Colin Kaepernick

[amfootball]

Has anyone else noticed how he has come down to earth with a thud? I watched a lot of the niners game yesterday and I know the Panthers have a great defense but Kaep looks lost out there. He has had several lousy games this year (Colts, Seahawks) and does not look like the same player as last year and I don't think it is just because teams have taken away his run. But after Jaws had pumped this guy all last season, I think it bears watching how he develops.

[The Old Crow]

The NFL always adjusts to these gimmick offenses. Pocket quarterbacks win Championships and stay healthy. RG3 and Kapp will now have to adjust, if they can. The free lunch is over.

[21isSuperman]

Keep in mind he no longer has Randy Moss who was a good veteran leader, Crabtree, he lost Davis yesterday, and only got Mario Manningham back yesterday.  He's still a good QB, but they need to give him better WRs

[OffensivelyPC]

Keep in mind he no longer has Randy Moss who was a good veteran leader, Crabtree, he lost Davis yesterday, and only got Mario Manningham back yesterday.  He's still a good QB, but they need to give him better WRs

His efficiency is still nowhere near where it was last year.  Part of that is the weapons around him, part of that is the NFL adjusting.  Sometimes I wonder if they got rid of Alex Smith too soon.  Not that Alex Smith has been a lot better, but he has been better.

[SkyBane]

His efficiency is still nowhere near where it was last year. Part of that is the weapons around him, part of that is the NFL adjusting. Sometimes I wonder if they got rid of Alex Smith too soon. Not that Alex Smith has been a lot better, but he has been better.

People forget that the stats were only part of why San Fran made the switch to Kaep. Harbaugh wanted his guy in there and to have that team be 100% his, and what better way to do that than to have your QB at the helm?

[oldunclemark]

He's still developing...He's not nearly as finished a product as Luck or Wilson..

......Griffin and Kap have used their athletic gifts as their main advantage..

Wilson and Luck have athletic gifts but they are secondary to their accuracy and footwork and other skill.

Griffin and Kap may catch up eventually

[tahuyaman]

Kaepernick has plateaued as a QB.  He is not getting better week by week.  Wilson and Luck on the other hand are getting better all the time. 

[RGIII]

He's still developing...He's not nearly as finished a product as Luck or Wilson..

......Griffin and Kap have used their athletic gifts as their main advantage..

Wilson and Luck have athletic gifts but they are secondary to their accuracy and footwork and other skill.

Griffin and Kap may catch up eventually

 

This is how I see things through 25 games of these guys...

 

Luck's ability to manage himself as a more traditional pocket passer is by FAR the best out of all of those guys.  He's probably got the best field vision and anticipation of the group.  His accuracy is not special, though.  I still actually consider it a weakness of his overall game.  If he was more consistent with his placement he'd look like a world beater but he's just not there (yet).

 

Wilson's best asset is his improvisational skills and ability to sense pressure around him.  The guy makes instinctive plays quickly both as a runner and a passer, manages not to take a lot of hits, and probably has the best touch on his intermediate passes.  He's easily the best looking overall of the group right now but he also probably has the best full complement of weapons on offense (they may not have any special receivers but they've got a bunch of guys who suit Russell well).

 

Griffin's overall arm talent is still head and shoulders above the rest.  He's got the best mix of pure arm strength and accuracy of the group.  Unfortunately, he's held back significantly by his inability to fluidly run through progressions and has strangely regressed in his ball distribution.  Last season he spread the ball around to everyone, this season he's seemingly locked on to Garcon and Reed to a fault.  Then again, there have been games this season where the offense has struggled to get receivers open and those are the two players we have who can be trusted to make contested catches.  Simply calling him a one read QB doesn't really describe the big problem at hand with his development as a pocket passer.  He can run through reads fine but is particularly bad at coming back to routes he's already checked.  If a route is open he throws it, if he anticipates it becoming open he stays on it instead of looking off until the time comes, and if he moves off of a read he almost never looks back to that receiver until things have completely broken down even if a window does present itself later (i.e., there are apparent limits to his anticipatory ability).  The most troubling thing if you're a Skins fan, though, is that he hasn't played with any of the fire or excitement he had last season, which is leaving a lot of room for people to speculate on his leadership ability and relationship with the coaching staff.

 

Kaepernick has just been a wholly unimpressive bit player in the 49ers machine.  It really feels like something about his game was figured out during the offseason and he's not adapted well.  Doesn't seem to respond very well to pressure and seems quite mediocre when a defense maintains discipline (i.e., he won't hurt you if you don't expose yourself to big plays).

[amfootball]

People forget that the stats were only part of why San Fran made the switch to Kaep. Harbaugh wanted his guy in there and to have that team be 100% his, and what better way to do that than to have your QB at the helm?

I thought the goal was to win?

[Qwiz]

People forget that the stats were only part of why San Fran made the switch to Kaep. Harbaugh wanted his guy in there and to have that team be 100% his, and what better way to do that than to have your QB at the helm?

Nah, Harbaugh loved Alex Smith. Hyped the guy up and if I'm not mistaken even called him the best in the league at one point. But when you got a guy coming in and electrifying the fanbase with big plays it's hard to go back. Fan pressure is probably the biggest part of it. The Tom Brady Effect, I call it.

[jvan1973]

Nah, Harbaugh loved Alex Smith. Hyped the guy up and if I'm not mistaken even called him the best in the league at one point. But when you got a guy coming in and electrifying the fanbase with big plays it's hard to go back. Fan pressure is probably the biggest part of it. The Tom Brady Effect, I call it.

Harbaugh doesn't strike me as a guy who makes descions based on the fan base

[Qwiz]

Harbaugh doesn't strike me as a guy who makes descions based on the fan base

Well it wasn't the only contributing factor, but it had to have been a part of it. The fans (and admittedly the players) loved the way Kaepernick played. But why not bring Smith back, whom Harbaugh had a reputation for adoring? It wasn't like he was having a terrible season or anything like that.

[SolomonThomasFanAccount]

harbuagh flunked bad with the decison, i knew kap would not  be the answer , harbaugh fell for the pretty girl syndrome where he felt he had his guys based what he saw a a few wow plays . shutting down his running thresat he basically  uswlessrestrain the offense due passing limations , ruunnning frank gore to ground with excessive load because he can,t pull his wait

[amfootball]

Well it wasn't the only contributing factor, but it had to have been a part of it. The fans (and admittedly the players) loved the way Kaepernick played. But why not bring Smith back, whom Harbaugh had a reputation for adoring? It wasn't like he was having a terrible season or anything like that.

I don't think it was realistic to think Smith would have stayed as a backup. They had to let him go and of course now he is undefeated in KC.

[Qwiz]

I don't think it was realistic to think Smith would have stayed as a backup. They had to let him go and of course now he is undefeated in KC.

I know, by bringing Smith back I meant as a starter. Having Kaep as a solid back-up and possible trade fodder would have been the situation.

[amfootball]

I know, by bringing Smith back I meant as a starter. Having Kaep as a solid back-up and possible trade fodder would have been the situation.

Tough to do given Kaep had an impressive playoff run all the way to the SB. Not sure how Harbaugh could have sat him after that.

 

I can't remember but did the niners get a pick from KC for Smith or was he a FA?

[SkyBane]

Tough to do given Kaep had an impressive playoff run all the way to the SB. Not sure how Harbaugh could have sat him after that.

I can't remember but did the niners get a pick from KC for Smith or was he a FA?

San Fran got the Chiefs 2013 2nd rounder (34 overall) and a conditional pick for the 2014 draft for Smith.

[amfootball]

San Fran got the Chiefs 2013 2nd rounder (34 overall) and a conditional pick for the 2014 draft for Smith.

Thanks. I thought they got picks for him. Got to think that conditional pick will be pretty high for 2014 given the season KC is having.

[SkyBane]

Thanks. I thought they got picks for him. Got to think that conditional pick will be pretty high for 2014 given the season KC is having.

They also traded down the 2013 second round pick with the Titans, and recieved the Titans 2013 2nd and 7th round selections, and their 2014 3rd rounder.

[Qwiz]

Tough to do given Kaep had an impressive playoff run all the way to the SB. Not sure how Harbaugh could have sat him after that.

 

I can't remember but did the niners get a pick from KC for Smith or was he a FA?

I meant the initial benching lol. Of course you don't go back after a SB run.

But yeah it was draft picks.