Colin Kaepernick Thread and related anthem kneeling issues/news (6 Viewers)

'butcher boy said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

Bwah (Harbaugh) in a very short period of time is creating a QB environment for they to thrive.So the system is there, baked in, in both Bwah's legacy at Stanford to now what he is currently doing with the 49ers. So maybe Bwah isn't as crazy after all.

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This needs to stop right now. Please never refer to Harbaugh as "Bwah" again. TIA.

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I do what I please, thank you.

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No, he's right. It's terrible.

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'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

Bwah (Harbaugh) in a very short period of time is creating a QB environment for they to thrive.So the system is there, baked in, in both Bwah's legacy at Stanford to now what he is currently doing with the 49ers. So maybe Bwah isn't as crazy after all.

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This needs to stop right now. Please never refer to Harbaugh as "Bwah" again. TIA.

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I do what I please, thank you.

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Fair enough, but that is just horrible. "Harbs" is what I call him.

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'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

Bwah (Harbaugh) in a very short period of time is creating a QB environment for they to thrive.So the system is there, baked in, in both Bwah's legacy at Stanford to now what he is currently doing with the 49ers. So maybe Bwah isn't as crazy after all.

Click to expand...

This needs to stop right now. Please never refer to Harbaugh as "Bwah" again. TIA.

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I do what I please, thank you.

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Fair enough, but that is just horrible. "Harbs" is what I call him.

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I call him Bwah because he is funny. Harbs, Baugh, Bwah..To get peeved over something like this means...Get a life or something.

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'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

Bwah (Harbaugh) in a very short period of time is creating a QB environment for they to thrive.

So the system is there, baked in, in both Bwah's legacy at Stanford to now what he is currently doing with the 49ers.

So maybe Bwah isn't as crazy after all.

Click to expand...

This needs to stop right now. Please never refer to Harbaugh as "Bwah" again. TIA.

Click to expand...

I do what I please, thank you.

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Fair enough, but that is just horrible. "Harbs" is what I call him.

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I call him Bwah because he is funny. Harbs, Baugh, Bwah..To get peeved over something like this means...

Get a life or something.

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Whatever you say, sport.

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'letter_j said:

The 49ers have announced Colin Kaepernick as their Week 13 starter at quarterback.Nov 28 - 3:02 PMSource: 49ers on Twitterhttp://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/6530/colin-kaepernick

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'butcher boy said:

It's a terrible nickname because you have to put (Harbaugh) in parenthesis like that in order for anyone to know who you're talking about, which then defeats the purpose. I mean if you think he's funny, a better nickname would've been HarHar (still terrible but better than Bwah). And I just came up with that after 5 seconds of thinking about it. At the very least, spell it Bwaugh.

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'RenegadeGM said:

Somebody get swc in here to get Harbaugh a proper nickname, stat.

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'butcher boy said:

We take our nicknames very seriously around here.

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'RenegadeGM said:

Bwah has to be the worst football nickname used on these boards since Westy.Somebody get swc in here to get Harbaugh a proper nickname, stat.

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'drummer said:

'butcher boy said:

We take our nicknames very seriously around here.

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Just wait until I start using 'Nick. Or Nickleodeon. Or Kaepercannon.

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'RenegadeGM said:

Somebody get swc in here to get Harbaugh a proper nickname, stat.

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'Leroy Hoard said:

'drummer said:

'butcher boy said:

We take our nicknames very seriously around here.

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Just wait until I start using 'Nick. Or Nickleodeon. Or Kaepercannon.

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How about Col-Kaep (as in Joe Kapp)

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'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

Bwah (Harbaugh) in a very short period of time is creating a QB environment for they to thrive.

So the system is there, baked in, in both Bwah's legacy at Stanford to now what he is currently doing with the 49ers.

So maybe Bwah isn't as crazy after all.

Click to expand...

This needs to stop right now. Please never refer to Harbaugh as "Bwah" again. TIA.

Click to expand...

I do what I please, thank you.

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Fair enough, but that is just horrible. "Harbs" is what I call him.

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I call him Bwah because he is funny. Harbs, Baugh, Bwah..To get peeved over something like this means...

Get a life or something.

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Whatever you say, sport.

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I could say stop using the word sport. I could. But like the term Bwah, it's not illegal or against the SP rules. I think I've posted many an article and opinion to get some leeway here. You can add more to this conversation anyday now.

Sport.

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'butcher boy said:

'RenegadeGM said:

Somebody get swc in here to get Harbaugh a proper nickname, stat.

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He's already given us the best Kaep nickname I've yet to see in Kaepernicus.

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'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

Bwah (Harbaugh) in a very short period of time is creating a QB environment for they to thrive.

So the system is there, baked in, in both Bwah's legacy at Stanford to now what he is currently doing with the 49ers.

So maybe Bwah isn't as crazy after all.

Click to expand...

This needs to stop right now. Please never refer to Harbaugh as "Bwah" again. TIA.

Click to expand...

I do what I please, thank you.

Click to expand...

Fair enough, but that is just horrible. "Harbs" is what I call him.

Click to expand...

I call him Bwah because he is funny. Harbs, Baugh, Bwah..To get peeved over something like this means...

Get a life or something.

Click to expand...

Whatever you say, sport.

Click to expand...

I could say stop using the word sport. I could. But like the term Bwah, it's not illegal or against the SP rules. I think I've posted many an article and opinion to get some leeway here. You can add more to this conversation anyday now.

Sport.

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Back to ignore for you, Skipper.

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'solorca said:

So, do you guys think Kaepernick is a safe QB to ride (as a backup most likely) for the remainder of the year. I worry that Harbaugh would be willing to switch back to Alex Smith pretty quickly if Kaepernick struggles.

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'solorca said:

So, do you guys think Kaepernick is a safe QB to ride (as a backup most likely) for the remainder of the year. I worry that Harbaugh would be willing to switch back to Alex Smith pretty quickly if Kaepernick struggles.

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Jim Harbaugh just announced that Colin Kaepernick is the 49ers’ starting quarterback, at least for Sunday’s game and I would assume is the likely guy into the future.

Explaining it, Harbaugh said “the last three games tip the scales” to Kaepernick over Alex Smith, which I thought was the only way this could go once Harbaugh went down this path after the Monday night game.

Once you open up the possibility of a QB change, and the new guy plays very well, the decision has essentially been made.

Or really, part of it was made long ago, when the 49ers looked at Peyton Manning, gave Smith a limited guarantee, and kept putting Kaepernick into games even early this season.

Kaepernick is the 49ers’ starting QB–Harbaugh won’t publicly commit to anything longer than for Sunday’s game in St. Louis, but you don’t make this move unless he’s your guy, period. For now, for next week and for many weeks and years to come.

* A friend of mine brought up a good point this morning: Could this all have happened this way if Manning signed with the 49ers last off-season, played great, and then got dinged for a game or two?

Obviously Manning has a lot more going for him than Smith, and he’s currently the No. 3 rated passer in the NFL.

But Smith is No. 5. Just a thought.

And I repeat: Everything the 49ers did last off-season, including chase Manning, pointed to Kaepernick as their long-term QB. Everything.

* One under-the-radar part of this: Every-day COACHING.

The guy who looked so good and so accurate the last few weeks is not the same Kaepernick we’ve seen in preseason games, or even training camp practices.

These days, he’s under control and much more accurate–hell, through the last two games, Kaepernick has been one of the most accurate passers to all areas of the field that I’ve seen in a while.

QB coach Geep Chryst and OC Greg Roman are certainly hands-on and deeply involved in all parts of the QB play. But I think we have to give most of the credit for this to Harbaugh–who did some things with Andrew Luck, I seem to recall.

Harbaugh has a fine focus on the QB spot, and the guy can flat-out coach the position.

I flash back to one particular training camp practice when I watched Harbaugh work with Smith, Kaepernick, Scott Tolzien and Josh Johnson for at least 10 minutes on a singular aspect:

Throwing the short touch pass while moving up in the pocket, away from pressure.

This wasn’t just one session and it wasn’t just Harbaugh barking out some directions, and then watching as the 4 QBs went through the drill. It was Harbaugh showing them what he wanted, staring at each guy as he made the move and throw, and stopping the drill when he saw a throw he didn’t like.

Smith was very good at it–we’ve seen him make that throw several times this year, on the move, draw a defender, then float it over his head to Bruce Miller or Delanie Walker.

I think of it as “the Stanford throw,” since Andrew Luck was so good at it and one of the main reasons Kevin Hogan is moving the Cardinal offense regularly and Josh Nunes wasn’t traces right back to that little touch pass on the move–almost always Hogan to fullback Ryan Hewitt.

And now we’re seeing Kaepernick–with a bit more sizzle on the pass than the other guys–make that pass in games, in traffic, to pick up key yards when a play breaks down.

THAT’s coaching.

He does things in odds ways at times, but Harbaugh can absolutely coach.

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'butcher boy said:

'solorca said:

So, do you guys think Kaepernick is a safe QB to ride (as a backup most likely) for the remainder of the year. I worry that Harbaugh would be willing to switch back to Alex Smith pretty quickly if Kaepernick struggles.

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I think it's a no-brainer that he goes back to Smith if Kaep struggles, but that might not be until the NFL playoffs which is irrelevant in fantasy.

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'scrumptrulescent said:

'butcher boy said:

'solorca said:

So, do you guys think Kaepernick is a safe QB to ride (as a backup most likely) for the remainder of the year. I worry that Harbaugh would be willing to switch back to Alex Smith pretty quickly if Kaepernick struggles.

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I think it's a no-brainer that he goes back to Smith if Kaep struggles, but that might not be until the NFL playoffs which is irrelevant in fantasy.

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How would switching back to Smith when the playoffs start a good thing for the team?I think the only reason Harbaugh is making this look like a tough decision is respect for Alex Smith. I don't think Alex was ever Jim's guy but Jim had nothing better before. Now he does. I'd be surprised if we see Smith again.

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'scrumptrulescent said:

'butcher boy said:

'solorca said:

So, do you guys think Kaepernick is a safe QB to ride (as a backup most likely) for the remainder of the year. I worry that Harbaugh would be willing to switch back to Alex Smith pretty quickly if Kaepernick struggles.

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I think it's a no-brainer that he goes back to Smith if Kaep struggles, but that might not be until the NFL playoffs which is irrelevant in fantasy.

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How would switching back to Smith when the playoffs start a good thing for the team?I think the only reason Harbaugh is making this look like a tough decision is respect for Alex Smith. I don't think Alex was ever Jim's guy but Jim had nothing better before. Now he does. I'd be surprised if we see Smith again.

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'solorca said:

So, do you guys think Kaepernick is a safe QB to ride (as a backup most likely) for the remainder of the year. I worry that Harbaugh would be willing to switch back to Alex Smith pretty quickly if Kaepernick struggles.

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San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said he had two starting quarterbacks, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick. But that was wrong. He had two capable of starting, but only one who will, and, he picked Kaepernick on Wednesday.

"The rationale is that we have two quarterbacks that we feel great about as the starting quarterback, both have earned it, both deserve it," Harbaugh said. "Alex over of a long period of time, Colin by virtue of the last few games. We believe Colin has the hot hand and we'll go with Colin."

The 49ers turned in a pair of impressive performances the last two weeks with Kaepernick in the starting role. First came a 32-7 shellacking of Chicago on Monday Night Football in which Kaepernick completed 16 of 23 passes for 243 yards and two TDs.

The question, of course, is: Why did he do it like this? Why not just make a decision and stick with it, rather than telling reporters he had two starters when he knew he only could have one?

Granted, Kaepernick has been terrific in two games since Smith bowed out with a concussion. But it's two games. Smith was 20-6-1 in his year and a half under Harbaugh and led the 49ers to their first division title since 2002 and first conference championship game since 1997. Moreover, he's the NFL's fifth-ranked quarterback this season, with a passer rating of 104.1 and the league's highest completion percentage at 70.0. Plus, he had the 49ers on top of the NFC West again.

In short, he has done little wrong, other than suffering a concussion on Nov. 11. But now he's nailed to the bench, with the 49ers in the hands of Kaepernick ... not Alex Smith ... and the question is: If it ain't broke ...? I think you get the idea.

"Because it's not a risk," said former coach Brian Billick, who once worked with the 49ers and is now an analyst with Fox and the NFL Network. "There's something truly special about Kaepernick. His physical skills shocked me. His throwing action, the fluidity with the way the ball comes out of his hands and, obviously, the athleticisim ... Not since Warren Moon, who I had in Minnesota [billick was the offensive coordinator there], have I seen a guy throw so effortlessly, with the tightness of the spiral and the accuracy in any position.

"Look, we've all had that hesitation about Alex Smith. When we talk about the 49ers ... as good as they are defensively, the way they run the ball with that offensive line and them being a potential Super Bowl champion ... everybody seems to have that 'well, but ...' feeling, even within that building. When you visit with people privately, they're just not sure. But with what Kaepernick gives them, you remove that hesitancy because he's playing beyond his years."

OK, there's that. But then there's this: Harbaugh drafted Colin Kaepernick; he did not draft Alex Smith -- and, yes, that counts for something. In fact, Harbaugh felt so strongly about Kaepernick that he moved up in the second round of the 2011 draft to get the guy, which meant someone with the 49ers had a conviction about him, and that someone was Harbaugh.

The idea was to groom Kaepernick to start, perhaps as early as last season, with Smith holding down the position until his understudy was ready. Only, Smith had the best season of his career, and the 49ers produced their first winning year since 2002. So the club stayed with him until he was forced to sit down.

"It was a marriage of convenience more than anything else," said Billick, "so that makes it very compelling. They recognize that this guy [Kaepernick] is as good as we thought he was. Whether they state it or not, it's your own vs. the stepchild, and at the end of the day you love them both, but ..."

He didn't have to complete the sentence. The 49ers invested a high draft pick in Colin Kapernick for a reason, and you're finding out why.

"Kaepernick is a playmaker," said former San Francisco director of player personnel Vinny Cerrato, now a broadcaster on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore, "where Alex Smith is more of an assist guy. Kaepernick is the future, and he might be the present."

Might? No, is.

I get all that. What I don't get is why you make the move now when you could have done it in training camp. I mean, if Kaepernick is as good as people say and as good as he's been the past two games, why didn't he win the job in training camp? I know: The 49ers knew what they had in Smith, and what they had was a quarterback who was one win from the Super Bowl. So why is it OK to make the move now when it wasn't then?

"It is a gamble," said one head coach who asked not to be identified. "It's an experiment, and if the 49ers don't make it to the NFC Championship Game it's an experiment that's unsuccessful. It's really that simple. Alex Smith got them that far a year ago, so it's Super Bowl or bust."

What San Francisco is doing now, he said, reminds him of what Billick and the Baltimore Ravens went through after winning Super Bowl XXXV with Trent Dilfer. The following season, the club wanted an upgrade at quarterback and exchanged Dilfer for free-agent Elvis Grbac. Grbac was a more accurate and more proficient passer, but he wasn't as successful as Dilfer. He took the Ravens to one playoff win before bowing out.

Then he walked away from football.

"Sometimes," said our coach, "it's best to leave well enough alone, especially at that position. I guess what I'm saying is that if you make a move at quarterback, you better be right."

What the 49ers are doing with their quarterbacks is unique only in the timing, with the club in the middle of a stretch drive for the playoffs. New England's Drew Bledsoe lost his job to backup Tom Brady in 2001 after Bledsoe suffered a life-threatening injury. That was three games into the season, with the Patriots coming off a 5-11 finish the year before. Then there was Kurt Warner, who stepped in for Trent Green for St. Louis in 1999 after Green suffered torn knee ligaments vs. San Diego. That was a preseason game, with the Rams a 4-12 mess in 1998.

"Until you put the guy in a game, you don't know," said Billick. "As good as they thought Kaepernick was and were anxious to get him playing time, they didn't ... or couldn't ...until their hand was forced. Then it just reinforced everything they already knew, only they couldn't pull the trigger ... and didn't need to because of the way Alex was playing."

In two starts, Kaepernick completed 66.7 percent of his passes with three touchdowns, one interception, a passer rating of 110.9 and one rushing TD. More important, he's 2-0. In nine starts this year, Smith was 6-2-1 with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. Both demonstrated they can win, which is why Harbaugh says he has two starters. But until he announces his decision, people wonder what in the name of Steve Young and Joe Montana is going on.

I'll tell you what: Harbaugh has chosen the quarterback he believes gives him the best chance to win. And while you might not agree with him, he gets the benefit of the doubt. Not only did he play the position in college and the pros, he has a history of finding the right quarterback as a head coach. It happened with Josh Johnson at the University of San Diego. It happened with Andrew Luck at Stanford. It happened with Alex Smith with the 49ers.

And now it's happening with Kaepernick.

"I mean, it's Jim Harbaugh," said one GM. "He's been through it. He's played it. So he knows about quarterbacks and how to handle them."

He proved that with Smith, and Smith responded not only by demonstrating he can win but demonstrating he can win big games. By demoting him, Harbaugh risks losing him emotionally -- though coaches, scouts and analysts tell me that has probably happened already. In fact, they suggested it happened when Harbaugh tried to court Peyton Manning earlier this year, flying to North Carolina to work out the free-agent quarterback.

Manning chose Denver, and the 49ers then re-signed Smith -- with Smith later insisting no damage had been done. I'd like to hear what he says now.

"They lost Alex Smith a long time ago," said Billick. "When they chased Peyton Manning it's like going to tell your wife that you love her to death and that you're totally devout but that she has to understand that if you have a chance to go after Catherine Zeta-Jones, 'You can't hold that over me can you?' Yeah, right. See how that one goes over."

We just have. Smith wants to start. Kaepernick wants to start. Harbaugh hedges on his decision. And speculation is rampant. Billick is right when he says this isn't a high-risk operation, but there's always the danger that Kaepernick fails to accomplish what Smith already has -- and, trust me, that won't hold Harbaugh back.

First, the 49ers have seen Kaepernick for a year and a half of practices and games, so coaches know what they have. Second, they had a conviction about him that was reinforced the past two weeks. Third, they might have lost Alex Smith, but they really haven't. I mean, what happens if, say, Kaepernick is hurt? He does what Bledsoe did in 2001 and steps in the huddle and plays as well as he can.

"I mean, what's he going to do?" said one GM. "Not play well because he doesn't like Jim Harbaugh? No. He's going to play as well as he can because he's a professional and because he's a classy guy. Alex Smith is a great teammate, and he's going to play hard for those guys around him ... because that's what you do."

In the end, most persons I consulted believed the decision is the right one for this reason: Kaepernick can be something Alex Smith was not, which is a weapon. But tell that to the New Orleans Saints. They lost their only playoff game last season because Smith beat them with two touchdowns in the last two-and-a-half minutes of an unforgettable 36-32 victory.

"But you don't sit up Saturday nights game-planning for Alex Smith," said one personnel director. "You will with Colin Kaepernick. The 49ers' receivers aren't much more than ordinary, but the offense that Jim and Greg Roman run is tremendous -- and Kaepernick makes those receivers a lot better than they were with Alex Smith."

OK, then, what's the hangup? Why not just make the decision and move forward instead of playing out this week's charade ... just as Harbaugh played out last week's charade? Why not just concede what most believe in the first place and make Kaepernick the starter once and for all?

"Yeah, I know," said Billick. "It's not like it's a competitive deal. You're not going to prepare for the 49ers differently with one or the other. They both can get outside the pocket. It's not like they're dramatically different styles. So I think it's out of respect to Alex because it's a tough deal.

"If I were to do it, I'd bring both in so they know that I want you to hear what I have to say together so you don't have to worry about, 'What did he tell the other guy while he was in there by himself?' Then I would tell the team. But the players know. He's insulated it beautifully, even though in [players'] minds they have to know Kaepernick's their guy. But [by saying what Harbaugh did] they also know they have the perfect backup."

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'attaché case said:

If SF wins the Superbowl with Kaep, will Harbs be Coach of the year second season in a row?

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'attaché case said:

If SF wins the Superbowl with Kaep, will Harbs be Coach of the year second season in a row?

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'Doug B said:

Anyone else call him "Bwah" besides drummer? Where on earth did "Bwah" start? Is that actually a thing?

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'DevilintheDetail said:

'solorca said:

So, do you guys think Kaepernick is a safe QB to ride (as a backup most likely) for the remainder of the year. I worry that Harbaugh would be willing to switch back to Alex Smith pretty quickly if Kaepernick struggles.

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Can you not add Smith as a backup?I think Kaepernick is pretty safe and Harbaugh just wants to make this "close" out of respect for Smith. Harbaugh isn't playing it safe here and he has to know that this is damaging Smith's psyche like it was earlier in his career. Once Smith's confidence is shot, he's not very good. I really doubt Harbaugh goes back to him now that he's done this, even if Kaepernick has a bad game or two.

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'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

If SF wins the Superbowl with Kaep, will Harbs be Coach of the year second season in a row?

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That's a good question. With so many due to get fired, the pool got shallower.

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'drummer said:

'Doug B said:

Anyone else call him "Bwah" besides drummer? Where on earth did "Bwah" start? Is that actually a thing?

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IT'S ALL MINE!!!

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'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'attaché case said:

If SF wins the Superbowl with Kaep, will Harbs be Coach of the year second season in a row?

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That's a good question. With so many due to get fired, the pool got shallower.

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Not really. None of those guys were in the running. I think making the ballsy switch and winning it all would justify him getting it again. Anything short of a ring and he won't.

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'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'Doug B said:

Anyone else call him "Bwah" besides drummer? Where on earth did "Bwah" start? Is that actually a thing?

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IT'S ALL MINE!!!

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I dont think you have to worry about infringement with it. LolBwah™

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San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has named Colin Kaepernick his starting quarterback against the St. Louis Rams in Week 12.

One potential reason: Kaepernick's ability to turn negative plays into positive ones.

2012 Niners QBs Under DuressQB Smith KaepernickPct. of attempts 8.8 23.0Comp.-att. 4-19 9-17Yards/att. 1.2 8.0Throwaway pct. 42.1 17.7Total QBR 17.4 73.5Source: ESPN Stats & InformationKaepernick and former starter Alex Smith have been under duress a similar number of times this season, even though Smith has 2.5 times as many action plays. That is because Kaepernick has held the ball 4.1 seconds following the snap on average, the highest figure in the NFL. Smith has held the ball 3.4 seconds, right at the league average.The extra time Kaepernick holds the ball leads to more snaps under duress. ESPN defines duress as when quarterbacks throw or scramble after being forced from the pocket, or when a defender has a clear path in the quarterback's line of sight, or when the quarterback has to alter his regular throwing motion or is forced to move within the pocket due to pressure.

Kaepernick averages 8.0 yards per pass attempt in these situations. Smith averages 1.2 yards per attempt. Those numbers, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information's John McTigue, translate to a significant advantage for the 49ers if Kaepernick can sustain them.

Smith ranks third behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in Total QBR (79.2) and seventh in NFL passer rating (101.8) when he delivers the ball within 3.4 seconds. He ranks only 19th in QBR (26.7) on the other plays largely because he has taken 21 sacks on them. He ranks third in passer rating (113.7) for these situations because sacks don't count in the calculations.

Sacks very much count during games, of course. Smith has taken more of them since the start of the 2011 season (68) than every player but Aaron Rodgers (73), who has 280 additional action plays over that span. Rodgers also has a 73-13 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions during that time (30-10 for Smith).

The NFL is a week-to-week league. An injury or unexpected development could thrust Smith back into the lineup at any time. But if Kaepernick continues on his recent trajectory, it is possible Smith has made his final start in a 49ers uniform.

The team must pay a $7.5 million bonus to Smith if he remains on the roster April 1. Releasing Smith before that date becomes more likely if Kaepernick is the clear-cut starter. Smith has remained with the 49ers in the past when all signs pointed to him leaving. He could conceivably rework his contract and stay in a diminished role. It's premature to write him off as a 49er.

But with Kaepernick getting the call for a third consecutive week and the second time when Smith was cleared to return from a concussion, it's clear the 49ers think Kaepernick can become their long-term starter now. They traded up in the second round of 2011 draft to get him, a strong indication Harbaugh thought the team could build around his skills. The 49ers have subsequently invested early draft choices in receiver A.J. Jenkins and running back LaMichael James, but neither has played.

Harbaugh made what had to be an uncomfortable decision given all Smith has come to represent. There is certainly risk associated with benching a quarterback with a 19-5-1 starting record. But the team would not be making this move, in my view, without feeling strongly that Kaepernick represented a significant upgrade. That could make a painful choice a clear one, at least internally.

As the head coach, Harbaugh needed to put the team first in any decision he made at quarterback. He didn't owe anything more than honesty to Smith. He might have cast himself as an "Alex Smith guy" when it served the team, but he has to be a 49ers guy first, no matter what. So, if Kaepernick indeed represents a significant upgrade, the 49ers needed to make the change.

In this case, however, the move also meant sending an unfortunate message regarding concussion disclosure. Had Smith not reported the blurred vision he suffered against St. Louis in Week 10, there's a chance he might have remained in the lineup, preventing Kaepernick from seizing the starting job. Even if Smith could not have kept playing, any player watching from the outside can see the potential short-term costs associated with concussion disclosure.

The events of the past three weeks could end Smith's career as a starting quarterback in the NFL. They could cost him millions of dollars. Smith seems to have his priorities in order. He made the right decision regarding concussion disclosure and probably would act the same way again in the interests of his growing family. He's banked millions already. But what about the less-established player seeking to keep his job for a shot at earning financial security for his family? The message to him is clear.

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'drummer said:

A Sando from Harb's lunchtime presser

... Kaepernick and former starter Alex Smith have been under duress a similar number of times this season, even though Smith has 2.5 times as many action plays. That is because Kaepernick has held the ball 4.1 seconds following the snap on average, the highest figure in the NFL. Smith has held the ball 3.4 seconds, right at the league average.

The extra time Kaepernick holds the ball leads to more snaps under duress. ESPN defines duress as when quarterbacks throw or scramble after being forced from the pocket, or when a defender has a clear path in the quarterback's line of sight, or when the quarterback has to alter his regular throwing motion or is forced to move within the pocket due to pressure ...

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'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'Doug B said:

Anyone else call him "Bwah" besides drummer? Where on earth did "Bwah" start? Is that actually a thing?

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IT'S ALL MINE!!!

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I dont think you have to worry about infringement with it. LolBwah™

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'mcd said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'Doug B said:

Anyone else call him "Bwah" besides drummer? Where on earth did "Bwah" start? Is that actually a thing?

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IT'S ALL MINE!!!

Click to expand...

I dont think you have to worry about infringement with it. LolBwah™

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He stole it from some guy on the "Niner Cap Hell" board who's been using it for at least a month. The guy appears to be about 12 years old going by his posting style so I'm assuming that it isn't drummer posting over there under an alias. Then again...who knows.

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'Doug B said:

'drummer said:

A Sando from Harb's lunchtime presser

... Kaepernick and former starter Alex Smith have been under duress a similar number of times this season, even though Smith has 2.5 times as many action plays. That is because Kaepernick has held the ball 4.1 seconds following the snap on average, the highest figure in the NFL. Smith has held the ball 3.4 seconds, right at the league average.

The extra time Kaepernick holds the ball leads to more snaps under duress. ESPN defines duress as when quarterbacks throw or scramble after being forced from the pocket, or when a defender has a clear path in the quarterback's line of sight, or when the quarterback has to alter his regular throwing motion or is forced to move within the pocket due to pressure ...

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Those stats don't surprise me at all. The Saints had no problem getting CK "under duress". But that was worth nothing when he can so easily beat even three-man jailbreaks. People who didn't watch SF @ NO probably thought the Niners O-line had a great pass-blocking game, when in fact they were uneven. Defenders got through, and Kaepernick just moon-walked around them.I swear, anything short of four or five prime Dwight Freeneys coming in unblocked, and Kaepernick is not going down.

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Smith ranks third behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in Total QBR (79.2) and seventh in NFL passer rating (101.8) when he delivers the ball within 3.4 seconds. He ranks only 19th in QBR (26.7) on the other plays largely because he has taken 21 sacks on them. He ranks third in passer rating (113.7) for these situations because sacks don't count in the calculations.

Sacks very much count during games, of course. Smith has taken more of them since the start of the 2011 season (68) than every player but Aaron Rodgers (73), who has 280 additional action plays over that span. Rodgers also has a 73-13 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions during that time (30-10 for Smith).

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'mcd said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'Doug B said:

Anyone else call him "Bwah" besides drummer? Where on earth did "Bwah" start? Is that actually a thing?

Click to expand...

IT'S ALL MINE!!!

Click to expand...

I dont think you have to worry about infringement with it. LolBwah™

Click to expand...

He stole it from some guy on the "Niner Cap Hell" board who's been using it for at least a month. The guy appears to be about 12 years old going by his posting style so I'm assuming that it isn't drummer posting over there under an alias. Then again...who knows.

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'butcher boy said:

'mcd said:

'attaché case said:

'drummer said:

'Doug B said:

Anyone else call him "Bwah" besides drummer? Where on earth did "Bwah" start? Is that actually a thing?

Click to expand...

IT'S ALL MINE!!!

Click to expand...

I dont think you have to worry about infringement with it. LolBwah™

Click to expand...

He stole it from some guy on the "Niner Cap Hell" board who's been using it for at least a month. The guy appears to be about 12 years old going by his posting style so I'm assuming that it isn't drummer posting over there under an alias. Then again...who knows.

Click to expand...

Man, I just googled that board and the whole place reads like it's all a bunch of 12 year olds. What a cesspool.

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