Also, it's not just one good game. Go back to the fourth preseason game and you will see the same ability to extend plays, play action, run the ball, accuracy, etc. Kaepernick is not the same player he was last year. I'm not sure if he'll excel, but starting in the middle-end of offseason, his accuracy was getting a lot of hype (until the mid/end of this offseason, the rap was grim re: all the Niners QBs so far as accuracy), and he and Johnson were the only QBs willing to push the ball deep.Calling it "just one good game" only proves you haven't followed the Niners for the last several months to be honest.Not really. Nothing makes this move permanent- if Kaepernick sucks, Smith is still on the roster ready to resume his duties. Don't try to tell me that this will rattle his confidence, because that ship has long sailed- 49er fans have been calling for his head for years, every major football analyst was labeling him one of the biggest busts ever and comparing him to David Carr, and he played with something crazy like 7 offensive coordinators in his first 7 years. Last year, he finally had a great season and led his team to the NFCCG, and Harbaugh rewarded him by going hard after Peyton Manning and letting Smith test the free agency waters. And Smith responded to that vote of absolutely no confidence by coming back and having another extremely solid season. At this point, being benched so the coaching staff can evaluate his backup is nothing Alex Smith isn't used to. And if the coaching staff, after giving Kaepernick an extended audition, decide that their best chance to win lies with Alex Smith... well, Alex Smith will be right there to step back in and provide the Niners with their best chance to win. Evaluating Kaepernick is a no-risk, no-downside move. While it doesn't provide a downside, it provides plenty of upside. I think we all agree that the Niners offense is potentially more explosive with Kaep taking snaps. Moreover, Kaep was drafted high to be the quarterback of the future (#36 overall), so at some point the coaching staff has to see what they have in him. Smith's deal is essentially a 1-year contract, so if they don't evaluate Kaep in live action, the Niners are essentially flying blind this offseason- do they let Smith go and roll with Kaep, or do they need to keep Smith around for another couple of seasons? At some point, the decision needs to be made. This is the perfect point- they've built up enough of a lead that they aren't risking a playoff spot (although they are risking seeding), Kaep already has a lot of goodwill from the fan base after last week's performance, Smith is still nominally recovering from an injury, Kaep can take some live bullets from playoff-caliber teams so Harbaugh can decide which way to go in the actual playoffs. Plus, it gives his opponents one more thing they have to prepare for. High upside move, little to no downside (Kaep can be replaced at any time, and at the very worst all you're risking is seeding), it seems to me like this is the only smart play available.this seems pretty stupid after one good game. time will tell.
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