giants game? Their D isn’t quite as good as the Bears but it’s close.
Clem
The Fluffers will make other excuses. “Game film” … “Off day” … blahblahblah
It’s impossible to reason with them. Btw how is your family doing?
>>First Starts
One, a team coming off a 2-14 season with the very first pick on the draft due to their ineptness. The other, 13-3 and halfway across the Superbowl doorstep.
That is such a false equivalancy, I’m flabbergasted any sentient being would spend the time to try and make a case of it.
Ribs
It’s still 2 QBs …
… and if you want to say there’s no comparison, then look at what this year’s two rookies have accomplished. They’re both ballers, unlike Alex, but neither one of them has as high a ceiling as Kaepernick.
CK should become the best QB of his generation. Yes, it has a lot to do with Harbaugh and the team around him, but it has more to do with his physical tools and his obvious “it” quality. The kid was absolutely ecstatic while playing the other day. He loves it.
>>It’s still 2 QBs …
Yes, and playing on a team… with the quality of players around them.
I believe you are confusing football with boxing, singles tennis, golf or some other single participant sport.
MM67
That’s a very fair comparison as both teams had a similar defensive strategy. Stack the box, crowd the line of scrimmage, dare the offense to throw long, make the QB beat you. It worked for the Giants but not the Bears.
Grant, Troy Smith was hyped up and then defenses started keeping him in the pocket because with his height he couldnt see in the pocket. How would you game plan vs Colin at this point?
msclemons67 says:
November 20, 2012 at 9:24 pm
“In Harbaugh we trust… as long as Alex is the starter.”
Couldn’t be more true with some. Where is bs???? Anyone? Anyone?
Is anyone taking a step back to think about the fact that it’s one start? It was a dominating win. If they decide to roll with CK the fourth start will be a more telling one. Not because it’s vs Miami but that after 3 starts there’s more game tape of a guy and you get a better feel for how he plays.
Now before you anti-Smith crowd get in an uproar, that’s also coming from Pat Kirwan on Sirius yesterday. Just trying to keep some perspective on this situation. As long as this doesn’t divide the team and they continue to win then, as I’ve said many times, who cares who the qb is?
It matters who the QB is because Alex won’t win a Superbowl, and that’s the only win that matters. Now before you get up in arms, you Alex Fluffer you, that’s coming straight from the great Grant Cohn of the SRPD.
I love it when hypotheticals are presented as absolute truth.
I love it when winning a Super Bowl is the “only win that matters”. While on it’s face, that is the goal of every team in the NFL, but only one team can be successful. There are so many contributing factors to getting to that point and winning that this criteria cannot ever be used as the sole reason to make changes, otherwise we’d see full roster turnovers in 31 teams each year. Rodgers and Brady are considered elite: did they win a Super Bowl last year? How about Peyton Manning, or Brees, or Big Ben? yet only Manning has changed teams. The truth is that it’s a team game and the QB contributes mightily, but that one measuring stick is not the only one that will determine the future of the QB situation here in SF.
Now, with CK’s performance on Monday night, that does give us all insight into what might be possible with him at the helm, instead of last offseason where other than Manning there weren’t many available options to look at if AS didn’t stick around. The team’s in a great spot for now and beyond. However we all need to pump the breaks on CK. It was one game, he’s going to have growing pains, teams will start to game plan for him, and there have been numerous other “flash in the pan” backups (Flynn, Kolb, and Troy Smith anyone?) so who’s to say that this will be the norm as opposed to the rarity. It’s up to the coaches to decide whether they want to go with the known quantity in AS and run a game plan that has worked for the last year and a half, or run the risk with this Super Bowl ready team and have the new, almost rookie QB take over. I certainly don’t envy JH in this matter.
Neanderthal, your ignorant cutdowns make a valid point. Good work.
Calistoga
It IS the only win that matters. Go be a Seahawks fan if you’re happy with mediocrity.
Sean from Canada
Ignorant cutdown? No sir. Just being feisty. You’re not alone in believing that Alex can win a Superbowl, but you’re certainly part of small minority. I checked with the entire staff here at NFL Network. Right now the tally is at 12% after polling of 233 employees, all of whom spend their days working, breathing, living football.
Feisty is one thing, but if you have a legit argument it gets lost in your alex fluffer garbage. I’m glad everyone at the NFL network is on board with Kaep. That and 2 bucks gets you a cup of coffee. I’ll continue to be behind whoever coach Harbaugh sends on the field. It seems to be falling on deaf ears but I don’t have a qb preference. I’m a diehard Niner fan regardless of the qb, through good and bad.
Can AS be more consistant? Absolutely, but all the he “can’t” make this throw or “won’t” make this play is just bs. He can and does make those throws and plays, the problem lies in how often he does it.
I think the Niners can win a Super Bowl with AS and if what Kaep showed on Monday is his jumping off point then they can win one with him too.
I think kap is the real deal and AS knows his time has come. AS cant keep his eyes down the field when the pass rush is on his but. He never looks more then ten yards. I think JH is feed up with AS not pulling the trigger more. And they brought in guys to go deep and he won’t push the ball downs there. He never leads his player to make yac yards like kap did. I hate that about AS. He don’t seem to find the deep man. He has missed wide open guys down field every game. And I know the team see that in the film room. That’s why VD is pushing for kap. They know kap is better and have seen it in practice. it’s time to make this move AS is not that good. And if u can’t see how the team played under kap. They knew this kid is the real deal. And that’s why kap said he should start. He out plays AS in practice. And the team knows it. And for some unknown reason JH is taking his time with kap. But he can’t keep him down to much longer. Just think about it it was like the hole team knew the better player was out there. That’s why AS gets all shook up when kap go’s in. He plays scared after that. Knowing that kap coming and he is gone. Kap got rid of the ball on time even when the rush was there. He will be the next great qb. I have looked at film of this kid. I think he is the best qb the NFL next year. Look at all his tools and he has JH to bring the best out of him. If you guys would just look it not hard to see the greatness in this kid. He has more tools then rg3 or luck. Bigger and faster then Rogers. By the way I have never seen a pass so hard that Mosses hand was still there. After he had that pass right on him. We got a Gem. Look out NFL. Look out! And time will prove me right. I just hope JH is ready to let him go prove it. I don’t think JH wanted the NFL to know the kid can throw the ball in the pocket like he did. He kept his eyes down field go back and look at the game. He will be the next great 49ers qb
This QB controversy is all media hype. Harbaugh & Roman are going to make the best decision that will benefit the team in its SB run. Fans & media will argue over the QB who is raw versus the QB who flawed; while Harbaugh & Roman will base their decision on who will best execute their offense to consistently score points and sustain drives.
There will be no sentimentality about it. There will be no adherence to unwritten rules of QB succession. There will only be a decision made based on winning an SB. The Baalke & Harbaugh regime have made several unconventional and unpopular choices that resulted in amazing success. For example, many felt it was a reach to draft Aldon Smith with the 7th pick; fans & pundit thought Harbaugh was foolish to bring back Alex. They have such an amazing track record of bold and successful choices such as finding an All Pro LB in the third round, that questioning their decision to give Kaep a chance to take over seems knee jerk and based only on sentimentality for a long tenured player.
These men are credible leaders, obviously, no one is above reproach and aren’t infallible. But they have earned our benefit of the doubt. Trust Harbaugh’s decision and enjoy the show. 9 more games to #6!
Foaming,
An amazingly on point comment. Very surprising, considering some of your recent posts. I didn’t know there was a cure for rabies.
I cannot wait for todays press conference. Although Coach Harbaugh is not going to tell us which quarterback will be starting, it should prove interesting and entertaining at the same time. How many questions will he field pertaining to the quarterback position? At the very least 5.
Interesting interview this morning with Brian Jennings. Jennings was asked point blank what do you think about the QB situation. What I found to be most interesting is that NOT ONCE did he say, “Alex Smith is our QB”. The long and the short of it is he said, ” A house divided cannot stand, and we have to trust our coaches in terms of their decisions as to who they put on the field”.
The morning crew at KNBR then went on to play their interview from yesterday with John Gruden. Gruden was asked about the QB situation. He went on to say that if he had to make the choice, based on what he saw, he would start Kaepernick this week. He did say Harbaugh has a tough decision to make, but that Kaepernick is too big of a weapon to not play.
Me personally, I don’t know how they can not let Alex play. He’s clutch, he’s a pro bowl caliber Qb, he’s completed 26 of his last 28 passes, he’s got a top five QB rating. Oh wait, there’s this little word I’ve been using for at least a couple of years ……… wait for it ………. PRODUCTION.
Time for the Smithers to admit, and it takes a big person to admit, THEY WERE WRONG. Production does matter. I pointed out last year that we were last in yardage. The Smithers said wins matter not yards. I said we were dead last in passing TD’s, the Smithers said Smith lacked weapons. This year he got the weapons and his production is mysteriously THE SAME. But the Smithers say it doesn’t matter we are still winning. Guess what the coaching staff has spoken. Whatever the Smithers thought was good enough, WASN’T.
Here is my favorite part. The Smithers say they are 49er fans. Then why are they not excited about the future QB of this franchise coming in and showing his stuff, especially when the current QB continues to throw for 185 yards a game? Why when Kaep is brought in do you hear, ” he can’t throw from the pocket, or ” here comes the wildcat QB?” Let me put an end to all your negative comments. Harbaugh had a chance this week to tell the media who his QB is. Harbaugh had a chance to give his support to Smith, his caddy. But he didn’t. Add that to the over the top excitement that Crabs, Vernon Davis and Kyle Williams had in their support of Kaepernick and you could see the writing on the wall.
I still don’t think it will be this year, but as far as next year. It’s pretty clear. Kaepernick is going to be our starting QB. And the best part is, I won’t have to leave the blog : )
Happy Thanksgiving.
Bay,
You should have left it with your first 2 paragraphs.
“A house divided cannot stand, and we have to trust our coaches in terms of their decisions as to who they put on the field.” Not surprised to hear this from Jennings, he is a very smart, analytical guy. If this is the message that is permeating through that locker room we have no reason to worry.
Bay,
Best post I’ve ever seen from you bro. Funny because there is really no denying anything you said. I told you 6 weeks ago that Kap was ready. This blog is gonna be a drag without the Smithers. However, at least this blog will no longer be a house divided. By the way, is Hofer butt hurt or what?? I gotta ask him, ” You mad bro???”
we are excited….
@ 23romney
I told you 6 weeks ago that Kap was ready.
Just to keep the record straight, here’s what you said before that:
23jordan says:
August 6, 2012 at 12:35 pm
… Johnson was signed because he can help this team win and he will. Can’t wait until preseason starts so he can outshine smith. Kap may as well be trade bait. He won’t be playing this year.
>>THEY WERE WRONG. Production does matter.
Yes, it matters SO MUCH that with the abysmal production from Smith, the team has dwelt in the cellar going on 2 full seasons now.
Bay,
Production does matter. I pointed out last year that we were last in yardage. The Smithers said wins matter not yards. I said we were dead last in passing TD’s, the Smithers said Smith lacked weapons. This year he got the weapons and his production is mysteriously THE SAME. But the Smithers say it doesn’t matter we are still winning. Guess what the coaching staff has spoken. Whatever the Smithers thought was good enough, WASN’T.
The reason the yards don’t matter is because yardage is based off of attempts. You don’t get yards without attempts Bay and that is what you and a few others continue to ignore. The key indicator of production is the yards per attempt. That is the stat that gives you a reasonable idea of how effective the passing game is.
Smith has improved his numbers across the board compared to last year at this time:
Completion percentage: 2012 – 70% 2011 – 64%
Yards per attempt: 2012 – 8 ypa 2011 – 7.3 ypa
TD’s: 2012 13 2011 – 11 (and keep in mind 2011 is based on 9 full games where 2012 is 8 and a quarter.)
Smith’s Yards per attempt puts him 3rd and 2 100th’s of a point behind Peyton Manning who is first.
I love what Kap did. He was exciting and the fact he can run this offense like that is amazing, but what you and a few others are doing here is disingenuious. I’m reading things today like: “Smith has never had a game like that” or “Smith could never throw a pass like that” and it’s complete horsesh*t. If some of you truly believe that then you either have not watched the games or you are purposely ignoring one side of the argument in order to further your own agenda.
The passes we saw Kap throw to Davis, have been thrown by Smith many times over. Davis focused on one pass that Kap threw because he threw it into a tight window. The rest he’s caught many times before from Smith.
The deep throw to Kyle Williams has been thrown at least 3 times previously this season by Smith, admittedly not as beautifully as the one Kap threw, but they were thrown and a couple completed.
The issue I have reading comparisons between Kap and Smith is that everything Smith has done is completely discounted. It’s like he never threw a pass more than 10 yards which is complete garbage. You don’t average 8 yards an attempt by being a check down king and he isn’t. Yet the view on here is that he never goes down the field. He’s had plenty of games in the past year and a half with numbers like Kap had, if you don’t believe me look it up. It’s there, but some prefer to pretend like Kap reinvented the wheel and gave us some incredible production we haven’t seen before. We have seen it before, many times in fact. It was the same offense, same plays and thankfully the same result we usually see when Smith starts.
Your point that the Coaching staff has spoken is also inaccurate. What have they told you exactly? They played Kap because Smith had a setback with concussion symptoms. Now Harbaugh is being coy about who will start as he always has when presented the opportunity. You are reading between the lines and drawing your own conclusion, which is fine, but it doesn’t make it true.
Refer to me as a Smither if you like, but this post was not meant to disparage Kap. I like Kap a lot, and think he has a great future as the QB of this team. I just don’t like reading partisan posts that are devoid of facts and paint a picture that doesn’t exist. If Kap takes over it’s because the Coaches see him as a better option. It doesn’t mean they have lost confidence in Smith. It means they have a guy who is even better waiting in the wings, and if that’s the case it benefits us all as 9er fans because the ultimate goal we should all have is to see this team win, no matter who is playing QB.
Rocket,
Outstanding comment! I believe you nailed it!!
+many numbers rocket.
You presented the points in a way I no longer have the patience to do. Actually, in a way I’ve never had the writing talent to do.
+1 without reservation
@ rocket:
Please allow me to join in the universal appreciation for your 12:13 pm comment. I am only sorry that it took me this long to notice it.
Rocket,
Your the only Smither that I actually like your take on things, however with all of what you said. AS still sucks on third downs, he still sucks in the first couple of series in the first quarter and he still sucks in red zone.
I have to say that I think that we can win a SB with AS or Kap. We have that good of a team. But kap is the better qb. AS can not push the ball down the field even if Guys are open. He is not letting this team be all it can be if he is not taking what the D gives him. If the open man is deep and he won’t look for him then he is hurting this team. We have to really look at all the lost yards. And the guys running there ass off to get open. And AS still can’t find them. He needs to look at his self and do what’s best for the team and let the kid go. If he would only not let all the hard work the 49ers have done to get guys that can get open deep. And he won’t find them is a waist and I can’t let that go. He owes it to the fans to sit him self. U can’t miss open guys and think that just couse u hit the 5 yards it’s ok. No it’s not. It takes hard work your not using and that’s a shame. Time to let the kid put that hard work to use.
watched the game again…
really the bears defense did not play well at all….it was not acting like the best defensive team this year….much like it has been said up to this point that patrick willis has not been playing well this year…..
the niner OL had its best game of the year which it did not have against the giants…
the bear turned out to be a perfect storm in favor of the niners….
not trying to denigrate CK at all….it was great….but we just didn’t see the best defensive team in the league….did see the resurgence of the niner defense….
JGW
It had everything to do with being destroyed early and often. That’s why the D looked bad. Scoring early softens up the opposing D as much as it strengthens our D…
JGW
I re-watched the game and as others have pointed out the Bears often played eight in the box to stop the run and dare our QB to beat them. The Giants did the same thing only it worked for them but not for Da Bears. I’m not sure it was an example of the Bears D playing bad rather than our QB and offense playing well.
The Giants did not play 8 in the box very much at all. You need to watch the game again. If you do, you’ll see the Giants playing their safeties deep most of the game. The Seahawks did the same thing the following week as well as dropping their LB’s. The Bears were playing the Niners to run the ball which everybody and their Mother expected. The Niners burned them with playaction. Great gameplan by Roman and execution from Kap.
No u seen this kid put the ball right where the bears could do nothing to stop him that’s what kap brought to the game did u see how well he but the balls. Only his players could grab them. Even VD said he was like wow. He made the team look bad they were not wide open kap just put the ball right on time. As can’t seem to do that all the time where we get yac yards. Placement of the pass made the bears look bad not the bears miss tackles or blown coverages. Good timely passes!
Here is something I don’t get. Some on here and elsewhere are trying to minimize Kaepernick’s performance by saying the Bears weren’t prepared because they were gearing up to stop the run. But watch out because now the Saints will be ready for the pass.
Can someone please explain how this is a problem? If the Saints come out and don’t respect the run, the 49ers o line will pound them into submission, and if they load up to stop the run Kaep has already proven he can beat that.
The balance of this offense, although not enjoyed by some, is it’s strength. Teams cannot try to take away a single aspect, because if they do they weaken themselves elsewhere, and that is where the next punch will go.
Opposing D-cooridnators will have a more difficult task in game planning for us now. Interesting to see if the Saints blitz Kap and how he will handle that, assuming he is the starter.
Good point Jack. I think the questions that have come out are whether Kap has a good enough understanding of defensive schemes that disguise their intentions. The Bears leave no questions as to what they are going to do most of the time.
I thought he did a decent job against the Rams, and they did a lot of disguising and moving around.
Here is what people should know about CK7. I’ve been a longtime UNR fan and have watched him evolve since the college days. I can remember on October 6, 2007 against Fresno State when Nick Graziano the starting UNR QB went down with a leg injury an a skinny little freshman from Turlock named Colin Kaepernick came into the game in the second half. He accounted for five touchdowns in just the second half. We at Nevada knew we had something special and a winner moving forward. Nick Graziano was to be a junior the next year and after recovering from his injury he never started again at UNR and he was a very good player with seniority. This kind of reminds me of Alex Smith now.
UNR was CK7′s team and his college stats speak for themselves. But stats are stats and heart is heart and what I see in CK7 now and the CK7 from before is the will to win. You could feel the will just watching Mondays game and see the energy on the offense. But to see a perfect example of his will to win go back to the St. Louis game and see that dive me made in the end zone for the TD, sorry but I don’t see that in Alex Smith. You’ll see that and feel that will in every game he plays. The 49ers have a great football team and can be very efficient with Alex Smith or CK7 at the helm but to win Super Bowls it takes the will to win it when it’s all said and done.
Amongst all of us UNR fans that watched his career and also as longtime 49ers fans there is a lesson to be learned here which has been our chatter in Reno since the 49ers drafted him, if CK7 ever gets a chance to start he will never look back. Play on CK7 and keep coming home to visit Reno, we love big hearts and class acts and you fit the bill perfectly.
Awesome post.
Good stuff Big Daddy
I’ve been saying this for the last two days but all the Alex Fluffers literally can’t tolerate reality. Thanks for saying it so nicely. Perhaps they’ll listen better to you than they did to me.
I saw AS play at Utah. His numbers were outstanding as well:
389/587
5203 yds
47 TDs
8 INTs
164.4 rating
Too bad the kid didn’t have JH draft him!!
From Sando today:
“Kaepernick relied heavily on longer passes. His 23 attempts traveled 10.2 yards past the line of scrimmage on average. Regular starter Alex Smith has a 7.5-yard average this season. Smith exceeded Kaepernick’s 10.2-yard average in a game one time this season (10.8 against the New York Jets) and two other times since 2008, the earliest year for which charting data was available through ESPN Stats & Information.
The average distance is 8.2 yards for all NFL passes this season.”
So is it better to throw short, get Yac and win or is it better to win by throwing deep?
Why should we have to choose between those two?
Trick question. A win is a win.
Is this not the difference between CK and AS?
Why choose? With Kaep you got both. There were the deep shots (Davis, Williams, etc) that drove up the air yards, and the short routes where they got YAC (Crabtree, Manningham, etc).
Throw in the run threat….
So Jack you think go with Kaepernick the rest of the way?
Prime,
I want to see how he does if he plays this week. He’s proven he can play at home, the next step is on the road in a loud, hostile environment.
Me too. I want the Saints to blitz him, not hurt him but see how he handles the calls, the schemes and the unknown coverages. If he can escape this road game with a win and plays well, it becomes a tough problem for the organization.
I think he’ll be fine with that part of it. It’s the adversity part of playing on the road I want to see how he handles.
No better place than on the road in NO against a hot team and a team looking for revenge.
“With Kaep you got both.”
Jack, you are basing that on one game/one start?
AS won a playoff game against N.O. and threw a 73 yd TD bomb and 28 yd TD to VD in the Championship game against NYG. AS can throw deep also. Again, lost in all of this hype is that the OL played their best game of the year.
Jack, I see you are objective again after *only* one game compared to 24 (over two years). Let’s see CK play over a period of time before crowning him. I won’t take anything away from his outstanding win over the Bears, but it is only one win and the defense had very little to use to prepare against him. Let it play out…
One thing I want to see from here on out, to start every game on offense, throw the ball on 1st down every single time! Im watching the game again, and passing on 1st down was so successful!
Prime,
Interesting that you mention the 1st down passing, SYoung mentioned on his KNBR show that he thought JH and GR opened up the offense for the 1st time this year. He said if he were AS, he would say hey, do the same for me.
The Bears dared CK to throw it and he did. The Bills and Cards did the same thing to Alex. Just watching this game, CK could have a had a smoke and beer in the pocket provided. He was not even touched and how you know this is cause he did not scramble out of it very much. This was the offensive lines best game.
As for passing on 1st down, it does open up things and most times this year they have been so predictable running it on 1st down. Like I said I would go play action every time on 1st down.
They were the same balanced team we usually see on those first 4 scoring drives. 21 total plays, 12 pass, 9 runs. The only difference was there were more chunk plays from first the pass and then in the 2nd Q the run.
By the time halftime came up the Bears had no idea what was coming at them.
Prime,
Did you see Gore just blow Briggs up as he blitzed on the TD pass to Davis? Thing of beauty!
It seems SY doesn’t see it that way nor do I. But let’s not say Kaep can do both in only one game when AS has proved to do both as well. That’s not objective or non-biased.
Add the fact Lovie Smith made no adjustments and the 49ers coaches embarrassed the Bears staff by out coaching them in every facet. Even when they did blitz they looked slow, tired and uninspired. That 3rd and 7 bomb to K. Williams, Urlacher blitzed but he was walking up to the line after the ball was snapped.
Of course you don’t see it that way Hofer. As an ex-lineman it is your natural instinct to protect the QB.
Roman called many of the same plays he does every week. Vernon Davis said it best when he described running a particular route but being used to the ball going elsewhere.
Jack, I guess we will see here on out. Now CK will have a good sample size of 6 games to compare. I don’t see AS starting the rest of the year.
Hof no Niner fan should expect to see Alex start or play again because that would mean CK has dropped the ball. He needs to win at least 4 of the next 6.
The Smithers say CK has played only one game, well this season AS has sucked or played below average in 4 games, Harbaugh has seen AS play enough games and that is why CK will start.
Neal,
If you could write one comment that was actually provocative, some here would take you seriously. Unfortunately, you let drama get in the way.
Kaepernick just named starter!!!!
Suck it, Fluffers!
What are we sucking?
Prime,
You aren’t sucking anything. You are one of the few “Smithers” who stuck it out on here Monday night, and have been somewhat positive with the potential switch.
You’ve got my respect.
I believe that those that support AS as a 9er team member have handled themselves with class! How about you?!!
Not really. Prime has been decent, and Ribico too, and Hofer, but they’ve also tried their damnedest to denigrate CKs performance and attempted to equate Alex’s “W”s with the kinds of “W”s that should truly be attributed to QB play.
Suck what you ask? You’ve had it in your mouth the whole time. Keep it up. Just don’t open you mouth again for a LOOOONG time.
Tarzan, take a deep breath man! Your acting all righteous because you think the win on MNF was all CK? Lets see what happens Sunday.
Only real question is what QB do you think can drive the 49ers to score more points on Sunday and it’s easy to figure out who to start. The Saints like the Packers, New England, etc. have to outscore you to win as they will give up lots of points. If the 49ers D can hold the Saints to 17 points or less, which by the way I doubt then either quarterback can win. If the 49ers need more that 17 points then CK7 needs to start as he adds an extra dimension the defensive coordinators just hate and that’s the ability for the QB to gain yards with his legs on any play, designed or broken. I think the 49ers will need the points so I go with CK7.