SAN FRANCISCO – Here is the complete transcript of Vernon Davis’s postgame press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.
What did you think of QB Colin Kaepernick?
“Colin is the man. I think Colin did a great job. I’m very proud of him. I take my hat off to him because he stepped up today. He did some great things out there to help us win this game.”
After your last catch in the first quarter, I saw you walk up to him, put your hands together, and bow to Colin Kaepernick. What was that all about?
“Respect. I respect him. I love him. And I was just so proud of him at that moment because the ball that he threw me, it was one of those balls that you see [Patriots QB] Tom Brady throw. Second window, right on the money. I didn’t expect the ball to come because we’ve ran that play quite a few times and the tight end usually doesn’t get the ball on that play. But, he saw it and he just put it there.”
Do you think you were open on that play?
“It was a tight window, very, very tight. But, he took the shot. He was very confident in himself. Obviously and he made it happen, made it work.”
Do you expect Colin to sort of latch onto the starting job now?
“I don’t know. That’s up to the coaches. That’s their decision. I’ll let them decide and they always call the shots. So, it’s all up to them.”
If he did get the job, how would you feel about that? You’ve been probably one of the most loyal supporters of Alex Smith to this point. It’s got to be tough for you?
“It is. It is. It’s tough. Alex, he’s a genuine guy. I’ve been here with him since day one and always supported him. But, Colin, he’s the same way. Very humble heart, soft spoken and he wants to be great. But, I can’t choose sides. I’m here to support either one of them.”
Were you talking to Alex on the sideline? And what was he saying watching Colin put up these kind of numbers?
“Actually I didn’t have a chance to talk to Alex. I didn’t see him the whole game. I’m sure he was on the sideline somewhere. I was just so focused.”
On the touchdown pass against the blitz, what did he show you there? I mean, LB Lance Briggs was right in his face.
“Confident. A player. He’s a playmaker. That’s what the kid is. He’s a true playmaker and he has a bright future.”
Does he show this stuff on the practice field? Or has he sort of amped his game when he gets on the big stage?
“No, he does. He makes plays in practice. He’s pretty consistent. He’ll make it happen in practice. I think he had a good week of practice this past week and he did everything the coaches asked of him. And he made it work.”
When did you start to get the sense that he was going to be starting tonight?
“I think last night. Last night coach told us that Kaepernick was going to be the starting quarterback.”
What does it mean to you guys to get a win this convincing on a national stage against a good Chicago team?
“It means a lot. It means a lot because we needed this one. Especially after playing the Rams and having a tie game. We needed a win, a true win. And this means a lot to us, the organization. And it also sends out a message that we’re for real. We’ll play on big games and we’ll step up and we’ll make plays.”
Do you think you caught the Bears by surprise in the first drive when you opened it up so much in the passing game?
“Probably so. I think we probably caught them by surprise. I don’t think they expected us to come out and sling the ball around like that. But again, Kaepernick took control. He called the shots. And he took advantage of his opportunities.”
How big is it for you just to get so involved with the offense again?
“Felt like somebody took the handcuffs off me. It was great. It was great just contributing to this offense. Because that’s all I want to do. I don’t care about the statistics and things like that. I just want to contribute and be a factor in winning ball games. And I told the coach, I’ll tell coach that I want to help. I want to do more than just block, but, I’m game. We win, it’s all good. If I’m blocking and we win, it’s cool. I can take that. And he understands. We have that type of relationship where we can talk. And that’s what we love about coach Harbaugh, you can talk to him about anything.”
When you said this was a message, do you have a message for the United States President Barack Obama after what you wanted to see in this game?
“[Laughs] I would like to ask him, how does it feel to be a San Francisco 49ers fan?”
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“Felt like somebody took the handcuffs off me. It was great.”
Yeah, Kaep took the handcuffs off….not just VD but the entire offense. That’s why he bowed to him. :-)
BTW, by no means was that a fluke. I firmly believe that he performs similarly or better against the Saints next week if given the opportunity.
Seriously, it’s got to be tough when the receiving corps (Whether they outright say it or not) all gush with their enthusiasm and confidence in Kaep. They want this change not just for themselves, but how it opens up opportunities for the offense with the prospect of dominance.
“Respect. I respect him. I love him. And I was just so proud of him at that moment because the ball that he threw me, it was one of those balls that you see [Patriots QB] Tom Brady throw. Second window, right on the money. I didn’t expect the ball to come because we’ve ran that play quite a few times and the tight end usually doesn’t get the ball on that play. But, he saw it and he just put it there.”
That was a great throw.
“It was a tight window. It was very, very tight. But he took a shot and he was very confident in himself, obviously, and he made it happen.”
Grant,
The use of Davis has been a big talking point around here. Has your stance on the origin of the issue changed at all after last night?
Good question Jack, good question. I don’t post nearly as much as some on here, but I’m sure Grant would acknowledge that I previously and properly cited the true origin of the issue.
It was the QB all along
I always felt it was a combination of Smith not pulling the trigger and Roman not creating and calling enough plays for Davis.
Last night, Kaepernick pulled the trigger and found Davis on some late-read passes. Roman’s shot plays for Vernon Davis worked. I still think Roman could do more with Davis. Roman did well last night, though. We’ll see how the Kaepernick-Davis connection develops, and if it brings more creativity out of Roman in the pass game.
Grant, the answer is right here in your post.
“After your last catch in the first quarter, I saw you walk up to him, put your hands together, and bow to Colin Kaepernick. What was that all about?
“Respect. I respect him. I love him. And I was just so proud of him at that moment because the ball that he threw me, it was one of those balls that you see [Patriots QB] Tom Brady throw. Second window, right on the money. I didn’t expect the ball to come because we’ve ran that play quite a few times and the tight end usually doesn’t get the ball on that play. But, he saw it and he just put it there.”
The second to last sentence in his response should settle the debate.
Doesn’t that indicate Kaepernick did an exceptional job finding a secondary receiver on a play Roman designed primarily for someone else?
It still seems like Roman has a few designed shot plays for Vernon and he calls them every few weeks when a team has forgotten about them.
Disagree slightly Grant. I think plays are there to be made every week for any receiver…especially Vernon Davis. Smith just doesn’t hit him/find him. He pulls the ball down after one read quite often.
To me it says that usually the QB is getting rid of the ball underneath too quickly and not being patient enough to take the shot to me.
The 3rd and 1 was another example of this. Although Kaepernick missed with the throw, that is a ball Smith most likely doesn’t let go. Davis had 3 guys around him, but if the ball was placed properly on his outside shoulder it was 6.
I don’t know that Kaep will be throwing against as many 9 men boxes going forward. Bears loaded up against the run early, and got totally schooled.
Thats a good point Jack and Steve young also mentioned that CK’s placement was really good even on the missed throws because he put the ball away from the defender so that it was either our guy or nobody catching it.
6 more games. 4 on the road 2 @ home.
Niners are on fire!!!
VD says: “We’ve ran that play quite a few times and the tight end usually doesn’t get the ball on that play. But, he saw it and he just put it there.”
The TE doesn’t usually get the ball on THAT play because Alex needs to look at the deep option first more often.
Pro Football Focus just tweeted this: “Colin Kaepernick attempted 4 balls over 20 yards in the air yesterday. Alex Smith attempted 3 in the last 3 games.”
Yeah, should mention that to Harbaugh and Roman.
Was Alex facing a 9 man front that dared him to throw it, or was he facing defences that force a team to take what’s given to them?
Anyone? Bueller?
You’re like a broken record Axel Foley/Sean in Canada/Primate.
Nick,
Settle down! People can have differing opinions. You sure have and it didn’t stop you here. So relax!
Hofer,
Bitter much? Your tone today is like the time when the Niners were pursuing Peyton Manning.
You also keep repeating nonesense about CK not being a good pocket passer. I gave you and Primate from Canada evidence to the contrary (from the St Louis game) and Jack later broke that play down using all-22 film. Yesterdays game showed that CK can be effective in and out of the pocket.
Same offense, same players, same coaching staff, different QB = EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE. Get the point?
Cal boy, same offense, same players, same coaching staff, different QB, same numbers, same result clown! A win. They don’t ask how, they ask how many. That’s wins fool.
Nick,
The 9ers won and are one step closer to the SB. Unlike last week, the 9ers came out to play against an out-coached Bears team. Which team shows up against the Saints is anyone’s guess. It was one game and a win. I couldn’t be happier while keeping the so-called QB controversy in perspective. Thanks for asking!
Prime, you bleeding idiot!
32 points against the bears is 19 more than the #1 ranked Houston Texans scored. 8 completions to Vernon is almost as many as he’s had in the last three games. 243 yards on 16 completions is unlike anything Alex has ever done. CK was 133.1 and 97.5, both records for first game starts. Those are numbers that even a blind j*rkoff could understand if he hadnt actually watched CKs sublime play himself. Assuming you saw it, then how does one explain your stupidity?
Prime, you bloody idiot! Shut your GD mouth. You are an embarrassment to true Niner fans.
CK was outstanding last night but let’s keep this one game in perspective. The Bears didn’t expect CK to play mainly from the pocket – none of us did looking at all of our prognostications prior to the game. If we could guarantee CK plays that way the next 6 games plus all of the playoff games, then he is the undisputed starting QB. Unfortunately, the 9ers won’t surprise anyone going forward. If JH makes the QB switch, he needs to live with it because QB musical chairs will not the answer. CK will have a poor game going forward because even the elite QBs have poor games and CK hasn’t been deemed elite unless an over-exuberant GC has accelerated that status with last night’s results. CK will now receive the lion’s share of the patience and there are no poor HCs or revolving door OCs to share any of the losses with on this team. If they give him the reins moving forward, there is no looking back! Remember, anything short of the SB is failure no matter who the QB is for the balance of the season.
Memories tend to be short term in the NFL. Let’s not forget AS has played outstanding games this year as well – see the Buffalo game and the AZ game (completing 18/19 for 232 yds). AZ also had a top rated defense that gave TBrady and MVick fits during losses.
If we think last year was a ride, get ready for the next 2.5 months!!
Good times.
Gobble Gobble jive Smither talk.
Thanks Neal. Enjoy your Thanksgiving as well!!
First off, let’s not even resurface the game against the (Anybody can score 40 pts on us) Bills. That was like 4 games ago at least.
Don’t pull up a 18/19 to clarify how well Smith played. There was tons of YAC in the game and it’s one of those games that you don’t know how well he played until you look at the stat line.
Kaep on the other hand last night put up 16/23. IMO, fans could say “What? He missed 7 passes?” You’d have to watch the game again to come away with the understanding why because it felt like he just dominated through the air with vertical passes.
You are discussing – one game/one start. What do you do next week if CK does a 180? Oh…you say, it will never happen! Why? Do elite QBs play outstanding every week?
Again, the 9er coaches out coached the Bear coaches who were looking for a run centric game plan.
I’d like to see CK play against N.O. he earned it. After that, who knows?!!
Whoa, slow your roll Hofer.
First off, wouldn’t ever say that “Wouldn’t” happen and 2) Who says he’s elite after his 1st start?!
Agreed, let’s see how his plays in another game. All for it. Actually, not sure if we’d see much of a difference with how porous the Saints D is.
Hofer – How about that Aldon Smith dude? What a great draft pick!
Crabs,
That whole draft class is looking pretty amazing. Aldon Smith, CK, Hunter, Culliver, Miller and Kilgore….are you kidding me?
+1
The only people who didn’t expect Kaepernick to play from the pocket are those who couldn’t get past the “run-first” stereotype he had coming out of college.
Anyone who is objective and watched the film of the Rams game last week could have told you that he plays well from the pocket.
True that. And 1 that comes to mind is bs.
Obviously you should be coaching for the Bears Jack. LOL
My sentiments exactly Jack! CK threw for over 10,000 yards at Nevada. If you ever actually watched him you could see that he had the ability and experience to be a pocket passer. Where the untruth that Colin is just a run-first QB comes from mystifies me.
“Anyone who is objective and watched the film of the Rams game last week could have told you that he plays well from the pocket.”
Your prognostication from yesterday doesn’t suggest that Jack.
ack Hammer says:
November 19, 2012 at 11:17 am
My guess is something like 10-18, 120 yards 1 TD and 6 rushes for 65 yards.
Jack,
the Bears came out and absolutely loaded up against the run. 9ers went with play-action early and often, and killed them with it, presumably because they figured the bears would load up against the run.
Obviously, those who know more than we do figured there was a notion that the 49ers would game plan around pounding the rock.
Also don’t forget that CK was given 2 plays in the huddle and got to read the defense and choose the play. So those play-action passes are to his credit as well.
Hofer,
In a post a little after that to you, I mentioned that they may just go pass heavy due to all the chatter regarding this being a ground and pound game.
I was actually emailing with an acquaintance about 1/2 hour before kickoff about CK, and told him I thought he was going to light the place up and that the game plan would look like Minnesota, NY.
Good times Hofer. It was good to see our 1-read and run QB as you coined him prove you wrong, again…
Of course you did Jack! How should we ever doubt you? LOL
History shows that young qb’s that start don’t fair well. He did. And with half the snaps all week in practice. Kid is a baller. Plain and simple and he looked better than Smith has all season. Just the truth Hoff. Why the hate? If smith played a game like that you would be all over it.
MD,
Don’t go hate on me friend. That is old and you know it. Re-read my comment and stick the hate where the sun don’t shine. LOL
Hoff I was kind of disappointed in you man. I thought you were all for the team. And it seems that some of your comments are meant to knock down CK’s play a bit. For him to come in that kind of situation and play like he did was remarkable and it was something NOBODY saw coming. And in addition the defense and ST were back to 11 form. Are you a believer after 7 quarters now? You have to admit he made throws we haven’t seen from Alex with consistency. If he did that to the best takeaway defense with ease. Imagine what he could do in the near future. This kid has got “it” this will be a tough call for Harbaugh but I think he sticks with Smith and a short leash. Lets see. It’s going to be tough for either one in N.O. We don’t win there. Wheeew
MD,
Thanks. What in my comment above is wrong or incorrect. I’m taking a wait and see approach. You can call names or say that someone is a hater, but that’s not the way I see it.
Hofer, are you taking a 7 year wait and see approach? ;)
JSand,
And you? A one game/one start approach?? Hmm.
No, i was just messing around. Im excited about CK and am definitely not a Smith fan. The QB play we saw last night is what Ive been waiting to see out of Smith for 7 years and still have yet to see. That being said, I really don’t know what we should do. I know that Harbaugh is probably going to stick with Alex though. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kap one more week against a mediocre Saints defense.
Not trying to call you names, but you seem bitter about CK’s success. And I think you’re being bitter because you know he did what Alex can’t. Call it straight my dude. Then you back angus in Canada with the nonsense he is spewing with the overrated Bears defense and 9 in the box. C’mon man that is the worst hater line I’ve ever heard. Kids first start and he shreds the second best defense in the league on national TV. Houston couldn’t even do that to them last week.
MD
In the spirit of playing it straight can we adress an obvious double standard here?
A few on here said they havnt seen play like that from smith in 7 years. What about the 2 nearly perfect games AS had this year (BUF and ARI) Then u MD said the stuff about the bears overrated d and 9 in the box was bogus when a slew of the Haters led by u and of course 23J refered to Buffalo as a JV bison team (denigrating smith’s performance) and when AS lit up ARI said that it was mostly due to YAC and not to Smith. What gives? can u guys be equal opportunity haters? Where is the mention of CK missing by 5 yds a wide open VD for 6 or the low throw to Crab? All i see is gushing (with good reason) but come on.
Why r u wiling to give CK a pass on things that u constantly hammer AS for?
AZ also just picked off matt ryan 5 times. Makes Smith look pretty good
Dangle,
You need to pick and choose which one game is better. Careful or you will be call names for taking a slow approach to this so-called QB controversy. LOL
Lol Hof, all this knee-jerk overreaction is totally expected from a lot of this crowd. For one, I think this is the highest quality problem to have, and I will be fine with whatever the coaches roll out.
I remember the JMo and SY controversy. SY was more dynamic and played outstanding a few games. Then during the worst moment (usually big games like the playoffs) cause a turnover trying to do to much. The JMo crowd would go nuts. Ultimately, it made JMo a better player to have someone pushing him. Even though SY was a much more dynamic player, he only had one SB with all of that winning even after Joe was traded to KC. BTW, I was in the SY camp.
Hofer… not surprised you were in the SY camp. It figures. Steve Young was a decent runner but a horrible passer when he started his career. Colin is (by the numbers) the best dual threat QB ever to come out of NCAA football. That’s one difference.
The other difference and the one that makes your argument/analogy utterly ridiculous (and subjects you to ultimate dolt status) is you comparing Alex to Joe Cool. Montana won 4 Superbowls, threw 11 TDs and 0INTs along the way. He was by far the greatest QB of his generation, with Marino and Elway a distant second and third. Alex is a middle of the pack, easily flustered ball protected who has steadfastly refused over the course of his career to throw receivers open.
There is absolutely no comparison between AS/CK and JM/SY … you have made us all dumber just by trying.
Neanderthal
Ur a little late to the party for the JM AS comparison debate. No one compared one to the other. Even you can see that the two did play the same position for the same team and were both involved in a QB controversy. that is the similarity Hof was refering to. Telling Us that JMO was awesome is preaching to the choir. The difference is in the Knee jerk recation of 1 bad game=bum 1 good game= HOF that goes on here.
IMO u need more than 1 game or even 1 season to see what a player has to offer whether good or bad. Thats why Id love to see a bit more of CK before annointing/ giving up on him like Msclemons67 did after the rams half
Once again, its not about catching the bears by surprise by coming out throwing the ball. He not only “managed the game,” as the Smith apologists like to hammer in, but put touch on his balls-that sounds weird, and fit them into perfect windows as VD said. Its about how he looked, what type of throws he was making, stepping up into the pocket, and the adjustments at the line.
Kaep played GREAT…but “touch”? Might want to ask Randy Moss about that. Hope his finger isn’t broken after the 103 mph fastball CK fired at him from about 5 yards away! Actually, that’s about the only complaint I’d have about CK’s game…and I think that’s easily fixable.
No, hold up! You didn’t think Kaep COULD play from the pocket. You thought he was just a gimmick/change up running QB, that MIGHT be ready a few years from now, Right??? LOL!! Listen, get all of that egg off your face, and hurry up and get on board the Kaep train. Only a few spots left LOL!!
Jai,
Lay off the poor guy. He is backpedaling faster than Deion Sanders in his prime. All Arrows Up!
I thought the team seemed more excited to play for kap or is that just me??
Wouldn’t say that…it sounds like a hater comment.
When the team is hitting on all cylinders who isn’t excited to play? Especially receivers who finally get opportunities to make plays in the passing game.
Obviously. Anyone who denies that has an agenda.
I don’t see how Kaep influenced Special Teams or the D…except that they all knew the new kid was in, and it’d require everybody’s best effort to get a W. That’s not something you could count on every week, obviously.
Whatever the reason, it’s pretty obvious that EVERYBODY showed up last night! Woo-Hoo!
I don’t see a QB controversy at all. I saw things that CK can do, that AS can never do, CK can extend a play with his legs and he also can look at 3 or 4 receivers in the pocket, with AS, if the main receiver is covered, he will dump it to Frank Gore, even if it is 3 and 15. Also AS would of been sacked 3 or 4 times in the game, not CK We didn’t see that all. Also MM at Comcast say”s that JH loves this kid to death, when they drafted him last year. I am sure the Smithers would still love to trade him , so they can watch boring AS play his mundane safe game. Also GR I called you a below average offensive coordinator, I am sorry, with a great QB, you can do so many more things.
Now Grant’s pieces on VD and GRo seem weird. I commented on a number of them that we all bad to consider that the gameplay was being called and VD was being targeted but that Alex simply refused to take shots downfield or to a double covered receiver.
I watched the entire Walsh-Montana era from age 3 onward. It’s in my bones. I’m f*cking smart.
You have yet to give any credit to the OL. They were outstanding last night giving CK more than ample time to make plays or extend plays with his feet. The OL played their best game of the year.
GREAT point, Hof. The heads on ESPN today said, Yeah, great QB play, but this game was decided at the line. The Niners protected the hell out of CK, and the Bears…well, they’ve clearly been learning from Chilo. O line’s BEST outing of the season.
Neal
Nice post. I’ve been saying all along that GRo’s hands were tied with AS at QB. Just listening to VD and other players after the game validates that.
Kap said it was the same offense. Reading and listening comprehension not taught at Cal?
Prime idiot,
It was the same offense but it was a different QB making the reads and the throws. See the difference stupid. Alex smith makes the reads but he’s afraid to make the throws. He’s afraid because he doesn’t have the confidence because he doesn’t have the arm strength. Kap has both. He made the reads and made different throws. Better throws into tighter windows. Read VDs presser after the game bonehead! Get your head out of Smith behind for a minute and let reality slap the crap out of you. Kaepernick is the due and yes, I TOLD YOU SO!
23 great name calling!
I’m going to repeat my post of last night that i made at half time. I think we may have a new QB. now lets all behave with a little class. those who have backed AS now need to back CK [if harbaugh pulls the trigger] unconditionally and those who have not backed AS need to treat those who did respectfully, we are all niner fans and we all bleed red and gold. GO NINERS
+1
Good gesture, but I partly disagree. I mean I respect 49er fans. We all just want to win a super bowl. But these Alex lovers are not 49er fans. If they were, you wouldn’t even have to write a post like this. No, these so called Alex lovers are just irrational aholes, who are so self righteous, they can’t see the Forrest for the trees. Now, if there some true 49er fans in that bunch, then yes, by all means, let’s all get along. I predict, that since there are so many Alex lovers on here who were REALLY hating on Kaep, I believe some will just go away like a bad virus, while some will just change their usernames. lol
Speaking of changing names JAI
U sound like someone who is familiar with this blog yet I dont recognize ur name…………? Hmmmmmm could be that u just started posting but with the agressive stance u take sounds like a hardened veteran with a new handle.
Hating on Kaep? IS U CRAZY go back and check every post win or loose and what was said about SMITH. Now before u call me a smith lover and dismiss everything I say (easier than reading and then arguing vs my point) Kaep had a great game but it was not perfect and the “hate” that u speak of is just people telling all the AS Haters to slow down and remember that its only 1 game (a great game no doubt but 1 game nontheles). the reason old coach wrote his post is to stop the “gloating”. I mean christ 23j has been telling us “i told u so” 5 weeks before there was anything to tell
I wonder if Moss’s finger noticed a difference between Alex’s and Colin’s passes last night?
Grant – UCLA/USC game was awesome Saturday! I promised you a tailgating picture. We took this picture at 6:30AM.
Old man Crabs hangin with some buddies. I’m holding yellow cup next to shirtless dude. No laughing.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90205367@N07/8197177893/in/photostream
Lookin’ good crabs. I do hope that yellow cup contained good beer.
Clem – It was Lagunitas IPA, had some Amstel Lights for post game celebration.
Great Niner win last night! We showed nation who’s boss and who has the best D!
Looks like you had a blast. Wish I could have been there. Thanks for sharing the picture.
Grant – No prob. Thank you
Do you think we’ll beat Stanford? I think we’ve got the better quarterback.
Grant – I don’t know if they can beat Stanford.
I asked UCLA nose tackle Seali’i Epenesa way after game Saturday,”what Mora said in locker room?” He said, Mora made it crystal clear that they were to celibrate for 24 hours only and that they will practice next week as hard as the did when preparing for USC.
Mora will have them ready to play but they lost some depth at RB. Backup RB and kick returner Damien Thigpen tore his ACL vs USC.
Yes Grant, QB Brett Hundley is the real deal.
Crab,
Did you ever watch the WWF back in the late 90′s?
If so, remember the music they used to play when Vince McMahon would come out? That sum’s up UCLA’s chances this week : )
No chance! Cuz that’s what ya got….
Right on! Grant knows his WWE!
Do you smelllllllllll what Kaep, is, cooking?
Come get on the Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppp traaaaaaaain!!! Kaepin ain’t eeaaazay!
Jack – No chance in hell? Lol…….we’ll see. Like Hofer always says…TBD
Crab,
It is going to be an interesting game. Both teams coming off big, emotional wins. The only advantage I give to Stanford is that they have more to play for.
Sorry to go off topic but that reminded me a bit of the new nicknames I heard for Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin.
The first one is the Dougernaut which is probably too cool to stick but the second one had me in stitches: Martin Scores’easy. HAHA!
Crab — college football is for frat guys.
Neanderthal – What else can I learn from you?
BTW, welcome to the blog. You’ve had some good posts until now. :-)
Chill out bro. I went to UCLA and there’s nothing like an afternoon in Pasadena! I was just ribbing you. ;)
All Mora has to do going forward is stress the fundamentals and continue the fine UCLA recruiting tradition of:
Girls, sunshine, football … Sign here!
Nick – Well said! Three great points. :-)
Crabs,
Where are the women bro! You just lost 50 cool points with me homey! Lol
Regardless of which QB the coaches start against the Saints next week I believe one thing for certain – CK won’t be going back to the bench full time. I think we’ll see a lot of Kaep even if Alex starts. CK gave this offense a spark we haven’t seen since Jeff Garcia and I believe the coaches are smart enough to use that spark.
If Alex’ psyche can’t handle it then CK will simply take the job.
This moment was inevitable once we drafted Kaep. You do not draft a second round QB to sit on the bench and hold a clipboard forever. That said, I’m startled by how well he played. I thought it would be next year before he got to this point, if he ever did. He obviously has a crazy level of athletic talent, and looked far more comfortable than almost anyone might have expected in his first start.
Now it’s all about managing this situation so it does not turn septic in the locker room. One thing in our favor is that Alex is a really stand-up guy. He won’t be happy about this, but I can see him doing what needs to be done for the good of the team.
People need to keep in mind how young Kaep is, though. It’s not going to be all roses and glory. There will be days when a defense has him confused and frustrated, too. Nothing is served by going back and forth between the two guys, or having fans call for Tolzien. If you make Kaep the starter, you have to stick with that, barring another injury, for the rest of the season.
He’s 25 and he has the entire locker room backin him up. The other athletes on the team want to win, and they know CK gives them the beat chance to do that. This is not about preventing sewage from running through the facility. It’s just about keeping both QBs happy, because both may be needed if CK gets injured.
Next week’s game will be a completely different situation. I’d like to see him in a game dynamic where the defense isn’t completely having it’s way with the other team. Let’s see how he is playing when the team doesn’t have momentum against a tough opponent on the road.
If Colin starts and repeats his performance next week I will be inclined to believe he should be the starter going forward. On paper the 49ers shouldn’t have much difficulty in the game, their(saints) defense is terrible and although their run game has improved slightly the past couple weeks that offense moves strictly through interstate 9. (thx gruden for the metaphor)
Coffee,
The one thing their team can do is put up points. It will be interesting.
Through the air they can.
“I’d like to see him in a game dynamic where the defense isn’t completely having it’s way with the other team.”
So, I think you’ll see that against the Saints. I mean, obviously our D will play but no way we can shut them out or really expect to hold them to 13 or below points.
On the other side as you stated…not much would change for Kaep against their defense because it’s porous. Shootout game? No, don’t think our D will allow that…but I suspect you’ll see situations where we may have to answer a scoring drive.
Grant, should the 49ers cut Moss and activate Jenkins? Why not would be my main argument? Let’s get the rookie some playing time since Moss doesn’t seem to be bringing anything to the table we can’t live without.
If Jenkins was better than Moss, they would have already cut him.
He might be better, how would anyone know? If they knew that Colin was better then Smith wouldn’t they have replaced him already too?
It’s tricky replacing the quarterback of a winning team. It’s not tricky replacing the No.4 receiver. If the coaches thought Jenkins was better than Moss right now, they’d cut Moss without hesitating.
Yes, they would have Coffee…..
that doesn’t actually say anything or address the point Angus.
Grant I don’t think it’s about if Jenkins is better because I don’t think he is either. He can improve and become better though if he’s part of the game plan and see’s game time. If Moss was truly helping the team in a meaningful way I wouldn’t suggest it but I’d trade what production he has had for the opportunity for Jenkins to become a better player.
Wouldn’t it behoove the team to get their #1 draft pick more experience to help him get better then giving reps and game time to a veteran that isn’t producing?
I think the #1 and #2 draft pick need to build more muscle and strength before they earn the opportunity to gain experience.
I take that back Angus, sorry I must have read that to quickly or was thinking of another response to something as I did because it meant something totally different to me when I read it.
GC said:”It’s not tricky replacing the No.4 receiver.”
Another reason to do it, it’ll be seamless given the lack of production from Moss so far.
GC said:”I think the #1 and #2 draft pick need to build more muscle and strength before they earn the opportunity to gain experience.”
Ah, OK I can understand that then.
I should have said that to begin with. Sorry for beating around the bush. Jenkins and James are the least muscular guys on the team, besides Andy Lee and Brian Jennings.
Oh that’s sad if Alex has more muscle then LMJ.
Coffee – Do you think Moss is happy with his limited role? I doubt they would cut him to activate Jenkins.
Moss will be needed down the road for some red zone opportunities and in playoffs experience helps.
His experience in the playoffs I will 100% agree and didn’t give credence to originally. I also thought in the beginning it was worth keeping him around for use as a decoy or maybe he’d pull double coverage and open someone else up but none of that is happening.
I assume that Jenkins isn’t as good as Moss but if Moss isn’t really doing anything for us then lets at least get the rookie some game time and maybe he’ll surprise us. At this point with Moss’s production I don’t see how it can hurt.
Moss brings alot. They always double him when he goes deep. When you watch the TD to VD, Moss is wide open running the back of the endzone. No team will respect Jenkins. People still respect Moss. He doesn’t drop that many passes, except for the missile that CK threw.
Moss brings a lot: OK let’s see how youback that up
They always double team him: No that isn’t even close to true.
When you watch the TD to VD Mos is wide open; is that because his man peeled off to make the tackle on VD?
People still respect Moss: Who? which people?
He doesn’t drop that many passes: Given that he’s been targeted a total of 24 times this season he better not be dropping a lot of balls. His catch percentage is 63%, for someone who only sees 24 passes thrown you’d like to see that % higher.
Bottom line is Moss is averaging 1.5 catches for a total of 16 yards per game. I wish we had someone else that could be more productive to take his place.
The thing that really impressed me last night was the spark and energy that the offense played with. I also think it carried over to the defense. Good QB play ignites the whole team.
Concur 100%
MNF should be Gruden and Cower. I’d actually turn off mute when watching a monday night game if those two were covering it.
They’d get in a stare-down so epic that everyone’s tv’s would explode.
Them staring at each other would still be better then 99% of the things said by Tirico.
I like tirico, just sayin. Gruden cracks me up the way he plays it fast and loose with words and names. Goldston? Jamichael James? He repeatedly referred to Delanie Walker as Mcdonald? He just says stuff and doesn’t really care if it is correct!
I respect Cowher as a coach, but listening to him talk, and watching him talk, annoys me. Spit it out already!
I used to like Tirico but then Irealized I only like him because the other clowns in there with him were just awful.
Grant, is there a presser today? If so, after watching the film do you think Harbaugh will be even more exuberant about what he saw from Kaepernick? Perhaps to the point of giving him the starting nod for the Saints game?
He’s having a conference call in the late afternoon.
JH stated, “we tend to go with the hot hand”! Since when? Then he backpedals and says, “we have two QBs with a hot hand”! CK handled the situation with more class. Has AS been thrown under the bus again?
Will any of the beat writers ask him about this?
I think JH was speaking abstractly and simply referencing the philosophy of ‘going with the hot hand.” I really think that he was just trying to coach-speak and not reveal anything, just like he always does, but he accidentally stepped in it.
Thrown under the bus? Not at all, and I think it’s quite a reach to even make that statement.
Anyone notice the last time the Bears played well in San Fran?
Back when Fridges roamed the earth.
just about
A couple of things about CK: On some of those throws, he threw into double coverage. Watch that TD pas to KW, he had two defenders trailing him. Watch that pass to VD over the middle, he had two defenders trailer him. So yeah, CK made some great reads. Also the TD pass to Crabs, he doesn’t go to FG on the check-down because the LB was followed FG so he went to to the Crabs. All great throws, under what looks like Man coverage with the Tampa 2 shell.
It will be interesting to see how CK does against a more complex Defense like the Steelers and the NYG.
CK was exciting. But I want to Niners to win it all. I ain’t the coach, but I would give the CK once more start against the Saints, because their D sucks. And then sit CK. Start AS rest of the year. Then in the playoffs if AS suck, then CK comes in with not that much tape on him and the team can’t prepare for CK.
Yep. This is an intelligent comment.
There’s another point that nobody has made… on Hunter’s TD run, half the Bears defense was following CK because of the fake handoff behind the LoS. Another facet of his game that Alex lacks.