Chip Kelly on Colin Kaepernick: “You can just look at him physically. He’s not the same guy right now.”

SANTA CLARA — This is the transcript of Chip Kelly’s Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers’ P.R. department.

 

I think you guys added a wide receiver yesterday. What did you see from him at the workouts and how does he fit in?

“I think, you know he’s got a history with Houston and New England and he’s not only a receiver, he’s also a returner. I know one year, I don’t know if it was ’13,’12 or ‘13, he had close to 900 return yards. So, it gives us another receiver slash returner with [WR Jeremy] Kerley and just adds some depth. We had had five wideouts, now we’ve got six wideouts. We had always intended to kind of carry six wideouts if we could.”

 

With him, would you say he’s a big-play kind of guy more so than Kerley maybe?

“No, I’m just saying he gives us more depth. Like right now our backup returner has been [WR] Torrey [Smith]. We wanted to get another guy in here besides Torrey so that we’ve got at least three back there because you never know what happens in a game. Obviously, Torrey got injured towards the end of the Seattle game. He’s fine, but if you lose another guy then you really don’t have a guy that’s ever done it in a game. He gives us depth at the receiver spot, which we wanted to get. The fact that he does have return ability I think is a bonus to that aspect.”

 

With your tight ends banged up and you guys not adding a tight end, are you confident that TE Vance McDonald and TE Garrett Celek will play on Sunday?

“Yeah, we’ll see how the week goes along. I don’t think it’s anything that’s a long-term deal, so it’s not a three or four week deal. We’ll see how the week goes along. I can’t predict whether they’ll be available to play on Sunday, but we’ll see how that goes.”

 

Would you rather not have your top wideout right now, Kerley, also doing punt returns?

“It just depends on who you’ve got. There’s not a, you’d rather have one guy that just is a returner and is the best in the league and you can handle that, but that’s just not the case. You want to have a guy back there that gives you a chance. You don’t want a guy back there that’s just going to fair catch it all the time because you’d like to try to not only turn, they obviously got a positive situation because the defense got a stop, now let’s see can we even add to the field position aspect of things and Jeremy is really good at that. So, we’ll go with whoever’s the best in those situations.”

 

Will you have him in the slot the way that Kerley does?

“We’ll see. We’ll get him out there and get him acclimated and see where he best fits whether it’s inside or outside.”

 

How much did you guys look at Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott in the draft process and what are your impressions of what you’ve seen from him in the first couple of weeks?

“We looked at him just like all quarterbacks in the draft and we were really impressed with him and thought that he was someone that could really play in this league. Where it fell in terms of what we were taking, he was kind of slotted around where he got taken. That’s kind of where we thought he was going to go. But, I’ve been very impressed with him. I think not only his athletic ability, but his poise and kind of sense of calm that he has about him in terms of playing the game. It doesn’t seem like it’s happening too fast for him and he’s done a great job in the first three games.”

 

Did you have much contact with him before the draft?

“That’s a question for the personnel department.”

 

You didn’t meet with him at the Combine?

“I didn’t, no. But, I’m sure our personnel department did.”

 

When you were evaluating defensive personnel after you took over and looking at last year’s stuff to evaluate them, did you find any rhyme or reason as to why, it played out the first week too this year, the team is so much better defensively at home than it is on the road?

“No, and I didn’t look at film that way of home versus away. When we got here, you’re just looking at athletic ability, ability to get in and out of breaks, how do they bend, how do they do that? I think one of the misconceptions when guys evaluate film, you don’t know what they were asked to do. You can say, ‘I don’t understand why that corner dropped that guy,’ but he may have been taught in that coverage to drop that guy and jump the flat route. So, a lot of times when you’re evaluating without knowing what the play call was, what he was asked to do, what the coaching points were on that play, you’re really just looking at movement patterns, skills, strength, change of direction, toughness, tackling, all of those things that you can see off of tape, but to try to figure out that aspect, we, I never looked at that aspect.”

 

Do you script the first drive at all? How many plays?

“We script situations. I don’t think you can script drives because you don’t know what you’re going to be in. I mean, you can get three first downs in a row, so you’re on your first down call. So, to say, ‘We’re going to run this play,’ your third play may be if you script, and I don’t think anybody does it that way, if your third play is a bomb and it’s third and an inch, maybe you’re not going to that. You’re going to your third down play. So, we script all of our situations and go off of situations that occur in the game.”

 

In particular, when RB Carlos Hyde didn’t know what the first play was against Seattle, because he couldn’t hear it. Was that drive scripted though and then QB Blaine Gabbert has–?

“No, that was called on the sideline. It was just a miscommunication in terms of where he was.”

 

Should Blaine have realized that Carlos wasn’t there?

“I think they both should have realized that.”

 

Regarding, just back to WR Keshawn Martin, given your relationship with Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, do you talk to those guys? I don’t know how this works in the NFL.

“What’s that?”

 

Regarding Keshawn Martin, given the fact that he played with Houston and New England, does it work like that in the NFL where you call–?

“Yeah, you talk to your friends in the league about, I mean we talk a lot, but a lot of times it’s not about football either.”

 

In regards to him as a player–?

“Yeah, they’re always asking me about our players if they have an opportunity to, if they’re going to work out someone that was on our roster at some point in time and if we’re going to work out somebody that was on their roster. I always get feedback from people that I know in the league. That’s common place.”

 

On Monday, you talked about QB Colin Kaepernick’s health and–?

“I was asked about Colin’s health. I didn’t talk about Colin’s health.”

 

Well, you were asked and then you talked about him. Once he’s at a spot strength-wise, weight-wise that you believe that he’s ready for full-go–?

“Those are hypotheticals and I don’t really deal with hypotheticals. So, we are where we are and that’s where he is and he’s the first one to tell you that he’s not where he was when he was in 2013 when he was 225-pounds and that’s the only point I’m trying to make up. It’s not an indication on Colin. It’s not a knock on Colin. I think what people don’t realize is he can’t be at 225 because he had three surgeries. So, he really couldn’t lift. He couldn’t, sometimes when you have an upper body injury, you could still lift with your legs or if you have a lower body injury, you could still lift with your upper body. He had an upper body injury and a lower body injury. So, therefore, he wasn’t allowed to do from a rehab standpoint because of the injuries where he was. So, what his state is now is not his fault, it’s because he was injured. Has he been cleared to play medically? Yeah, he can go play in a game right now. But, is he the same Colin Kaepernick that he was in 2013? I think he said yesterday that he’s not that right now. So, that’s the only point I’m making. It’s got no indication of first-team, second-team, how could he be cleared to play this? He was cleared to play when he got back and he’s played in games for us, but he’s not the same guy right now that he was in 2013. That’s the only point I’m trying to make.”

 

So, you feel like in order for him to compete with Blaine–?

“No. I’m not saying that either.”

 

He has to be 100-percent?

“No. I don’t say that either.”

 

OK.

“Right now, he’s our second quarterback and Blaine’s our first quarterback. So, that’s what I’m saying.”

 

Does he have a chance to be the starter unless–?

“He has a chance every single day. Everybody has a chance every single day. But, if you ask me where he is, he’s not where he was in 2013. That’s the only thing I’m pointing out. So, he’s not 100-percent back from the recovery standpoint. He’s 100-percent healed from those injuries. So, that allows him to play in the game, but is he the same player that he was when he was running 4.5 and throwing the ball all over the place? He’s not that guy right now because he’s not where he was physically. You can just look at him physically. He’s not the same guy right now. That doesn’t mean he can’t be the same guy and he’s working as hard as anybody I’ve ever been around to get back to be that right now.”

 

ME: He has to be 225 pounds to play quarterback for you?

“No. That’s not what I said either. I’m just telling you where he is right now. So, if you want to know what his state is right now, that’s his state right now. There’s no weight limit that I’ve put on him that he has to be this to play this.”

 

ME: Do you ask him what percentage he is in terms of recovery in being back to full strength? Do you ask him that?

“We talk to him and I think he knows he’s not where he’s been in the past. I mean, I think he said that the other day, he’s not where he is where he’s been in the past.”

 

You guys have given up two sacks in three games. I think it’s tied for the best in the league. Is that a product of the offense and it’s built to get rid of the ball quickly–?

“Yeah. I think in this day and age in the NFL, almost everybody’s built to get rid of the ball quickly. You know, I think that’s a, you watch any game on TV and that’s the metric they’re talking about. How quickly is the ball out? I mean, with the type of dynamic pass rushers they have, the type of blitz patterns you’re going to see now, there’s not a lot of time you have to hold onto the football in this league because the defenses are so good. So, you know, I know New England’s great at it. I think everybody is really good at trying to get the ball out of their hands quickly just because of probably the longer you hold the ball, more bad things happen. You know? There’s a catch-22. You don’t throw the ball as far when you’re in those situations, but you can say, ‘Alright, we’re going to throw the ball down the field and really dedicate ourselves to that.’ But, you also may be giving up a lot of negative yardage plays at the same time because you’re getting sacked by holding onto the ball that long.”

 

Is that a tradeoff that you’re going to have, citing Blaine’s low yards per attempt average? Are you going to get that–?

“I think you’re going to get that with run after the catches and things like that. But, I mean, there’s a catch-22. Everybody can say, ‘Hey, let’s go bombs away and throw the ball down the field.’ Well, then you’re going to be in a lot of third-and-longs and second-and-longs because your quarterback’s going to get sacked a lot. Now you’re playing behind the sticks. You’re trying to play in front of the snap count, you’re trying to play in front of the downs and put yourself in manageable third downs. Being in third-and-long in this league is a real difficult thing with the type of defensive pressure that people are creating right now and there’s a lot of really good, talented guys on the defensive side. So, you know, there’s the give and take. There just can’t be one way. ‘Hey, we’re going to do this.’ You know, you’ve got to be able to make sure that, can you protect it? If you can protect it, then you can throw the ball a little bit longer. If you don’t feel like you matchup protecting, you’ve got to get the ball out a little bit quicker.”

 

What’s kind of stood out to you since the regular season’s begun about T Joe Staley and how he handles–?

“The one thing about Joe is just his consistency, is I think you can count on what you’re getting out of Joe each week. I think he’s played really well. We haven’t had breakdowns on the left side specifically because I think he’s the anchor over there on the left side. So, we’re fortunate to have him. He’s one of those guys that, if you don’t notice him, it’s a good thing because a lot of times you notice the left tackle because he just got beat and your quarterback’s laying on the ground and your left tackle gave up a sack. But, we haven’t had that here and we’re fortunate of that because of what a high level Joe’s playing at right now.”

 

Is DL Arik Armstead still dealing with that shoulder? I think he only played 28 snaps on Sunday.

“I think he missed two or three series just because he had something, but he came back in and said he was fine. So, I mean, there’s no issue. He’s not on any lists. He’s not missing anything. He going full today in practice.”

 

Regarding Blaine, the last two weeks he’s taken a fair amount of criticism. You’re being asked is he still going to be your quarterback, etcetera. What would you say he’s doing well?

“I think he’s running our offense well. I think our offense itself, and a lot of times if we’re not having success on offense, it’s all blamed on Blaine. But, if we need to run the ball better, that’s not Blaine’s fault we’re not running the ball better. We’ve got a power play called, the quarterback’s job on power is to hand the ball off. So, I don’t know how that’s Blaine’s fault in those situations. But, I understand the nature of the beast and that if you’re a quarterback you’re going to get on your fair share. I think he’s done a good job protecting the football. We threw an interception the other day but it went through the receiver’s hands. So, it goes down as an interception for the quarterback, but you’ve got to look at how that happened and how that went. Sometimes I think when you just look at shear statistics, you say, ‘Well, he threw a pick.’ Well, did he throw the pick or did a receiver drop the ball? I think there’s certain things you have to look at in terms of how everybody contributes to whether we’re having success on the offensive side of the ball or not having success and it’s not all just on one guy. If it was on one guy, that would be an easy fix. But, it’s not on one guy and that’s why we feel real confident with him moving forward.”

This article has 107 Comments

  1. Chip doesn’t trust Gabbert on 3rd down, and Kaepernick can’t beat him out in practice. Pathetic!

    1. I envision a IR storm coming soon. Once Ponder shows he can play in this offense, LTIR on the horizon!

  2. Chip needs some pointers on answering questions.

    He should not be so defensive, refuse to answer questions, and deny reality. Of course he talked about Kaep. He did not bring up Kaep initially, but he still talked about his health when asked.

    He is the head coach, so he should know things. He should not deflect questions by citing some other person. That tactic is getting boring, and makes one wonder how much power he possesses. Maybe he should talk to the trainers before the PC.

    I hope Chip becomes more succinct. He does not need to deliver a dissertation.

    I hope Chip speaks more slowly. He sounds like he is in a hurry.

    I hope Chip does not play favorites and treats everyone fairly and respectfully.

    I hope he becomes more forthcoming, open and honest.

    We saw the brash, cocky Chip when they won, now the defensive, non forthcoming Chip when they lose.

    I hope he evens out his temperament, and treats both victory and defeat the same way.

      1. Keep hoping, coaches have their own vocabularies and they are not about to give the store to a bunch of journalists who are not their friends. The relationship, by nature, is somewhat adversarial, and only has the appearance of cordiality. Some fake it better than others. Harbaugh didnt even bother which mad his PC hilarious.

        1. East,
          I agree wholeheartedly. I swear that some of the questions had to do more with baiting or duping Chip into saying something he might regret later.

          With all the angst Harbaugh received regarding his pressers, I can definitely see why coaches would prefer avoiding the media if given a choice.
          I believe that 90% of coaches would say the doing pressers is a necessary evil if given full anonymity.

    1. Seb

      You are the most arrogant, ignorant, insolent, and egotistical bozo I think I have ever …seen on this blog….just who do you think you are giving the HC pointers on Emily Dickenson ? If you don’t like how he speaks…don’t listen to him …as though you had up to this point. I apologize, Seb, but after putting up with your rants and raves for over 2 years, and biting my tongue all of that time, I must declare you to be the most obnoxious blogger on here with your daily redundancies and reinventions of the wheel…

      1. Ore, need a snickers?

        I gotta laugh, I invoke such feelings of revulsion from you that you have to regurgitate it on this blog. If you think those things about me, what do you think I think about you? I am just more polite.

        It is a common debate tactic to get the opposition upset, so many would declare victory, I just think it is sad.

        To topify this debate premise, Hillary, just by allowing herself to be interrupted 51 times, upset her opponent, and won handily.

        1. The true litmus test here would be is this blog better or worse than when you found it. Before you arrived there were quite a few posters who enjoyed real talk about football. Things got off track occassionally and people got frustrated but this blog was a great stop for real thoughts during a bad stretch in SF history. Since you arrived, youve driven off most of those posters. You engage anyone you can in an antagonistic response that has nothing to do with football or the NFL. You have prophetic messages for us all but you cant stop your own ramblings to apply your own advise. Does no one at your home miss you enough to keep you occupied long enough for this blof to recover from the infestation youve brought?
          Many on here saw you as a plague when you first arrived. I defended you but i too now have to admit you are a cancer that has deteriorated the quality of the blog.

          1. Matt, it sure is nice that you attack me while ignoring the true trolls on this blog.

            All I want is for the Niners to win multiple rings.

            All you want seems to be writing screeds.

  3. You critiqued Harbaugh, you critiqued York, Tomsula, and Baalke. Do you critique the prophets when you read the bible? Do you offer your opinion to what Christ said? You have an answer for everyone else, but your own thoughts could use some serious reflection.

    This team’s problems are much deeper than your opinion and hopes of the HC. There is a reason every viable candidate went elsewhere.

  4. Dez might not play Sunday. We need to make Dak beat us with arm. We can’t allow Eliot to run wild. The ILBs are key.

    1. Not sure how you can totally shut down TG, and yet let Michael run all over you…makes absolutely no sense….especially when facing a qb who was hobbled.

  5. Chip don’t you think you should take a couple of shots downfield just to show you can? Its nice to complete that pass but just showing the play keeps the defense thinking. Also Chip it would seem to me when you run the ZONE why isn’t the QB running the ball early. Once again its always nice to get positive yards but even if the QB doesn’t, just showing that play early makes the defense think. Oh I know you said you don’t want the QB to run, I just don’t believe you.

    Oregon and I are probably the biggest supporters of Chip, can’t speak for Oregon, but myself, I am not seeing the Chip that I grew to love. Can’t believe you kicked that field goal after the first turnover, that’s the Chip that I don’t know. I am patient, and will hold off on the criticisms till the end of the season.

    One thing nice about being a fan and don’t bet on the games, you do not have to be a realist, just a fan – Niners 24 Dallas 21.

      1. How do you think each QB would be performing if they switched teams Razor? You think Goff would be struggling behind the best Oline in football and a great running game? On the other side would Prescott look calm and cool while throwing accurate passes if he was not supported by the running game and facing pressure in his face most of the time? Blanket statements are not supported my friend. Prescott is clearly in a much better position to thrive early on and to his credit he is, but a number of the QB’s drafted this year would be having similar success with the support in Dallas imo.

        1. All I know is Prescott sizzled and Goff fizzled, so he’d probably be the back up to Sanchez. Goff seems timid, whereas Prescott looks unfazed and decisive. I think when you take a step back from it personally, you have to ask yourself how all these teams got it so wrong and CFC/Scooter got it right. That’s without spending time with each player, and learning about what makes each one tick. Prescott out played Goff, and he did it in a tougher conference. Now maybe Goff will be the face of the franchise one day, but I can’t remember when a number one overall selection sat behind two nobodies, and eventually progressed to be what our personnel department scouted him to be. We’ll just have to wait and see, but if I was a betting man, well, you know the rest….

          1. Razor,

            Nobody has it right or wrong yet. It’s the first month of the season and Goff has yet to get a chance to play. That’s just how Fisher does things. He did it with two top 3 drafted QB’s previously and he’s doing it now.

            You are also confusing laid back for timid. This kid is anything but timid as he stands in the pocket fearlessly to a fault.

            We don’t agree on Goff obviously but I have little doubt he’d be playing well in Dallas right now if the situations were reversed. Same with Wentz and Lynch for that matter. A dominant Oline and running game are a godsend to a QB, never mind a HOF TE and top WR.

            1. Goff played in preseason and didn’t look good. I agree with razor, if Goff was at Dallas I wouldn’t be surprised if he was still the backup.

              I know you really like the guy, but it seemed clear in preseason he wasn’t ready for the NFL. Not saying he’ll never get there, but he doesn’t have the same temperament as Wentz or Prescott (a big reason I really liked both guys), which is really important for a rookie QB being thrown to the wolves.

              1. …but he doesn’t have the same temperament as Wentz or Prescott (a big reason I really liked both guys),

                Scooter, question for you. Other than film, how did you discern and respect Prescott’s temperament?

              2. Reports. Everyone raved about his personality and temperament – called him a real leader of men, passionate footballer, smart and mature. Same as Wentz.

                On the field, both guys played well in big moments. Made plays when they had to. That is a big sign of poise and temperament. One of the big reasons I like Luke Falk.

              3. Also one of the big reasons I was pretty cool on Goff. He folded in big games. Never led his team to more than 10 points in the first half against the top teams they faced. In all five losses was 13 ore more points down by early in the 3rd quarter. Tougher defenses rattled him.

              4. Tougher defenses rattled him.

                That was 80% of my dislike for Goff.

                Wentz reminded me of Roethlisberger, which was why I was so confident that he’d go number one over Goff.

                I think even though the reports you cite regarding Prescott, I think I let the DUI cause me to take them with a grain of salt. Tip my hat to you Scooter and CFC!

              5. Yep, Roethlisberger was the comparison I had for Wentz too. Not because of his physical traits though, even though they are of similar size. It was all about his demeanor on the field. Unflappable, in control, and most importantly not afraid to dare to make a big play.

              6. Also one of the big reasons I was pretty cool on Goff. He folded in big games. Never led his team to more than 10 points in the first half against the top teams they faced. In all five losses was 13 ore more points down by early in the 3rd quarter. Tougher defenses rattled him.

                That’s a theory that has developed and it’s simply not true. Go and watch Matt Walden’s breakdowns of how under pressure he was and still performed against defenses that were clearly more talented than Cal’s offense.

              7. So Wentz is Roethlisberger now? Lots of revisionist history here. Razor you didn’t like the draft class at all and didn’t think any QB was worthy of going before late in the first. Scooter liked Wentz but didn’t think he should go very high and also thought the QB class was poor as a whole. Keep it real guys. It’s fine to be talking about how good you think guys are now that they are excelling but you weren’t that high on them before.

              8. Rocket, while that’s true, I was quite vocal that I liked Wentz better than Goff and there was no doubt in my mind he would go number one and Goff drop out of the top 10. No revisionist history here. I would not have had the GUTS to take Wentz as high as the Eagles, let alone give up what they did….

              9. You didn’t like Goff at all so that isn’t saying much Razor lol. There were very few people in here that thought this was a good class of QB’s so you weren’t alone by any means.

              10. You are right that I didn’t think Wentz should go top 5. Not even top 10. I thought that was too big a risk given the division he played in. I liked what I saw, but yeah, big step up. My comparison to Roethlisberger didn’t mean I thought he’d be as good as Roethlisberger, but that he had a lot of traits that reminded me of him (all of which I said at the time).

                Prescott was my second favourite QB in the draft.

                I didn’t think either guy would be performing this well this early. Who did? But I thought both guys looked like they could be pretty good starting QBs.

                I also thought Goff was a worthy first round pick. Still do. But don’t think he was as great a prospect as many were trying to make out, and didn’t think he was as advanced as many were trying to suggest. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he isn’t starting. And I think there are a number of reasons to believe taking him #1 overall was a huge risk.

              11. Scooter, the small school is what got me too and I didn’t mean to infer I thought Wentz WAS Roethlisberger either, just that he reminded me of him by his play. I thought Wentz should’ve been drafted where Rodgers was drafted and Goff at the top of the second round….

              12. Scooter,

                I’m not trying to be an ahole, but you really didn’t have much good to say about this class including Wentz. Yes he was a guy you liked, but you said a number of times that he wasn’t worth that high of a pick. Prescott may have been your second rated guy, but you weren’t all that high on his prospects as a long term starter from what I remember. That’s why I mentioned the fact you didn’t like this class as a whole. We had a number of discussions where you made that quite clear and now I see the hindsight discussions starting to make their way onto the forum.

              13. “you weren’t all that high on his prospects as a long term starter from what I remember.”

                Then you don’t recall what I said, rocket.

                No, I wasn’t high on this draft class. I didn’t think there were any exceptional talents worthy of a top 5 or 10 pick. And I didn’t think it was that deep. Still don’t. But I thought both Wentz and Prescott looked like future starting QBs. They were the guys I would have been looking to draft.

                Wentz and Prescott are both exceeding my early expectations and already look like solid starting QBs. I still don’t think either guy will end up being exceptional QBs, but I think (and thought pre-draft) both guys have what it takes to be long term starters and winning QBs in the NFL.

              14. If it makes you feel better, Cook and Hogan were my 4th and 5th guys. Not looking good on those!

              15. I had Hogan in the 5th I think and had to take Cook off the board after I found out his temperament wasn’t the right temperature…; > )

              16. Ok Scooter, I’ll take your word for it, but I really don’t recall a lot of positives from you about either guy to suggest you thought they were anything more than an ok prospect.

              17. I agree Scooter. He still has a lot to prove. The scheduling gods don’t have us playing Clemson or Loiusville this year. If the Canes beat FSU they will probably be undefeated during the regular season. Kaaya would then get a huge spotlight in the ACC Championsip game against a likely top 5 rated team in Clemson or Loiusville. I think our questions about Kaaya will be answered soon enough.

            2. Scooter,

              Up until the second half of the final preseason game, he hadn’t been playing poorly at all. There were a number of dropped passes which made the completion percentage worse than it should have been, but he didn’t look out of place. He wasn’t as good as Prescott obviously, but Wentz wasn’t either so you have to keep it in perspective. In order for most young QB’s to be successful they need talent around them. No young QB has more than Prescott right now. I’m impressed with him, and he’s already surpassed what I thought him capable of, but a lot of QB’s, especially ones good enough to go #1, will have success with what Prescott has around him.

              As for Goff’s temperament, he’s a cool under pressure guy. He doesn’t get frazzled which is a good thing for a QB. He’s not fiery or a vocal leader, but you don’t need to be to be successful. I realize you guys don’t agree and haven’t from the beginning, but I think you are really going to be eating your words in the not too distant future. This kid is the best pure pocket passer I’ve seen in quite some time, and if the Rams can get him some weapons to throw to and protect him, he’s gonna be really good for a long time.

              1. Won’t be the first time and certainly won’t be the last. If he wasn’t in the division, I’d wish you two luck….

              2. I have no idea if he’ll be any good or not in time. None of us do. As I said, I just don’t think he looked NFL ready in preseason and even if he was on a good offense I don’t think he’d look as good as Wentz or Prescott.

                I do have huge question marks over his poise and temperament though. He showed he can stand tough in the pocket and take a hit. But against good Ds he didn’t regularly demonstrate good decision making. A key aspect of poise is decision making.

              3. That’s the point Razor. I’m not hoping he does well, in fact that would be very bad. It’s simply a matter of having watched this kid play for 3 years – and no I’m not a Cal fan – and seeing him develop into a great pocket passer who was constantly under duress but made strong accurate throws anyway. There is a reason he went #1 and why the Rams traded a lot of assets to get him.

              4. Trust me my friend, I will be fine if he doesn’t work out. I can take the razzing on here more than watching Goff tear us up for the next 10-15 years.

              5. I just don’t want you to have to carry around that bag of Goff, like Hammer has to with Dahl/Davis/Gabbert, or CFC has to with Mr. Turner…; > )

              6. Scooter, that was a good read. I would recommend Houston Niner put his intolerance down for a minute and indulge himself by reading it….

              7. What am I kidding about, rocket? I said it was kind of interesting in a weird way, but that I don’t believe it. Just thought you might get a chuckle, guess not.

              8. Yes I know what you said, but to even post it was a little crazy. Like people looking at a picture has any bearing on anything. Goff looks like he’s 15 years old. Of course he’s not going to be viewed as a leader from a picture.

              9. I read the wrong article, Kaepernick’s kneel down. After reading the Goff leadership test, I plan to utilize it on next years draft. Thanks, Scooter!

              10. I just thought it was funny that Wentz and Prescott were 1 and 2. Anyway, you clearly are taking this way to seriously, so I’ll just let it go.

              11. Scooter,

                No not taking it seriously. Just thought it was silly and added nothing tangible to the discussion.

              12. He’s got the baby face the ladies love.

                He’s obviously got a lot of talent Razor but what do you think his pro prospects are? He still throws a number of questionable passes to me which isn’t the end of the world, but it can lead to a lot of problems if it continues.

              13. Rocket, his performance in the double overtime loss against Texas was what convinced me. I have the GUTS to take him top 10….

              14. I’m excited to see Kaaya play against FSU in a couple of weeks. I’ve never been that high on Kaaya because he doesn’t show up in big games or big spots, but this could be the year that he takes the next step.It helps that the Canes have a strong rushing attack.
                Disclaimer, I am a fan of the U.

              15. #80, I’m a fan of Kaaya too, though he still hasn’t proven he is comfortable in the face of pressure. Something he needs to prove. But right now he is my #1 QB prospect for next year.

                Kizer reminds me a bit of Culpepper, prior to Culpepper’s knee injury. Looks like a guy that can make some amazing throws, but also some questionable ones, and has the size and athleticism to be dangerous on the ground too. Also a bit like Cam Newton, I guess.

              16. I don’t know who it was that was dissing Gruden, but he was Gaga over Prescott. Why couldn’t he be our HC/GM?

              17. Kizer does remind me of Newton. He just needs to quit turning his right foot out when he throws and he’d be even more accurate….

  6. I think Niners win this week. 27-17.. Dallas is not impressive to me. Niners play better at home. A lot of pressure on Kelly and the Niners to win. They respond.

    1. Dal. 20
      S.F. 13
      I expect the D to play better. I expect the same offense as last week. I think we will get two FGs and a garbage TD,

    2. Dak and Goff should’ve switched draft slots, and I think I’d follow up with, what kind of changes need to be made in the personnel department to properly evaluate QB’s and WR’s….

      1. I can’t blame the draft on Chip. I don’t think he had much say in the draft room. I think Buckner was a no brainer and Garnett was a Balke pick. Unless Chip was not impressed with any QB in that class. Maybe he was looking ahead for Kizer, Watson, Kaaya, Kelly etc?

        1. Personnel department gets 60% of the blame, and Chip gets 50% for not even meeting with Prescott….

    3. I hope your right but this game isn’t going to be easy. Dallas can run the ball pretty well and the 49ers rush defense is #23 in the league right now. Dallas probably runs for more yards than the Seahawks. Will be interesting to see how O’Neil attacks the rookie QB. I would expect the 9ers to load the box to stop the run and see if Prescott can beat them.

      1. That leaves the secondary with one less defender for a back like Elliott or Morris to exploit, behind that Cowboys offensive line. Trying to stop the Cowboys rushing attack with the defensive line of the 49ers will be like taking the bar exam on the first day of law school….

      2. Just watched the Dallas/Chicago game. I’m with you, Houston; it ain’t going to be easy. And this “rookie QB” isn’t looking anything like a rookie to me.

    4. who is going to cover Dez Bryant?? if the Niners attempt to play a Cover 2 scheme, who will be the 8th defender in the box to stop the run?

  7. what kind of changes need to be made in the personnel department to properly evaluate QB’s and WR’s

    That’s something I’ve been wondering about for quite some time. Baalke takes all the blame for the draft selections, but I’ve often wondered how good the personnel team is. Still, if they’re not good, it’s up to Baalke to replace them with better talent. In the end, it all points back to Baalke.

  8. I get the feeling that Chip Kelly has a genuine and deep dislike of the Bay Area media. Chip comes across like he has a major lack of respect for the reporters and their questions. Seems like those media sessions might be a little uncomfortable.

    1. I think he has a deep and genuine disliked of people trying to twist his words into something he’s not saying.

        1. Nope. He’s been pretty clear that Kaepernick’s not the starter because he’s not completely ready to do it week in and week out.

          1. I agree with you on this one JH. When Kelly interrupts it’s usually because he doesn’t like the pretense of the question. Seems like Kelly is very precise in his wording so when a reporter asks a question based on something even slightly different than a previously covered topic then Kelly is quick to correct.

  9. Gabbert was a stats major in college. He think 1.0 is perfect relationship between two variables. Yards per throw. He will use chip’s science to achieve perfection this weekend

    1 rushing Td
    1 passing Td
    1 interception
    And an average of 1 yard per throw

    Cowboys 21-Niners 17.

  10. The 49er F/O just had a labrum scare with Kap’s sore arm.
    No way they let him on the field quickly with visions of another 14 mil they’d owe in ’17.

    The Niners will milk this health issue all season.

  11. Surprised and shocked that Chip stated that he did not meet with Dak at the combine or thereafter considering the need the Niners had and have for a young, talented and healthy QB. Did he meet with Driskel, and who else? I bet dimes to donuts, Baalke did not have Dak on his draft board, otherwise the HC would have visited with him in Indy. Frankly, even if you do not plan on drafting a QB, which in itself is a serious mistake, you never pass up an interview opportunity with a QB because you never know when you may face him, and it always is good to have a bit of a profile and a face to face exchange with him. Sad state of affairs with the Niners, and Chip probably wishes he was back in Eugene directing the Quack Attack!

    1. I would fire and replace the personnel responsible for scouting quarterbacks and wide receivers within the department….

    1. It depends on what it is and the severity. If he is in a position where he can’t do anymore damage to it, then no reason to shut him down. I have to believe if that were the case, the team would not take any chances and put him on IR. It doesn’t seem to be at that point so it’s likely about how well he can play with pain.

        1. The sooner he gets the surgery, the sooner the rehab. It’ll happen when they’re mathematically eliminated from the post season. I also don’t believe the doctors when they say playing isn’t going to do further damage. What about the compensation by other body parts for the injured one? C’mon, Doc!

  12. Kelly’s smokescreening with Kaepernick – why is he the backup every game and not Ponder if Kaep is so not ready? He doesn’t want Dallas preparing for him, that’s why. Kelly needs a win this week, and a surprise Kaepernick start is probably the best way to try to get one.

    1. Interesting theory, Shrubbie. I don’t believe it, but it’s interesting. I’m wondering about Ponder, too. Other guys here know more about him than I do, but given what we’ve seen so far, I’m wondering why Ponder’s not at least in the mix?

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