As I explained in my previous post, the Bears defense uses a Tampa 2 scheme which is tough to pass against. The 49ers heavy personnel formations may give the Niners an opportunity to avoid passing into that Tampa 2 shell. From the heavy formations, the quarterback can throw play action passes to a receiver working against a corner man-to-man or in a 3-deep zone, which definitely is better than throwing…
The Chicago Bears official twitter account just announced that backup quarterback Jason Campbell will start at quarterback against the 49ers Monday night. Their starting quarterback, Jay Cutler, suffered the sixth concussion of his career a few days ago. Alex Smith suffered his second concussion in two years on Sunday. The 49ers are expected to decide today whether or not he will play against Bears on Monday, but the 49ers may…
SANTA CLARA – Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith spoke to Bay Area reporters on a conference call Thursday morning. Here’s what he said about preparing for the 49ers two quarterbacks, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. Q: Do you guys have to prepare for both Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick? LOVIE SMITH: We’re going to prepare for the quarterback position for the 49ers. Whether it’s Smith or Colin, it doesn’t…
NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell just spoke on the Murph and Mac Show. Here’s what Cosell said about Colin Kaepernick. Q: What did you see from Colin Kaepernick? Does he look like he has the goods to become an NFL quarterback, or were there red flags raised right away about his awkward release? COSELL: It’s not the release, but I think he has a long way to go. It’s funny,…
SANTA CLARA – Here’s what Alex Smith said at his locker Wednesday afternoon. Q: How do you feel? ALEX SMITH: I feel good. Q: What’s your status? ALEX SMITH: Justin going along with the process right now. Nothing’s been decided. It’s a whole long process that’s up to the doctors. I just kind of do what they tell me. Q: You’ve been cleared for non-contact field activity. What enabled you…
Alex Smith is a non-contact participant in Wednesday’s 49ers practice. He was wearing a numberless black jersey while he warmed up with the team. According to Adam Schefter, Smith passed his initial concussion tests and is on track to start against the Chicago Bears Monday night. Smith still must fully participate in one practice with “simulated contact activity” and have no setbacks before he’s cleared to play. The 49ers will…
The biggest difference between Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick is Kaepernick is not afraid to anticipate throws. He does not wait for confirmation that a wide receiver is open. Smith has become so conservative, calculating and untrusting that he consciously waits for confirmation. If a quarterback has to wait for confirmation before making the throw, it is too late. Smith is like a pitcher who calculates his ERA on the…
I just listed three things Alex Smith does better than Colin Kaepernick. To read that blog, click here. Now, I’ll do the exercise the other way around. THREE THINGS KAEPERNICK DOES BETTER THAN SMITH Arm strength: Colin Kaepernick has one of the strongest arms in the league and he trusts it. He has no problem and no hesitation throwing intermediate and deep passes. Also, he’s a very good passer when…
Alex Smith vs. Colin Kaepernick is Topic No.1 in the Bay Area this week, so for the heck of it let’s list the things Alex Smith does better than Colin Kaepernick, and the things Kaepernick does better than Smith. I’ll list three for each quarterback. Please list more in the comment section. THREE THINGS SMITH DOES BETTER THAN KAEPERNICK Ball security: Smith is one of the best quarterbacks in the…
Mike Florio of NBC’s Pro Football Talk just reported that Alex Smith is getting a second opinion on the concussion that forced him out of the Rams game in the second quarter. You can read Florio’s article here. What affect do you think this will have on Smith’s status for Monday night’s game against the Chicago Bears? Florio speculates that Smith is looking for a second opinion “that points to a…
This is an epic moment in 49ers history. We’ve all wondered if and when Colin Kaepernick will become the 49ers starting quarterback. If he starts against the Bears Monday night and plays well, the Colin Kaepernick Era starts and the Alex Smith Era ends. The transition could happen that fast. You’ll hear Harbaugh say things like: “The offense has momentum going with Kaepernick. This is no knock on Alex, who…
SANTA CLARA – Here is what Jim Harbaugh said at his Monday press conference about the possibility of Colin Kaepernick starting against the Bears. Q: Will Kaepernick get the bulk of the snaps in practice this week now that Alex is hurt? HARBAUGH: We’ll see. It all depends on when Alex is cleared to come back to practice. Q: Do you reach a point of no return during the week…
SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh held a press conference Monday afternoon. Here’s what he said about Alex Smith, who left Sunday’s game with a concussion. Q: What’s the latest on Alex Smith? Did you talk to him today? How is he doing? HARBAUGH: Doing much better. He had a good night sleep last night. Symptoms were positive today. He’ll be visiting with the neurologist this afternoon – that will be…
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers tied the Rams 24-24. Here are the grades for Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. Quarterbacks: B. Alex Smith played like Alex Smith before he got knocked out of the game. He was efficient. He completed seven of eight passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. He threw short of the first-down marker on all three of the third downs he faced. And he took two…
SAN FRANCISCO – Here’s what Vernon Davis said in the locker room about Colin Kaepernick after the 49ers tied the Rams 24-24. Q: How do you think Colin Kaepernick fared? VERNON DAVIS: I think he did a great job. Colin is talented, so talented. He wants to do well. He wants to make plays and help this team. I would give him a B+ for going out there and taking…
SAN FRANCISCO — If you were calling plays for the 49ers in the second half, would you call designed runs for Colin Kaepernick – his specialty – or is it too dangerous? The third string quarterback, Scott Tolzien, is not active.
SAN FRANCISCO – The 49ers are down 14-7 at halftime and Alex Smith is out with a concussion. Here’s the question: Do you think Colin Kaepernick can lead the 49ers to a comeback win? Why or why not? He was 1-for-4 for three yards in the second quarter.
SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Smith was just walked off the field with his head down. He walked through the Giants old dugout with three trainers to go the locker room. He has a concussion and he’s not coming back to this game. JoLonn Dunbar hit him in the head on a first-down scramble. It’s on Colin Kaepernick to bring the 49ers down from a seven-point deficit.
Let’s ask more serious questions than the ones I previously posed: Alex Smith vs. Andrew Luck. That one is interesting but hypothetical. Here are some real questions with real consequences. 1. When do you think Colin Kaepernick will take over for Alex Smith? 2. Do you think Kaepernick is good enough ever to be the the No.1 QB of the 49ers? Please give reasons with your answers.
The Indianapolis Colts, whose record last season was 2-14, beat the Jacksonville Jaguars last night to win their fourth-straight game and improve to 6-3. The Colts are in second place in the AFC South and they have the third best record in the entire AFC. So I’m asking some questions. At this stage of his career, Is Andrew Luck better than Alex Smith, the same as Alex Smith or worse…
