Update - Colin Kaepernick named starter for Rams game

[Pwillie52 79]

Bware? Defending Alex Smith?

 

The world really is going to end in three weeks.

This ^ lol

 

But I don't like this decision and its not just because I love Alex because he came from my college. I've never been a fan of switching things up in the middle of a season, especially if it was working. As a 9er fan, I have seen way to much of it in my lifetime. This is make or break for Harbaugh.

[Vin+ 3,121]

So apparently Smith self-reported his concussion symptoms. That's gotta make him and other players around the league feel good about that decision.

[NaTaS+ 958]

Isnt the preseason the time to make these sorts of decisions? Why wait until the season is mostly over and you're beginning your playoff run to adjust your signal caller? Seems more to it to me.

[Pwillie52 79]

So apparently Smith self-reported his concussion symptoms. That's gotta make him and other players around the league feel good about that decision.

You have a source where you found that? Mind posting it?

[Vin+ 3,121]

You have a source where you found that? Mind posting it?

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/29/alex-smith-says-demotion-sucks/

 

There’s nothing more to say. Except, maybe, “This is why players hide concussions.”

 

Smith didn’t say that. But everyone is thinking it. When Smith told trainers during a Week 10 game against the Rams that he was experiencing blurry vision after being hit in the head, Smith set in motion a chain of events that could ultimately cost him a shot at earning a Super Bowl ring and $7.5 million in 2012 compensation

 

 

 

http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/niners-talk/Alex-Smith-It-sucks-I-dont-know-what-els?blockID=807701&feedID=5936

 

Do you think this scenario would've played out two years ago, just given the attention concussions have gotten?

"I don't know. Ultimately, the doctors and me had to make that decision. I think it's a good thing that more and more is coming out about it (concussions). I don't think that's a bad thing."

 

You don't regret telling them you had the symptoms?

"No, I'm not looking back on that -- no, no."

 

Do you think this will have a stifling effect on other players coming forward?

"I don't know. It's a good question. I'm not sure. I mean, that's kind of the deal with all injuries. The thing with the concussions and the brain, I think we're going to be finding out a lot more in the years to come."

[Pwillie52 79]

Thanks. I misread your comment, lol. But I think its great that he pulled himself out. Not many players do that.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Yeah, this is just a rotten situation altogether.

[Pwillie52 79]

With this loss, we are just a game and a half up on the Seahawks? We could not afford this loss. We still have to play Seattle in Seattle which is way tougher than St. Louis. We cant afford our offense giving the other team points, and that is what Alex has been the best at. Colin took an unnecessary safety, he ran 20 yards back into the endzone? Also that pitch was devastating. Everyone is going out saying that he put the team in position to win, but I don't see it. Aside from his huge run (which was all blocking, just a wide open field) and a couple other throws, I saw no reason to have him in the game. We aren't running the 49er offense, we are changing up a lot of what we do to accomodate Kaepernick and it isn't that effective. Why switch up what you are doing when your team is 6-2? It doesn't make sense.

 

Our schedule the next 4 weeks is Miami at home, Pats in Foxborough, Seahawks in Seattle, and then Arizona at home. I see us going 2-2 over the next 4 games with a loss to the Pats and the Seahawks. Finishing the season at 10-5-1.

 

Seattle plays Cardinals, Rams, and Niners all at home and the Bills in Buffalo. They should easily be able to pull away with 3-1 for the last 4 games, could even finish it out with 4 wins, finishing the season at 10-6/ 11-5.

 

So with us having a tie gives us an advantage, but we can't afford to start turning the ball over and falling apart. The Seahawks have a great shot at our division.

[Bay 2,003]

Our offense looks worse with Colin. Only 14 points scored on offense against the terrible Saints. And then 13 against the Rams, when our defense only let up 8 but the offense also cost us 8.

 

Aside from the Bears game, I'm not that impressed.

[Pwillie52 79]

I see the 9ers following down the same path that I have been watching them do my entire life, always switching things up in the middle of a season. The thing that made us better last year was having consistency throughout the season, and it followed into this season. We had an off season where would could have the same system and build upon it, and Harbough just switched everything up.

 

Our Defense is great and does its job, but when our offense is helping them score points, there is only so much a defense can do. Alex is perfect for what we need right now until we develop a QB that can step in and do better. Kaep hasn't done that. In the Saints game, the defense scored as many points as he did. In the game yesterday, he scored no points and gave up 8 to the Rams.......... Our defense can only do so much for us.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

The Kaep train is slowly derailing...

 

my question is, if Kaep doesn't show improvement in the next few weeks...would Harbaugh even dare go back to Alex Smith after all that has happened already?

[housemd 338]

The Kaep train is slowly derailing...

 

my question is, if Kaep doesn't show improvement in the next few weeks...would Harbaugh even dare go back to Alex Smith after all that has happened already?

Alex Smith wants to play,so Harbaugh would do the right thing by starting him (if,like you said,Kaep doesn't show improvement).

[Vin+ 3,121]

Anyone remember when Vernon Davis said that he had better chemistry with Kaep than with Smith? Well, apparently it only takes a couple weeks to lose chemistry.

 

 

Vernon Davis acknowledges a lack of chemistry with new QB Colin Kaepernick.

 

"That's something me and Kap don't have right now," said Davis. "We don't have it. You have to expect (that because) he just stepped in. Me and Alex - we've been there. It takes time." Davis has just four catches for 29 yards in four games since announcing that the "handcuffs" were off after his six-catch, 86-yard game in Kaepernick's first start.

 

Source: Sacramento Bee

[Bay 2,003]

Delanie Walker and Kaep seem to have found something.

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

You can't tell me they beat the Pats with Alex Smith dinking and dunking all over the place.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

Good news on the Alex Smith front.

 

 

The New York Jets are searching

[Vin+ 3,121]

You can't tell me they beat the Pats with Alex Smith dinking and dunking all over the place.

The 49ers would've beaten the Pats with Alex Smith. Fun fact: Kaep's YPC is an insane .37 points higher than Smith's.

 

 

Also:

 

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/alex-smith-can-still-win-passer-rating-crown/?ref=sports

 

 

Keep an eye on what San Francisco does with Alex Smith over the next two weeks.

 

Coach Jim Harbaugh might want to make sure Smith gets a few more passes, particularly in what could be a meaningless Week 17 game for the 49ers against the Cardinals.

 

Smith has a passer rating of 104.1, and Aaron Rodgers, Robert Griffin III and Peyton Manning are all within one point of Smith, who ranks third in the league. As it stands, unless Smith attempts seven more passes this season, he will be ineligible to win the passer rating crown, but if Harbaugh is so inclined, he could help Smith qualify.

 

Smith also has a 70.0 completion percentage, but again, is seven attempts short of qualifying. If Smith completes nine of nine passes over the next two games, he will break the single-season completion percentage record set by Drew Brees last year. That’s not too bad for a backup quarterback.

 

[seanbrock 1,684]

Kaepernick would have be pretty bad for me to say they should go back to Smith. You made the decision and you can't go back on it just as your team is getting ready for the playoffs. You're already seeing the problems its causing though. Davis has come out and said they don't have chemistry. If Kaepernick continues to underwhelm, Harbaugh could lose the lockerroom. I know he's a players coach and he's had a lot of success but imagine the 9ers are in the playoffs and down big at halftime because of a few Kaepernick picks. That's when you start to see guys grumble and get frustrated and things just snowball from there. It was a bad decision when he made the call and it's becoming apparent now.

[Socal 524]

Sean, what are you talking about?

 

Other than two big mistakes against the Rams, Kaep has played perfectly fine.

[Pwillie52 79]

That Pats game was terrible. Kaep had 4 good passes that game...... The second half he could not move the ball. He doesn't audible at the line, making it easy for a defense to completely shut down our offense, especially when it is easy to read when Kaepernick is going to run the ball.... With him in, our offense has completely changed. We run the 3 back formation waaaay to often. Our offense has become even easier for defenses to stop. With Smith in, he would read the defense before the snap and be able to adjust that way, which is something I haven't seen Colin do really at all. (not to mention the consistency that Alex brings to the table)

 

Alex is a perfect QB for our system. With him and the experience he brings to the field, the defense has to focus more on the pass and they don't only have to stop the run. When we need to move the chains, Alex has moved them. When he is in, we are able to manage the clock and with our defense we hold teams to low scoring games, it is how we got to the NFCCG last year. Not by having a "more dynamic" variable leading our team.

 

Alex was 6-2 in games he started and finished (got injured early in the second half of the Rams game) Kaepernick played most of a game that we tied the Rams, and he lost to the Rams, leaving him 4-1-1. And without our defense completely taking over the game like the did in the Patriot and Saints game, he would be left at 2-3-1.

 

Kaepernick has done very little to impress me, and i certainly don't see us winning many playoff games with the system we have right now.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Pwillie52

[Thanatos 2,847]

Sean, what are you talking about?

 

Other than two big mistakes against the Rams, Kaep has played perfectly fine.

 

Really?

 

You were fine with the game against the Saints and the Pats too?

 

Why is everyone giving Kaepernick so much credit when the Patriots couldn't hold onto the football and Kaep had *five* fumbles that game? He got lucky enough to not lose a single one, but this conversation changes entirely if he loses a few of those.

[oochymp 2,393]

You can't tell me they beat the Pats with Alex Smith dinking and dunking all over the place.

the 49ers defense beat the Pats, so yes, I do think they would have won that game with Alex Smith at QB

[RANGA+ 1,210]

The issue isn't the regular season, it's in the playoffs where Kaep will have to face much better defenses. Pwillie was right, Alex does a great job at reading the defense and audibiling at the line. Kaep doesn't have the experience to do that yet, and 70% of our plays are run out of that option 3 back formation. It won't take long for a top tier defense to figure our current offense out.

Yes our defense and special teams is great and bailed us out against the Pats in the 4th quarter, but our offense needs to be able to move the ball. It was stagnant in the second half except for that one big play to Crabtree on the short field, because of the great return by James. And that's not the first time it has been totally shut down with Kaep at the helm.

I'm not saying we won't win the Super Bowl with Kaep at the helm, just that Alex Smith gives us a much better chance.

[JetsFan4Life 542]

How did the 49ers defense beat the Pats again? I recall playing Tom Brady in fantasy football and he dropped a nice 52 point game. 49ers defense blew chunks in the second half.

[Socal 524]

How did the 49ers defense beat the Pats again? I recall playing Tom Brady in fantasy football and he dropped a nice 52 point game. 49ers defense blew chunks in the second half.

 

Brady got you 52 points? What kind of league do you play in lol

 

To Thanatos, I said he has been playing perfectly fine, I didn't say he's been playing great or even good. My post was in response to Sean's which made it appear like he's been crappy. Also fumbled snaps during a wet game are hardly equal to actual fumbles, especially when there are five, its more of an indicator that there is a serious problem with the center and QB connection during an inclement weather game, which has been cited by Kaep and the center themselves. Do I even need to bring up that the other team had trouble holding onto the ball as well?

 

My opinion is still the same on this subject, I like Alex Smith over Kaep for reasons already mentioned in this thread but you can't go back to him now unless Kaep plays horribly and you can't deny that Kaep has more upside.