Jeff Garcia spoke on 95.7 The Game this morning. Here’s what he said Colin Kaepernick should expect and needs to do against the Chicago Bears tonight.
Q: What does Colin Kaepernick need to do tonight?
GARCIA: I think the one thing he has to really do is play within himself. This is the thing about the Chicago Bears – they are an outstanding football team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. When you watch them defensively, they are not a complex team. They’re going to run 2-Deep or they’re going to run Single-Safety Middle. That’s pretty much all that they do. So what you have to do as a quarterback is be very selective in your decision making. Check the ball down. Don’t force the issue. They’ve intercepted the ball 19 times this year. They have 7 touchdowns on defense this year off interception returns. That is awesome. You can’t afford to go out there and make those sorts of mistakes and put your team in a hole. You have one of the best defenses on your side, and they’re facing a backup quarterback as well. Although, Jason Campbell has started a lot of games in this league and he’s got a lot more experience. But that defense for the 49ers is great. It’s got to be a skill-position game. Eliminate the mistakes. Don’t force throws down the field that are going to create turnovers. And eventually it might be one of the 12-6 football games. As long as you eliminate your personal mistakes and do the right things, you go give yourself a chance to win.
Q: What’s more likely to happen tonight: The Bears go right after Kaepernick, or they lay back and try to trick him with some of their coverages?
GARCIA: A threat that Colin brings is his escapability and his ability to get outside of the defensive end. A lot of times what the Bears will do, they’ll bring those inside linebackers right into the A gaps, right over the center, and that’s what they’ll try to pose as a threat. They’ll try to make it look like they’re going to bring those blitzers, and then they’ll drop out. Or sometimes, they’ll bring them. One thing Coach Harbaugh is extremely smart about, and what he will do with Colin is he’ll have some planned runs that get him outside of the pocket on sweeps or whatever it may be. If he breaks contain, he’s got the speed to make big plays out of that. So I don’t think the Bears are all of a sudden going to start blitzing their tails off. They know that the 49ers will emphasize running the football – they’re the top running football team in the league. That’s not going to change. They’re still going to give the ball to Gore and give him his opportunities. What’s going to happen now is you’re going to see more 8-men-in-the-box type situations by Chicago, which means more one-on-one opportunities for their tight ends and receivers outside. Just take what the defense gives you. If you have a hitch because you have a soft corner, take the hitch. If you have a good matchup outside with a one-on-one type coverage, give that receiver an opportunity. He has plenty of weapons around him who can make plays. He just has to give them the right opportunities to do so.
Q: What does Kaepernick have to do when he’s passing into the Bears’ Tampa 2 defense?
GARCIA: You have to use your eyes. What happens is the backside coverage will go with the quarterback’s eyes. They’re so savvy and they’ve been playing it for so long. They have some great veterans on that side of the ball. They like to anticipate. They like to jump. They like to go with the quarterback’s eyes, especially a young quarterback’s eyes. They’re going to believe that when Colin drops back and he looks a certain direction, that’s where he’s going to go with the football. What you have to do versus that zone is you have to almost look one way and come back to the other side. Check it down to the backs. Get it to your tight end over the middle. It’s going to be one of those games where you have to be very methodical. It’s going to take two or three downs to get first downs. It may be a 15-play drive that gets you to the end zone. That’s how you have to play against that team. When you start trying to get big chunks, that’s when they blow you up. That’s when they get the big interception. That’s when they make the big play. When you start to get impatient is when you’re playing into their hands. You have to remain very patient. You have to run the football. You have to check the football down. You have to use your eyes. Get the defense going one way – come back to the other side. Easier said than done, but that’s how you have to play against these teams. And then obviously, your defense has to keep them out of the end zone, and that’s what the 49ers are built on. They keep teams out of the end zone.
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Popcorn ready guys?
This is going to be fun. I’m excited to see what Kaep can do
The Bears are playing single high safety about 60% of the time and even more when they are ahead by a score. I believe he will be utilized to track CK when he runs, and his assignment? Stop with extreme predjudice.
Make or break time for Kap.
No it isn’t. It’s the kids first start in the NFL. It’s hopefully the start of a great career, but to label a 2nd year QB’s first start as make or break is ludicrous.
Rocket it could change the future plans of the organization if Kap plays superbly or if he craps the bed. This is an evaluation game for Kap. He either shows the promise and potential to be a franchise QB, or it’s back to the drawing board in finding the future QB.
Prime,
I disagree. You guys are putting too much relevance on this start. It’s his first start and comes against one of the best defenses in the league. The team is not going to base a decision on his future off of this game.
Rocket is correct. Nobody, including our coaching staff, will dictate the future direction of our offense based off of one game by a guy making his first start. This is our 2nd round pick with a lot of promise, not Steve Stenstrom. You can’t be too quick to judge.
Regardless whether CK lights it up, or wets the bed, the starting job is AS’s.
I think if CK performs average to above average it will give the coaching staff confidence and will play into the competition in training camp 2013.
I also think that if CK is terrible, it might lead the organization to draft a QB next year as an insurance policy in case CK doesn’t develop.
Rocket,
+1, as usual.
Bay,
It depends on what you mean by “terrible”. I think CK would have to be unspeakably bad for the 49ers to give up on him.
@rocket after this game, the previous games and the entire 2 years in the organization, the coaches and management will know what they have in CK. This game is another piece of the evaluation of CK as whether or not he can be the #1 or bring some return in trade value.
If Smith is good to go next week there might not be any more chances for CK to showcase himself in live games. So, tonight is huge in that regard. They know what kind of guy he is, how he practices and work ethic, now they need to see him under some adversity in games. He gets it tonight against the Bears and it’s a perfect chance to show everyone who and what he can do. The whole football world is watching. It does not get any better than this.
Matt Flynn played in one game last year, played well, cashed in. Same with Kolb the previous year.
Lets not discount how much teams love QB’s and people get enamoured by a showcase. He has that opportunity to do that just like past QBs. It’s a win win for the 49ers if he plays well. If he doesn’t then the decision of what to do with him becomes difficult.
so in reality Alex would be a much better fit to face this Bears defense, he is adept at taking what the D allows.
I predict 2 pics by CK. That being said I’m excited to watch him play.
Um no Alex wouldn’t be a better fit. Alex can’t beat a good defense, we know this. He offers nothing against good defenses. Just look at how god awful he was against Seattle and NY. Kaep at least offers potential explosiveness. Alex not only isn’t explosive, he’s not even threatening.
Bias showing real well. The Giants game was a total failure by the entire team and although Smith didn’t do well against the Seahawks the passing game wasn’t part of the core gameplan there either.
I am biased against bad QBs. Alex was a big part of getting slapped around by the Giants. Alex was terrible against the Seahawks. Going back to last year Alex was bad against the Ravens and was horrific in the NFC Championship Game. Alex has proven time and time again that he can’t handle good defenses. He’s a mediocre QB who will never be any better than he is right now.
He went 18-19 for 3 tds against on of the best defenses in the league that stopped Brady and just picked off Matt Ryan 5 times. But I guess that doesn’t count because it doesn’t fit your worldview.
Arizona sucks. He had a good game, but he didn’t have to do much at all. I was suprised to see him even try a couple of those passes like the first TD to Crabs considering how timid and scared he usually plays.
If a team has only their their QB to count on to do something in a game, then that really isn’t much of a team. Everybody needs to do their job. A QB alone doesn’t win games.
Harpo,
Bad QB’s never have a high QB rating after half a season. I’m not saying Smith is great, but he’s definitely not bad either. To say he is is just plain wrong.
If you think I’m wrong, go back and look at QB rankings through the years and find me one truly bad QB that is near the top of the list.
So Grbac is good, Alex is bad, and Arizona’s defense sucks.
Got it.
Brian Grease in 2000 had a 102 rating and in 2004 had a 97.
Never said Grbac was good, said he was better than Alex.
He said Grabac was better than Smith. The evidence suggests otherwise.
1. Grease wasn’t “bad” IMO. Towards the end of his career he was up and down, but he was actually pretty damn good his first couple years.
2. Did Grease ever play more than half a season? Seemed like he was always injured.
Great insight/perspective by J.Garcia. I certainly hope he can become a regular here.
CK7 will do fine tonight. But let’s keep our perspective and remember that’s he’s only filling in for AS.
Go 49ers!
+35! I was excited to read this post when I saw the title. Grant, more Jeff Garcia, less Cosell please.
I was actually thinking while reading the interview that what Garcia is describing, is essentially what alex smith does well, even in the eyes of his detractors. I believe garcia actually suggested that the correct play, in many cases is a Check down! (Gasp, Blasphemy!)
Yes, more Garcia, less Cosell!!
Hes gonna make mistakes but at leasr we get to see what we got for the future..Even if he plays well do you think Harbaugh plays the hot hand in the middle of a playoff run?Who knows should be interesting to see.
Kaep needs to go off and pummel the bears so we are finally rid of Alex.
It’s ironic: Kaep will have to play it safe, like Alex. He seemed too safe on the trigger last week, and that’s the complaint (though not mine) with Alex. Kaep was able to move the ball with his feet though, and that will be the difference against an opportunistic Bears defense. We should expect them to stack the box and make Kaep prove his pocket command. For a run-first QB, it could be a challenging night. I want to see Kaep win by throwing, because if he pulls it off running, I don’t think it really shows what we’ve got in a future QB.
I agree. I hope Harbaugh doesn’t restrict Kap too much. I’m tired of waiting to know what NFL passing skills this guy has. Let’s see it already.
The 49ers are 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 home games versus a team with a winning road record. The home team is 5-1 against the spread in the last 6 meetings, and football gambling fans would be wise to wager on the 49ers to win this game.
http://nfllatestnews.com/monday-night-slugfest/
Hey guys!
Help me understand this. Doesn’t Chicago play a vanilla two deep zone defense? Doesn’t that leave the middle of the field open for a quick tight end like Vernon Davis, or for checkdowns to a stud running back like Gore? Should this not be part of the gameplan? Have teams have tried this against the Bears and failed?
I am so disapointed that Kaepernick didn’t get a full week of reps for this game. Not so much for Kap- but for the receivers to be used to his deeper passes.
I think the niners should be AGGRESSIVE in the game. Throw the deep passes to Moss and Manningham- make the D watch out for the deep ball and then just run it and throw the screen passes.
I have a feeling Moss is going to have a big night tonight.
Chicago’s defense isn’t one you want yo be aggressive against. You want to be balanced in offense and execute that well, otherwise they will make you pay.
Midwest- have you watched the bears???
They are not that great of a team. The only team that they beat with a winning record at the time was the Cowboys who are now 5 and 5.
I will say this now- the bears are not a playoff team this year. GB and Minnesota are both better.
The Bears have benefitted from a cake schedule- they are an average NFL team- let’s stop making them out to be juggernauts.
Have you seen the teams this season Suede? There really isn’t a great team this season. There’s good, average, poor, and blah.
Oh yeah. After blah, there’s the Chiefs.
CK played 3 quarters last week, you can’t ask for more prep before his first start.
He needs time to prepare for the Bears defense. Three quarters against one defense doesn’t prepare a QB for another defense unless they have the same scheme.
He is the #2 QB on a NFL team thinking of the Super Bowl!
No excuses.
He should be prepared.
All I’m saying is that it’s not that easy Life.
Hey, I’m optimistic (as usual), but I don’t think this Bears defense is one that you want to be aggressive and take too many deep shots, as you are suggesting. Did you even read this article?
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2011/profiles/colin-kaepernick?id=2495186#tab=3
I have a feeling Kaep will be fine. I think he plays well tonight and gives us a great shot to win, although it will be a very close game.
LSX, I agree. The differentiator tonight is the home field advantage if the season ticket holders didn’t sell too many to the Bear fans.
So Jeff Garcia says that for the 49ers to win Kaepernick should play like Smith…oh my that can’t sit well in the Cohn household…
Great analysis! Garcia should get into QB coaching.
Jeff is working with high school kids, and goes to various camps throughout the summer.
Are you ready for a good laugh?
Chicago Sun-Times Chilo Rachel quote: “I’m just trying to master my craft,” Rachal said. “This is my first year playing left guard. I want to be one of the best left guards in the game.”
LMFAO!!
That’s hilarious!
LOLOLOLOLOL
Is that so, Chilo? And I want to be an astronaut, or take over the Late Show from David Letterman.
ahahahaa, well I don’t think there are too many astronaut jobs, but you probably have a shot at taking over for Letterman! lol
Chilo Rachel and Kentwan Balmer, must be related.
The 49ers have not announced Alex Smith is out of Monday night’s game against the Bears.
ESPN did announce.
Is there a chance Alex is still playing?
No. It has been confirmed by the team on their website.
Beat me to the punch Jack. Here’s a link I found anyway.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/19/niners-officially-scratch-alex-smith/
niners special team punt/kickoff coverge is lacking……
bears speacial teams returner is hester
oh oh
yeah, Hester still returns punts for the bears right? definite advantage to the bears in that department. It will be up to andy lee to pin him back or put the punts out of reach
Gore/Jacobs in the backfield and just pound Urlacher Inc. into bankruptcy.
If Jacobs is active tonight.
Where’s the live pre-game blog? Lets get this party started! Let’s roast some bear for dinner and pound some cold ones! Somebody get fired up!
Hey Grant, I was watching some highlights from this week and saw Justin Blackmon having a pretty darn good game. Wasn’t he the WR in this draft that you referred to as “The ___ ____ Mistake?” I can’t remember if it was Blackmon, Kendal Wright, or Rueben Randle… but i’d love to hear a follow up assessment.
That’s one game. He’s done nothing the other nine games.
Give him some credit though. He was going up against a tough Texan secondary.
He played a good game. I didn’t say he’d be a bad player, just a top-10 pick bust.
It seemed his 90-yard TD reception was the result of blown tackles.
Aren’t some touchdowns Grant?
Okay Kappy – here we go!