Greg Cosell spoke on Doug Farrar’s Week 12 preview podcast Friday morning. Here’s what Cosell said the Saints will try to do against Colin Kaepernick.
FARRAR: If you were the Saints, how would game plan for Kaepernick?
COSELL: The Saints defense has played better the last couple of weeks. Clearly they are understanding Steve Spagnuolo’s pressure concepts a little bit more. We’re seeing a lot more of the zone blitz schemes that he’s done very well over his career.
The one thing they have to be careful about with Kaeperick – because you didn’t see much of this at all last week against the Bears – you didn’t such much read-option and you didn’t see much designed movement, which I was surprised by. Maybe they never got to that because the other stuff was working so well.
My guess is the Saints know that, and they’ll spend a lot of time in New Orleans working on read-option and working on boot action.
What the Saints want to do with Kaepernick is what you want to do with any young quarterback. Does he have the movement element? Yes, but you still want to make sure that his pre-snap reads are muddied, you want to disguise, you want to move people around, you want to show him something before the snap that he’s not going to see after the snap.
On the other side of the ball, you’re the Niners and you want to do what they did against the Bears. You want to try to create personnel packages, formations, shifts, motions where the Saints can’t do all that stuff, can’t disguise because they have to mark off on certain players.
If all of a sudden Vernon Davis shifts outside the numbers, somebody’s got to go with him. You can’t say, “Forget about him, we’re going to do our blitz.” That’s the chess match in football. The Saints are going to try to disguise, and the 49ers are going to try to prevent the disguises from being effective.
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And the Biner are gonna wipe the floor with the Saints. It’s time for some blowouts fellas. No more Mr. Nice guy at QB. We are kicking tail and taking names. Saints get beat by 17 points this week. Book it!
Niners***** sorry!
23jordon finally got to take his paper sack off. The niners had some bad years but never put grocery bags on. He could maybe one of the faiders fans.
In regards to the poll question as a QB would you want to play behind that line in Arizona? K.C. has the better running game as well. If Henne continues to play well the Jags wont be in the QB business in the off season. The Eagles are tough to say because we have no idea who their coach will be next year, if Reid somehow escapes the firing squad he’d never put the averaged arm smith in his passing attack offense. The Chargers will have a new coach but Rivers isn’t going anywhere yet and if Smith is going to be a back up he’ll just stay here.
Can you imagine the life insurance premiums for a Cardinals’ QB?
Smith isn’t a 1st year players hoping to get on another team. Instead he is a proven veteran who can dictate where he goes. I think for that reason he ends up in either Minnesotta or Dallas. He certainly won’t go to a division opponent.
Think back to the TO trade. The team did everything they could to boot him out of the NFC. Perhaps they go the same route with Smith. SD maybe? More likely they put him in Minn.
Matt
That one absolute thing proven about Alex is that pre JH, he was mediocre and post JH, he’s been average to slightly above average. That doesn’t give him much leverage to dictate anything.
Matt, ignore Nick’s stupid comment.
You’re right, Smith will have several options to choose from. The trick will be finding a team that doesn’t suck. (he played for the worst o-line in football for 5 years, he’ll probably not want to go to Philly or ‘Zona unless they significantly retool)
Smith will have options. He’s shown he could do it two years in a row, he’s still under 30 and he is a good team guy. I truly believe the Niners can get a decent pick for him if they hold on to him and trade him. Too many teams in this league with terrible QB situations and not many good ones available in the draft.
Oh Angus/Primate/Axel Foley in Canada
If Alex leaves, a true Niner fan won’t give a $hit if he goes to a team that sucks. Your stupidity comes through in every post. Do you have mad cow disease?
Several options like he had last year, he will gets some bites, but not huge money.
Minn already has a qb(ponder)u know that guy that beat us…AS is going to CFL… Angus u can watch him all u want
C’mon now. Alex is not going to the CFL. Don’t be silly.
As Jack said, the contract situation isn’t bad so the 49ers might hang on to Smith even if Kaepernick ends up as the starter. The team has all the options for the next 2 years.
If Smith does move on then there are plenty of teams with horrible QBs that will give him a look. The Jags have a very conservative coach who might like a safe QB. The Raiders are in the same boat.
Smith can’t throw the long ball. Heis not even as good as Garcia was.
Wow! You guys are way jumping the gun here! You have no clue who’s gonna start this week regardless of what Whitner said. You have no clue if Smith will start next week, you have no clue if Smith will come in for an injured Kap this week. You have no clue and you’re already shipping Smith out. Crazy!
There is no way on earth that you pay your starting Wb less than a million and pay a backup 9 million. That us not going to happen. Just like every other year, you don’t pay Smith any more than he’s worth.,Smith takes an pay cut and can stay here for 2.5 mil. If not, be can take a hike!!! Good riddance!
SB Nation is hosting a live feed of the Harbaugh presser.
http://www.ninersnation.com/2012/11/23/3681836/49ers-press-conference-live-stream-jim-harbaugh
This should be interesting.
Looks like an empty newsroom or my computer is frozen, it’s old. Wasn’t it supposed to start at 1:45? Maybe they’re just late.
go to official website
This one works: http://www.49ers.com/media-gallery/live-video.html
Yep, missed it. :P
Thanks Adam. Watching the CSN Newsroom was starting to get boring.
i had no sound, did he name a starter?
I only caught the part about Spags’ defense at the very end.
anyone, anyone, anyone?
No starter named, said Alex went through final tests today and might be, should be, um yeah, should be cleared tomorrow, if he doesn’t experience more symptoms…
So, basically, Harbaugh saying he doesn’t even know if Alex will be cleared by tomorrow, so it’s likely (if truth’s been told by waffling Harbaugh) that CK is, indeed, getting the call…
Prime
Do you know the difference between liquor and liqueur? More relevant, do you know the difference between truth (CK is starting) and subversion (AS might be cleared by tomorrow so he might be starting)?
Did I say a Harbaugh presser would be interesting?
Apparently I was gassed with marijuana without knowing. As usual, Harbaugh used a lot of words to say nothing.
At least with the Rev he would say he has to look at more film and then he will decide who the starter will be. Does anyone rather have the REV then slick Jim.? Ofcourse the Smithers will think I am serious.
The Smithers remind me of Romney, they are gasping at straws that their man will start. If he was not cleared to play till tomorrow, Slick Jim will say that although AS was cleared he has not practise in 2 weeks and CK will start. Slick Jim, your not fooling anyone .
practice
I don’t think anyone (Smither or not) takes you seriously.
No worries there. ;)~
Poor prime ,
When Alex gets benched, resort to profanity and threats. You are the ultimate coward! A coward Smither. You give the other Smithers a bad name.
Interesting Grant took off one Prime Slime’s bashes at me.
In last years playoffs, Alex Smith beat the Saints in a thrilling game which heretofore was the pinnacle of Smith’s career. In less than one year, Alex is rolling into New Orleans as the backup QB.
If Jim Harbaugh were a nice guy, Alex would still be starting.
Yep if this was about AS you are correct. But this is about the 49ers.
No Bay, you are wildly wrong. This is all about me. As a fan of over 4 decades I deserve the best this team can do. So I guess starting CK is primarily for me and secondarily for the 49ers.
Lol
Says it all. Donte let the cat out early. Bigger question is where is BS.
http://m.nfl.com/news/0ap1000000099628/kaepernick-to-start-for-niners-teammate-whitner-says/
Perhaps JH lost control of the locker room?
or whitner is assuming, why would a defensive player know anyways
Makes you wonder if they have these conversations within earshot of players on purpose.
So the next guy comes out and says Smith will start, yada yada.
False flag operation. :P
Hofer,
Perhaps you’ve lost control of your credibility and objectivity? Or does BS have it? Either way, it’s gone!
BS stepped out to smoke a cigarette. She /he / or it is working through something! Lol
C’mon folks. Harbs wants to keep everybody guessing; duh. And my guess is CK starts against the Saints, ok? But just like everybody else, its just a guess.
Even if that’s true though, there isn’t nearly enough reliable info for people to start talking about a new era or regime change or trading or drafting anybody. Maybe CK starts this week and not next week; none of us, NONE of us have any clue. The speculative fantasizing over the last few days has been beyond silly.
That some people fervently wish for it is made painfully and endlessly obvious, but it doesn’t make it a reality. Some of the Haters are woofing on the Smithers like they won the super bowl when in reality, nothing’s happened yet. Ever see that newspaper headline from the 1940s? “Dewey Defeats Truman!”
Seriously, one good game from CK where the bears gave him plenty of man coverage and you guys are already making plans for where Smith is going to land…!? We’ve been through this for the last six years, u would think you would hold your horses. Sheeesh
Most of it is tongue in cheek to feed the piranha. They are so giddy thinking AS is the past tense that they take everything you feed them seriously. It’s entertaining! LOL
Colin only has one full game but I do love the attempt to diminish CK7′s accomplishments by trying to knock down the Bear’s defense.
Even after the shellacking that CK laid on the Bears they are the 3rd highest rated DVOA defense of all time. They are still the #1 rated defense in opponent passer rating.
CK tore that defense up in his first start. Your Precious hasn’t destroyed a good defense like that in his 8 year career.
Yep, people are excited at the potential CK brings to the table. Sorry Smithers, the fans, the coaches and the league just aren’t that in to your guy. Alex über alles will have to take the backseat for a week, and perhaps permanently.
Have to agree MSC.
Had AS put up those numbers against the Bears, the AS Only supporters would not be dismissing the Bears defense. They would be talking about how the win was a defining game for AS against the best defense in football.
Go figure? (lol)
AES – True, but the flipside would also be true: The anti-AS crowd would continue to complain about it not being a 300 yard game, continue to point out that he’s had several mediocre to bad games this year while glossing over the good ones he’s had, and on and on. They would be the ones dismissing the Bears defense to prop up their position that AS is horrible. CK certainly had a good game on Monday in a high profile environment. Probably a bit of a surprise given his lack of experience so many on this board are over-excited. Does he have promise? Heck yes, is it a lock that he won’t have any rough games like AS? Heck no. We’ll all just need to sit and wait it out to see what happens and hope that whoever is thrown out there can produce positive results leading the team to the big game.
The beauty of it all is that’s all water under the bridge. While the Smithers hopes and prayers are on Alex starting Sunday, Niner fans are looking forward to another great performance from Kap!
I’ve been trying to tell you Smithers about your boy for 5 years. Thank goodness, my nightmare is almost over. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, sportswear store owners in San Diego are taking the Humphries off those old #11 Charger jerseys. They’re gettingbthem ready for Alex!
Look at the teams the bears have beat and who they’ve lost to. Most of the great stats the bears have put up have come from less than stellar offenses. Not trying to diminish CK but trying to ship Alex off already is ridiculous after one game. Let it play out and look at everything b4 u go declaring the next great qb…we’ve been here before
If I were the Saints, I would worry less about blitzing Kaep than stopping the run game. The Saints have the lowest ranked run defense, and the Niners have the highest ranked run offense. Therefore, it’s a no brainer that the offense is going to abuse the Saints defense by dominating with a majority of run plays, and using the pass mostly to keep them honest or for play action bombs. Also expect Kaeps running ability to be featured as well. Going to be a long days for the Saints if their strategy is based on blitzing on passing downs.
That’s what I’m talking about. Go niners!!!
CalistogaRed
Many of the AS Only crowd were very vocal about how the “take away machine’ Bears defense was going to cause CK to have a few fumbles and INT’s prior to the game.
If you have the time look at the posts leading up to last Monday night’s game.
It seemed like the popular theme was that CK would collapse under the mighty Bears defense.
Now suddenly, the Bears defense is overrated?
C’mon Calistoga, who are we kidding here? (lol)
CK and the 49ers completely overwhelmed their defense. And yes, our defense served noticed to the league that they are second to no one!
I’ll agree with you that CK and the rest of the 49ers wiped the mat with the Bears and I did see all of the concern about how CK would fare, hence my comment that it was “surprising” that he did so well. But who are you kidding? The extremes on both sides of the fence have skewed and skewered statistics and game results for the last several years to make things fit their world view so many times that there’s no way AS would still have not been bashed if he had the same performance as CK in Monday’s game. Even when he’s had a nearly perfect game, like the Saints game last year, there have been detractors saying “he missed this receiver here” or “he shouldn’t have taken that sack”. The list goes on and on. Things are just flipping the other way now…at least as long as CK plays well. It will be interesting to see how everything plays out.
Nothin’ like a little drama!
Calistoga,
I can’t deny your premise. Personally, I’ve made it clear over the years that I’m not a stats person for the same reason you mention.
I want consistency (lol). That’s all I ask for. If CK can provide it, he’s my guy. We’ll see sooner than later.
But until then, there’s no stopping the drama (lol).
“Many of the AS Only crowd”
AES you are starting to sound like Neal. Why don’t you name them because I didn’t see it that way.
Hofe,
Look at those who were sure that CK would falter under the Bears defense. Take into account who the majority of those were and you’ll likely see who are the AS Only crowd.
I did not mention names because the usaul suspects were towing the collapse of CK line.