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Colin Kaepernick Thread and related anthem kneeling issues/news (3 Viewers)

Alright, the Alex-haters are still way overboard and new psychiatric help, but holy crap.

Kaep is the real deal.

I had no idea.

From the way he carries himself, to his reading of defenses, to his skills as a passer (re-watch the TD to Crabtree - running left, leading him perfectly, with just the right touch.)

Mindblowing that it was his first start.

Add me to the list of those that think Kaep gives the Niners the best chance to win and he should immediately take over the starter spot.

- A registered Alex Smith fan.
This is where I am. I'm an Alex Smith fan. I wasn't a few years ago but he's made tremendous strides under Harbaugh and I'm thankful for the recent run he's given us. He doesn't suck. He's actually been very good. He's also carried himself with a lot of class and been respectful/well spoken throughout the years. But I'm interested in seeing how Kaepernick fares. If he had this game against a crappy defense I would be less enthusiastic. But he did it against the Bears. It's simply incredible. It's why I started this thread. Maybe he'll crash back to earth. Maybe he won't. If I'm Harbaugh I'd certainly find a way to give him at least one more game. He just looked too good. And if Colin crashes back to earth, we run Alex back out there. Wouldn't be the first time he was our fallback option. Maybe I'm simply obsessed with the grass on the other side of the fence. :shrug:
A few years ago you didn't even want him to wear a 49er Uni anymore. At least put that out there to keep it real.
Not many of us did. He was bad. Smith's play has changed the minds of more than a few of us. My whole thing is that this team is playing for a championship and now doesn't seem like the time to take the risk of changing QBs based on a one game sample size. The offense has been built around Smith. Alex hasn't done anything to lose his job except get a concussion.

A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.

 
Alright, the Alex-haters are still way overboard and new psychiatric help, but holy crap.

Kaep is the real deal.

I had no idea.

From the way he carries himself, to his reading of defenses, to his skills as a passer (re-watch the TD to Crabtree - running left, leading him perfectly, with just the right touch.)

Mindblowing that it was his first start.

Add me to the list of those that think Kaep gives the Niners the best chance to win and he should immediately take over the starter spot.

- A registered Alex Smith fan.
This is where I am. I'm an Alex Smith fan. I wasn't a few years ago but he's made tremendous strides under Harbaugh and I'm thankful for the recent run he's given us. He doesn't suck. He's actually been very good. He's also carried himself with a lot of class and been respectful/well spoken throughout the years. But I'm interested in seeing how Kaepernick fares. If he had this game against a crappy defense I would be less enthusiastic. But he did it against the Bears. It's simply incredible. It's why I started this thread. Maybe he'll crash back to earth. Maybe he won't. If I'm Harbaugh I'd certainly find a way to give him at least one more game. He just looked too good. And if Colin crashes back to earth, we run Alex back out there. Wouldn't be the first time he was our fallback option. Maybe I'm simply obsessed with the grass on the other side of the fence. :shrug:
A few years ago you didn't even want him to wear a 49er Uni anymore. At least put that out there to keep it real.
Not many of us did. He was bad. Smith's play has changed the minds of more than a few of us. My whole thing is that this team is playing for a championship and now doesn't seem like the time to take the risk of changing QBs based on a one game sample size. The offense has been built around Smith. Alex hasn't done anything to lose his job except get a concussion.

A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
So we're comparing Kaep to Leinart now? Cool. Lemme boot back to Smith's first start in the NFL. Oof. Maybe not.

BTW, here is a late Sando to munch on in case you missed lunch:

Smith leads the NFL in passer rating since Week 8 (153.2) among qualifying QBs. Brady is second (117.5), followed by Wilson (115.2), Peyton Manning (108.0) and Drew Brees (107.8). Smith would rank higher in QBR over that span if he did not rank last among these passers in average pass length (4.9 yards), under the 8.2-yard average for the others.
My linkHey, Russell Wilson sighting!

 
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Alright, the Alex-haters are still way overboard and new psychiatric help, but holy crap.

Kaep is the real deal.

I had no idea.

From the way he carries himself, to his reading of defenses, to his skills as a passer (re-watch the TD to Crabtree - running left, leading him perfectly, with just the right touch.)

Mindblowing that it was his first start.

Add me to the list of those that think Kaep gives the Niners the best chance to win and he should immediately take over the starter spot.

- A registered Alex Smith fan.
This is where I am. I'm an Alex Smith fan. I wasn't a few years ago but he's made tremendous strides under Harbaugh and I'm thankful for the recent run he's given us. He doesn't suck. He's actually been very good. He's also carried himself with a lot of class and been respectful/well spoken throughout the years. But I'm interested in seeing how Kaepernick fares. If he had this game against a crappy defense I would be less enthusiastic. But he did it against the Bears. It's simply incredible. It's why I started this thread. Maybe he'll crash back to earth. Maybe he won't. If I'm Harbaugh I'd certainly find a way to give him at least one more game. He just looked too good. And if Colin crashes back to earth, we run Alex back out there. Wouldn't be the first time he was our fallback option. Maybe I'm simply obsessed with the grass on the other side of the fence. :shrug:
A few years ago you didn't even want him to wear a 49er Uni anymore. At least put that out there to keep it real.
I don't hide from that. Prior to Harbaugh coming aboard I said several times I didn't want Alex on the team (though I ALSO said if Harbaugh felt Alex was the best option I'd trust his judgement and give benefit of the doubt that Alex was indeed capable of what he claimed). I'm very happy Alex turned his career around.
 
Alright, the Alex-haters are still way overboard and new psychiatric help, but holy crap.

Kaep is the real deal.

I had no idea.

From the way he carries himself, to his reading of defenses, to his skills as a passer (re-watch the TD to Crabtree - running left, leading him perfectly, with just the right touch.)

Mindblowing that it was his first start.

Add me to the list of those that think Kaep gives the Niners the best chance to win and he should immediately take over the starter spot.

- A registered Alex Smith fan.
This is where I am. I'm an Alex Smith fan. I wasn't a few years ago but he's made tremendous strides under Harbaugh and I'm thankful for the recent run he's given us. He doesn't suck. He's actually been very good. He's also carried himself with a lot of class and been respectful/well spoken throughout the years. But I'm interested in seeing how Kaepernick fares. If he had this game against a crappy defense I would be less enthusiastic. But he did it against the Bears. It's simply incredible. It's why I started this thread. Maybe he'll crash back to earth. Maybe he won't. If I'm Harbaugh I'd certainly find a way to give him at least one more game. He just looked too good. And if Colin crashes back to earth, we run Alex back out there. Wouldn't be the first time he was our fallback option. Maybe I'm simply obsessed with the grass on the other side of the fence. :shrug:
A few years ago you didn't even want him to wear a 49er Uni anymore. At least put that out there to keep it real.
I don't hide from that. Prior to Harbaugh coming aboard I said several times I didn't want Alex on the team (though I ALSO said if Harbaugh felt Alex was the best option I'd trust his judgement and give benefit of the doubt that Alex was indeed capable of what he claimed). I'm very happy Alex turned his career around.
Well, apparently Harbaugh claims a lot for Kaep, and wanted Peyton as well. So I trust him too.
 
A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
Ouch. Way to bring a dose of sobriety to this party. But great point. It is only one game. Lots of qb's have looked good for one game then cooled off. Still, would you be opposed to the coaching staff saying Alex needed one more week to get healthy and rolling with Kaepernick for one game more?
 
A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
Ouch. Way to bring a dose of sobriety to this party. But great point. It is only one game. Lots of qb's have looked good for one game then cooled off. Still, would you be opposed to the coaching staff saying Alex needed one more week to get healthy and rolling with Kaepernick for one game more?
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
 
So we're comparing Kaep to Leinart now? Cool. Lemme boot back to Smith's first start in the NFL.
No, it's just an example that a one game sample size is not enough to make this a controvery, IMO.
BTW, here is a late Sando to munch on in case you missed lunch:

Smith leads the NFL in passer rating since Week 8 (153.2) among qualifying QBs. Brady is second (117.5), followed by Wilson (115.2), Peyton Manning (108.0) and Drew Brees (107.8). Smith would rank higher in QBR over that span if he did not rank last among these passers in average pass length (4.9 yards), under the 8.2-yard average for the others.
My linkHey, Russell Wilson sighting!
So what you're saying here is that Smith's already excellent passer rating, could have been even better? Ok, I won't argue that. Yeah, let's bench him since his 153.2 rating wasn't 189.7.
 
So we're comparing Kaep to Leinart now? Cool. Lemme boot back to Smith's first start in the NFL.
No, it's just an example that a one game sample size is not enough to make this a controvery, IMO.
BTW, here is a late Sando to munch on in case you missed lunch:

Smith leads the NFL in passer rating since Week 8 (153.2) among qualifying QBs. Brady is second (117.5), followed by Wilson (115.2), Peyton Manning (108.0) and Drew Brees (107.8). Smith would rank higher in QBR over that span if he did not rank last among these passers in average pass length (4.9 yards), under the 8.2-yard average for the others.
My linkHey, Russell Wilson sighting!
So what you're saying here is that Smith's already excellent passer rating, could have been even better? Ok, I won't argue that. Yeah, let's bench him since his 153.2 rating wasn't 189.7.
You see Golden Tate's rating yet?
 
BTW, I don't think Vernon Davis is sober yet after last night. Maybe we should bring in Leinart to sober him up and put the handcuffs back on.

 
A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
Ouch. Way to bring a dose of sobriety to this party. But great point. It is only one game. Lots of qb's have looked good for one game then cooled off. Still, would you be opposed to the coaching staff saying Alex needed one more week to get healthy and rolling with Kaepernick for one game more?
Not at all. It would give us another look at Kaep against a team that will give him more looks than the Bears did, and I wouldn't want an unhealthy Smith out there. Another reason to stick with Smith is the valuable playoff experience he gained last year, of which Kaep has none.
 
A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
Ouch. Way to bring a dose of sobriety to this party. But great point. It is only one game. Lots of qb's have looked good for one game then cooled off. Still, would you be opposed to the coaching staff saying Alex needed one more week to get healthy and rolling with Kaepernick for one game more?
Not at all. It would give us another look at Kaep against a team that will give him more looks than the Bears did, and I wouldn't want an unhealthy Smith out there. Another reason to stick with Smith is the valuable playoff experience he gained last year, of which Kaep has none.
Smith had zero experience too before last year.
 
Another reason to stick with Smith is the valuable playoff experience he gained last year, of which Kaep has none.
Exactly. While I think Kaep has a great future in front of him, I'd rather have Alex starting the rest of the way this season and especially in the post season. Next season could be a different story.
 
The most impressive throw by Kap was the one he made to Vernon Davis with 2 free blitzers coming right up the middle in the 3rd (4th?) quarter. Perfect throw with pressure in his face lofted over 2 defenders with their backs turned. Didn't get the first down, but that's a throw Smith would NEVER make. That play illustrates what is tempting about Kaepernick's potential... he gives his teammates opportunities to make plays, whereas Smith is more content to take what's there. The 49ers are a good team with Smith, but to get to the next level they need to go with Kaepernick.

 
A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
Ouch. Way to bring a dose of sobriety to this party. But great point. It is only one game. Lots of qb's have looked good for one game then cooled off. Still, would you be opposed to the coaching staff saying Alex needed one more week to get healthy and rolling with Kaepernick for one game more?
Not at all. It would give us another look at Kaep against a team that will give him more looks than the Bears did, and I wouldn't want an unhealthy Smith out there. Another reason to stick with Smith is the valuable playoff experience he gained last year, of which Kaep has none.
Smith had zero experience too before last year.
Again, you miss the point and I'm beginning to wonder if it's just :fishing:
 
A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
Ouch. Way to bring a dose of sobriety to this party. But great point. It is only one game. Lots of qb's have looked good for one game then cooled off. Still, would you be opposed to the coaching staff saying Alex needed one more week to get healthy and rolling with Kaepernick for one game more?
Not at all. It would give us another look at Kaep against a team that will give him more looks than the Bears did, and I wouldn't want an unhealthy Smith out there. Another reason to stick with Smith is the valuable playoff experience he gained last year, of which Kaep has none.
Smith had zero experience too before last year.
Again, you miss the point and I'm beginning to wonder if it's just :fishing:
When did Smith go to the playoffs before last season? It isn't like Smith has a ton of playoff experience. Mark Sanchez has more than he does.
 
The point is that when faced with the decision of Smith vs. Kaep, one pro for Alex Smith is his playoff experience. A QB with playoff experience is something you'd rather have going into the playoffs than not have.

 
The point is that when faced with the decision of Smith vs. Kaep, one pro for Alex Smith is his playoff experience. A QB with playoff experience is something you'd rather have going into the playoffs than not have.
Sure, but even Tebow started playoff games last season too. Heck, the Jets have a lot more playoff experience at QB than the 49ers do. Brady and Roth didn't have any in their first trips to the postseason either.
 
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The most impressive throw by Kap was the one he made to Vernon Davis with 2 free blitzers coming right up the middle in the 3rd (4th?) quarter. Perfect throw with pressure in his face lofted over 2 defenders with their backs turned. Didn't get the first down, but that's a throw Smith would NEVER make. That play illustrates what is tempting about Kaepernick's potential... he gives his teammates opportunities to make plays, whereas Smith is more content to take what's there. The 49ers are a good team with Smith, but to get to the next level they need to go with Kaepernick.
:goodposting: If Smith attempted and made those throws consistently, then there would be no argument for Kaep at all at this point. Davis was pretty much forgotten the past 4 games. That's an elite weapon out there. The 49ers have won with serviceable play from Smith, but if one of the two phases of the game get's leaky, then the 49ers struggle on offense. This offense has a lot more weapons now than ever since the BW days. It needs a QB who can make a lot of throws.

 
Alright, the Alex-haters are still way overboard and new psychiatric help, but holy crap.

Kaep is the real deal.

I had no idea.

From the way he carries himself, to his reading of defenses, to his skills as a passer (re-watch the TD to Crabtree - running left, leading him perfectly, with just the right touch.)

Mindblowing that it was his first start.

Add me to the list of those that think Kaep gives the Niners the best chance to win and he should immediately take over the starter spot.

- A registered Alex Smith fan.
This is where I am. I'm an Alex Smith fan. I wasn't a few years ago but he's made tremendous strides under Harbaugh and I'm thankful for the recent run he's given us. He doesn't suck. He's actually been very good. He's also carried himself with a lot of class and been respectful/well spoken throughout the years. But I'm interested in seeing how Kaepernick fares. If he had this game against a crappy defense I would be less enthusiastic. But he did it against the Bears. It's simply incredible. It's why I started this thread. Maybe he'll crash back to earth. Maybe he won't. If I'm Harbaugh I'd certainly find a way to give him at least one more game. He just looked too good. And if Colin crashes back to earth, we run Alex back out there. Wouldn't be the first time he was our fallback option. Maybe I'm simply obsessed with the grass on the other side of the fence. :shrug:
A few years ago you didn't even want him to wear a 49er Uni anymore. At least put that out there to keep it real.
Not many of us did. He was bad. Smith's play has changed the minds of more than a few of us. My whole thing is that this team is playing for a championship and now doesn't seem like the time to take the risk of changing QBs based on a one game sample size. The offense has been built around Smith. Alex hasn't done anything to lose his job except get a concussion.

A few years ago another young, hyped QB similarly had a great game against the Bears and a bandwagon was started. You might remember his name... Matt Leinart.
So we're comparing Kaep to Leinart now? Cool. Lemme boot back to Smith's first start in the NFL. Oof. Maybe not.

BTW, here is a late Sando to munch on in case you missed lunch:

Smith leads the NFL in passer rating since Week 8 (153.2) among qualifying QBs. Brady is second (117.5), followed by Wilson (115.2), Peyton Manning (108.0) and Drew Brees (107.8). Smith would rank higher in QBR over that span if he did not rank last among these passers in average pass length (4.9 yards), under the 8.2-yard average for the others.
My linkHey, Russell Wilson sighting!
Love the stats you pulled up... Smith does not throw down the field! I know that is there offense but still.
 
As a Vernon Davis owner, I'm hoping he's the starter from here on out. Seemed like Chicago was daring him to beat them through the air and he shocked them(and everyone) with some great throws and unlike Smith he utilized his best receiver. I wasn't high on him at all before this game, and I'm still not convinced that he'll be a solid starting NFL QB after just limited action but he was very impressive and has big time fantasy potential since he can run.

 
His 40 time was 4.53 at the combine... kid can fly. Showed some good stuff throwing into tough coverage against a tough Bears D too. Tremendous fantasy upside if he can throw for 200 yards and a TD and add 50 yard rushing and a TD there hes fantasy gold... maybe not this year but next year. Vick had terrible performances this year and other years where he approached 20 fantasy points in a game because he escapes and adds some rushing yards for points. That upside with Kaep, even if he has a bad game, is real nice.

 
So we're comparing Kaep to Leinart now? Cool. Lemme boot back to Smith's first start in the NFL.
No, it's just an example that a one game sample size is not enough to make this a controvery, IMO.
BTW, here is a late Sando to munch on in case you missed lunch:

Smith leads the NFL in passer rating since Week 8 (153.2) among qualifying QBs. Brady is second (117.5), followed by Wilson (115.2), Peyton Manning (108.0) and Drew Brees (107.8). Smith would rank higher in QBR over that span if he did not rank last among these passers in average pass length (4.9 yards), under the 8.2-yard average for the others.
My linkHey, Russell Wilson sighting!
So what you're saying here is that Smith's already excellent passer rating, could have been even better? Ok, I won't argue that. Yeah, let's bench him since his 153.2 rating wasn't 189.7.
Hint: Passer rating and QBR are not the same thing.
 
Not to mention that Smith has primarily looked good vs unimpressive teams and defenses in general, whilst struggling vs your Giants/Seattle/Minny/Jets

 
Kaep's always had a lot of nay sayers. "He's a gadget player who ran a gadget offense in college". "Depends on his legs too much". "Not accurate on the deep passes". "No touch on his passing". etc.....Harbaugh saw the potential in this kid, and knew he could coach him up.

What I've always said while watching his college career closely is, he's got the physical tools, the right mental makeup, and his passing skills progressed every year. At the bare minimum, everyone knew he was a "project" going into the NFL. Well, he landed in the perfect situation. He didnt need to come in and be a franchise's savior. He prolly would've failed in that kind of scenario. He needed to work on his throwing motion, footwork, pocket passing, etc........And I think what we saw on Monday was a young man who was prepared, and put in a situation to succeed. Having a good running game and dirty, dirty defense doesnt hurt either! You could see his confidence grow as the game went on.

I think his best attribute may be throwing on the run. He can be deadly outside the pocket........Dang it, I'm not fan of the niners, but I wanna see Kaep be successfull! Prolly my favorite player to watch ever, in college. I'll continue to ride the train and be cautiously optimistic.

 
'GordonGekko said:
IMHO, unless Kaepernick throws 6 TDs against the Saints, I suspect he will just get this one more start and then Alex Smith will take over again.

The issue with Kaepernick is the issue with all young QB1s. Give it three games, and by then, the league will have made adjustments to whatever the young QB1 is doing. So that means by a full on switch, by the playoffs, you'll have a QB where opposing defenses will have had time to make both adjustments and secondary counter adjustments first.

The problem with Smith is he's actually two QB1s. There's the Smith with a lead. Then there is the Smith that is behind by two touchdowns. Smith with a lead is more akin to the Smith we've seen the last two years. The Smith behind two scores is the Smith we remember for all the time before the last two years.

I suspect in the playoffs, if Smith is behind two scores and the game shifts to the 2nd half, I think he's pulled for Kaepernick, otherwise I believe he will be the starter for the 49ers.
This is a good point. See Cam Newton.The Monday Night game was all momentum for the niners, and Kaep started off on the right foot and gained confidence as the game went on. I wanna see him in a dogfight. Thats the true indicator of an NFL QB. Short memory, and whats he gonna do when the chips are down?

On a side note, Harbaugh is a heck of a coach, and I think he has done a tremendous job with this team. He seems to be bringing Kaep along nicely. Build this kids confidence and keep coaching his up and the skies the limit.

 
Kaep's always had a lot of nay sayers. "He's a gadget player who ran a gadget offense in college". "Depends on his legs too much". "Not accurate on the deep passes". "No touch on his passing". etc.....Harbaugh saw the potential in this kid, and knew he could coach him up.
To clarify, I dont want to sound like a naysayer. I just don't think now is the time for the team to switch QBs this close to the playoffs. To me it's an unnecessary risk. At the same time, I wouldn't lose sleep if Smith failed another round of concussion tests for one more week.
 
While Kaep looked good, it is a very small sample size. Obviously a good QB of the future can start out with a good game, but so can some random mediocre to bad QB like Kolb, Leinart, and Henne. Not to mention that once there is more film on a young QB, sometimes they regress quite a bit (Newton, Freeman). I think Harbaugh said they will go with the hot hand to throw off NO's planning, since they need to spend a little time focusing on each QB. I feel like Smith will be allowed to start the rest of the year, with maybe a few more plays going to Kaepernick than there were before Smith got injured. Now Harbaugh will be blamed for every loss because he played the wrong player (kind of like fantasy football). Play Smith and lose? Half the fans would blame him for not playing Kaepernick. Play Kaepernick and lose? Still blame from half of the fans. Plus, with all the new emphasis on concussion safety, it sets poor precedent for someone to lose their job by obeying the new rules. Smith could have probably stayed in the game and played this week if he hid the symptoms.

 
The Kid looked way to good on Monday to put back on the shelf.

If he looks good in his second start, I think it will be tough for the

Niners to not play him going forward......

.

 
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While Kaep looked good, it is a very small sample size. Obviously a good QB of the future can start out with a good game, but so can some random mediocre to bad QB like Kolb, Leinart, and Henne. Not to mention that once there is more film on a young QB, sometimes they regress quite a bit (Newton, Freeman). I think Harbaugh said they will go with the hot hand to throw off NO's planning, since they need to spend a little time focusing on each QB. I feel like Smith will be allowed to start the rest of the year, with maybe a few more plays going to Kaepernick than there were before Smith got injured. Now Harbaugh will be blamed for every loss because he played the wrong player (kind of like fantasy football). Play Smith and lose? Half the fans would blame him for not playing Kaepernick. Play Kaepernick and lose? Still blame from half of the fans. Plus, with all the new emphasis on concussion safety, it sets poor precedent for someone to lose their job by obeying the new rules. Smith could have probably stayed in the game and played this week if he hid the symptoms.
Well he certainly has motive to hide them now, doesn't he?So what is the story on Smith?

Are the 9ers playing coy with the concussion results? It sounds like Smith was good to go until the last day vs the Bears.

Is the idea to keep the Saints guessing in prepping for two completely different QBs and they really are just going with Smith?

It looks like he'll have two available quarterbacks for the game, as well. Harbaugh says he believes Alex Smith will be cleared for contact by the end of the week.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000098571/article/jim-harbaugh-alex-smith-should-be-cleared-this-week
 
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From a coaching perspective, there is no reason for Harbaugh to reveal who he will start this week. This will be a pain since the 49ers have a 4pm game on Sunday.

As someone mentioned before, picking up Kaepernick may be more of a lottery pick and hope for long term, and not really for that one week wonder.

EDIT: is it just me or is the font in the "reply" look different than before? Weird. Anyhow. I digress.

 
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While Kaep looked good, it is a very small sample size. Obviously a good QB of the future can start out with a good game, but so can some random mediocre to bad QB like Kolb, Leinart, and Henne. Not to mention that once there is more film on a young QB, sometimes they regress quite a bit (Newton, Freeman). I think Harbaugh said they will go with the hot hand to throw off NO's planning, since they need to spend a little time focusing on each QB. I feel like Smith will be allowed to start the rest of the year, with maybe a few more plays going to Kaepernick than there were before Smith got injured. Now Harbaugh will be blamed for every loss because he played the wrong player (kind of like fantasy football). Play Smith and lose? Half the fans would blame him for not playing Kaepernick. Play Kaepernick and lose? Still blame from half of the fans. Plus, with all the new emphasis on concussion safety, it sets poor precedent for someone to lose their job by obeying the new rules. Smith could have probably stayed in the game and played this week if he hid the symptoms.
Well he certainly has motive to hide them now, doesn't he?So what is the story on Smith?

Are the 9ers playing coy with the concussion results? It sounds like Smith was good to go until the last day vs the Bears.

Is the idea to keep the Saints guessing in prepping for two completely different QBs and they really are just going with Smith?

It looks like he'll have two available quarterbacks for the game, as well. Harbaugh says he believes Alex Smith will be cleared for contact by the end of the week.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000098571/article/jim-harbaugh-alex-smith-should-be-cleared-this-week
He's going to wish that he had hid them, that's for sure. He was playing fine, so no one would have noticed if he hadn't volunteered the information himself.Look, I understand the reasons to stick with Smith. He's very safe and doesn't make many mistakes. He can be very accurate and at times even dynamic (see last year's divisional playoff against the Saints). But I also can't forget 1 pass for 3 yards to our wide receivers in last year's NFC Championship Game. People are acting like the Kapper is the only risk here. I would argue that there's a huge risk that Smith has another one of "those" games in the playoffs this year where he converts 1 third down all game and we lose because a ball bounces the wrong way. Sure, the Kapper is a risk too, but at least he comes with a ton of upside potential as well. And if we find ourselves down 14 in the NFC Championship Game this year to the Pack, from what little I've seen, I can already say I'd rather have Kaepernick back there to pull off the comeback.

 
Kaep's always had a lot of nay sayers. "He's a gadget player who ran a gadget offense in college". "Depends on his legs too much". "Not accurate on the deep passes". "No touch on his passing". etc.....Harbaugh saw the potential in this kid, and knew he could coach him up.
To clarify, I dont want to sound like a naysayer. I just don't think now is the time for the team to switch QBs this close to the playoffs. To me it's an unnecessary risk. At the same time, I wouldn't lose sleep if Smith failed another round of concussion tests for one more week.
One third of the season is left, he would have plenty of time to prepare for the playoffs. Not to mention his pass D schedule is pretty favorable - NO, STL, MIA, NE, SEA, ARZ.I wouldnt blame Harbaugh at all for sticking with Smith, but since Ive got Kap in 2 leagues now, Im on the bandwagon. If he expects to get to the SB out of a conference with so many great offenses (and similarly average defenses) I think Kap is the right call.
 
I can see fantasy football fans and 49er fans getting excited about Kaep (or whatever we're calling him) and wanting him to be the starter... myself included, but for Coach Harbaugh to state, in a press conference, that (paraphrasing here) "we prefer to go with the hot hand, and right now we've got two QB's with hot hands" and NOT to say something like, "Alex Smith will be the starter again when he is ready, no question" leads me to believe that his mind is already made up.

 
Look, I understand the reasons to stick with Smith. He's very safe and doesn't make many mistakes. He can be very accurate and at times even dynamic (see last year's divisional playoff against the Saints). But I also can't forget 1 pass for 3 yards to our wide receivers in last year's NFC Championship Game. People are acting like the Kapper is the only risk here. I would argue that there's a huge risk that Smith has another one of "those" games in the playoffs this year where he converts 1 third down all game and we lose because a ball bounces the wrong way. Sure, the Kapper is a risk too, but at least he comes with a ton of upside potential as well. And if we find ourselves down 14 in the NFC Championship Game this year to the Pack, from what little I've seen, I can already say I'd rather have Kaepernick back there to pull off the comeback.
It's not really fair to dismiss how great Alex was in the Saints game and focus on his downside. That Saints game was incredible. If that's the upside of a quarterback it's nothing to sneeze at.
 

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