Harbaugh says he’ll let the 49ers quarterback controversy play out

SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh spoke in the media tent Wednesday afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers quarterback controversy. Q: Are you close to a decision on the quarterback right now? HARBAUGH: We’ll let it play out. I wouldn’t expect an announcement today or any timeline on that. We’ll get that to you. Q: So Alex has not yet been cleared to play? HARBAUGH: I think it’s a…

November 21, 2012
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Kaepernick cracks Berry’s top-10 fantasy QBs

ESPN’s fantasy football guru Matthew Berry just posted his top-10 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 12. They are: 1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Peyton Manning 3. Robert Griffin III 4. Matt Ryan 5. Tom Brady 6. Andrew Luck 7. Drew Brees 8. Colin Kaepernick 9. Cam Newton 10. Andy Dalton Who’s not on the list: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford, Alex Smith.

November 21, 2012
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Harbaugh: “I believe we have the opposite of a controversy.”

Jim Harbaugh spoke on KNBR Wednesday morning. Here’s what he said about Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers quarterback controversy. Q: Is Alex Smith cleared to play contact football yet? HARBAUGH: It looks like he will be before the week is out, but not as of right now. I’m sure he will be. Q: You would presume that he would be eligible… HARBAUGH: It’s all in the doctors’ hands….

November 21, 2012
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Brent Jones on Kaepernick: “When he walked on the field, he looked like the starting quarterback.”

Brent Jones spoke on KNBR this afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers quarterback controversy. Q: Based on what you saw last night, what direction do you the 49ers ought to go at quarterback? BRENT JONES: “I watched Colin Kaepernick all preseason, and it didn’t seem like he had taken it to the next level from last year. It wasn’t a demonstrative, ‘Yeah, I’m competing for the starting quarterback…

November 20, 2012
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Young wants Harbaugh to end the QB controversy and name Alex Smith the starter immediately

Steve Young spoke on ESPN this afternoon. Here’s what he said about the 49ers quarterback controversy. Q: Jim Harbaugh says he has two quarterbacks with a hot hand. What’s your reaction? YOUNG: “My reaction is I want to know his true intent, because his words tell me that I’m in trouble if I’m Alex Smith. I know Jim is heavily invested in Colin and his future, but there’s nothing happening…

November 20, 2012
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Jim Harbaugh is in a difficult position

Jim Harbaugh is in a difficult position. He has gone on record in total support of his original starting quarterback – Alex Smith – even after a dalliance with Peyton Manning. Yet, Smith’s performances always brought up questions and concerns. Now, with Colin Kaepernick in the picture after just a game and a half, the dilemma is to whom does Harbaugh turn for the next game? First of all, if…

November 20, 2012
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The 49ers amazing week

This has been the most amazing week that I’ve covered the 49ers. First, Alex Smith got a concussion. Then, Jim Harbaugh had an irregular heart beat. And then Colin Kaepernick turned the whole team’s story line around. Any one of these would have been a big deal, and we had three. What a week. Am I missing anything?

November 20, 2012
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Vernon Davis: “Colin is the man.”

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…

November 20, 2012
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Kaepernick: “I don’t think one game can be called a hot hand.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Here is the complete transcript of Colin Kaepernick’s postgame press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.   When were you told that you were going to be a starter? “Last night was when they officially told me.”   Did you have an inkling that was the way it was going as the week went on? “I started getting more reps on Friday and Saturday. We really didn’t know…

November 20, 2012
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Harbaugh: “I tend to go with the guy who’s got the hot hand.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Here is the complete transcript of Jim Harbaugh’s postgame press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.   At what point did you know that you weren’t going to have QB Alex Smith for this game? “Monday morning, today.”   How had the reps been distributed throughout the week to get QB Colin Kaepernick ready? “We were giving him more reps on Wednesday and Thursday. And then I believe…

November 20, 2012
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49ers must make Kaepernick the starter right now

After the game, Colin Kaepernick stood in the middle of the field surrounded by a hoard of people, getting interviewed on national television. Alex Smith stood over on the side of the field and chatted with Bears third-string quarterback, Josh McCown. Already, Smith is an afterthought. Kaepernick took Smith’s job Monday night.  It’s not official. But it should be. If the 49ers go back to Smith and they don’t win…

November 19, 2012
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49ers Week 11 grades: Colin Kaepernick

SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers destroyed the Chicago Bears 32-7 Monday night. Here are the grades for Colin Kaepernick. Colin Kaepernick: A+. Jeff Garcia said Kaepernick should check it down all game. Steve Young said Kaepernick should use his legs. Kaepernick said to heck with that. He came out winging it. He saw that the Bears were loading the box and daring him to pass, and he accepted the challenge,…

November 19, 2012
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Are we looking at a quarterback controversy?

Obviously, if Colin Kaepernick has a great game against the Bears, we’re looking at a full-on quarterback controversy. And if Kaepernick falls on his face, there will be no QB controversy. But what if he has a middle-of-the-road game? He manages the game as well as Alex Smith, has some good runs and wins. Would there be QB controversy then? I think there would be. I’m eager to read your…

November 19, 2012
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Report: Alex Smith out vs. Bears, Kaepernick to start at QB

As I wrote earlier in the week, this is an epic moment in 49ers history. Chris Mortensen of ESPN just reported that Alex Smith has been ruled out of tonight’s game against the Chicago Bears. Smith failed the final concussion contact test and was not cleared to play by an independent neurologist. Colin Kaepernick will start for the 49ers at quarterback. John Madden said earlier in the week that Kaepernick matches…

November 19, 2012
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Prediction: 49ers will beat the Bears in a field goal fest

The 49ers are going to beat the Bears 19-6. The Niners’ defense is going to have a huge bounce-back game. They’re going to make the Bears offense look completely inept. The Niners defense will stonewall Bears RBs Matt Forte and Michael Bush and harass backup QB Jason Campbell. The Niners defense is going to force a turnover, return it for a touchdown and limit the Bears offense to just two…

November 18, 2012
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Bears-49ers matchups: Part IV – Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs vs. Vernon Davis

The 49ers play the Bears Monday night at Candlestick.  In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups. LB Brian Urlacher and LB Lance Briggs vs. TE Vernon Davis Briggs and Urlacher are two of the best linebackers in the NFL, but they are not fast enough to keep up with Vernon Davis. The Bears play a Tampa 2 defense, so their linebackers – Briggs and Urlacher – will match…

November 18, 2012
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Bears-49ers matchups: Part I – Charles Tillman vs. Michael Crabtree

The 49ers play the Bears Monday night at Candlestick.  In the meantime, I’ll break down five key matchups. CB Charles Tillman vs. WR Michael Crabtree Greg Roman likes to move Crabtree around the formations and match him up against the opposing teams’ No.2 or No.3 cornerback. Roman can do this because most cornerbacks play a specific side of the field, so he knows where the No.1 CB is going to…

November 18, 2012
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Staley explains the final concussion contact test

SANTA CLARA – Joe Staley had a concussion a few weeks ago. He spoke the media tent Saturday afternoon and explained the final contact test which determines if a concussed player can play, and which Alex Smith will have to take before the Bears game. MM: What’s the final step before coming back from a concussion? STALEY: The final step is a contact test. That can occur basically any time…

November 17, 2012
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Roman says Alex Smith will have physical test on Sunday to determine status for Bears game

SANTA CLARA – Greg Roman spoke in the media tent Saturday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Alex Smith, whom the 49ers have listed as questionable to play Monday night against the Bears. LC: Is Alex Smith going to play Monday night? ROMAN: Alex is going through the protocol right now, and that’s in the doctor’s hands. When we know, you will probably know. LC: Does he have to do…

November 17, 2012
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Could sacks be the 49ers Achilles heel?

Earlier this season, Alex Smith said taking a sack is “not the end of the world.” I wrote a follow-up blog explaining that on every series in which an NFL offense allows a sack, it has just a 14 percent chance of scoring a touchdown. Through the first nine games of the season, the 49ers offense has taken a sack on 28 drives, and scored a touchdown on just four…

November 16, 2012
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