PatsFans.com Article

On Paper, Kaepernick Move Puzzling
By: Ian Logue

A lot of talk has centered around the quarterback situation in San Francisco and taking a closer look, Jim Harbaugh is either crazy, or he's a genius. ...

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RIpats88

I think CK is a good move for the future, but I have a feeling he is going to make a rookie mistake in the playoffs and cost them a game..and fans will start questioning whether they shouldve stuck with alex smith or not....he hasnt really impressed me the last couple of games...I mean the Dolphins played them toe-to-toe for most of last weeks game. they are winning those because their defense is soo rediculous

sure, smith might not be as "dynamic" but he went toe-to-toe with brees last year, beating them in a shootout...and shouldve been in the superbowl had their kick returner not fumbled 2times

mayoclinic

2 arguments make sense to me:

1. Harbaugh realized after losing to the Giants in October that he needed another dimension on offense. After he watched how RGIII did against the Giants he realized that a mobile QB with a strong but accurate arm was more likely to give that defense troubles than a pocket passer. After Smith went down and Kaepernick played well, he decided that the odds of the 49ers leapfrogging the rest of the NFC were better if he took that risk now.

2. The Mike Lombardi "illusionist" theory: the 49ers are a rushing team, and they're using Kaepernick to create the illusion that they're adding a deep passing dimension, while they're really just adding another rusher to their offense.

To me it's a more sophisticated version of Tim Tebow vs. Kyle Orton. Kaepernick may not be Tebow, but I haven't seen enough from him yet to believe that he will settle in and stay the course once teams have had a look at him and figured him out. Maybe he will, but I'm a bit skeptical. A lot of those guys fizzle out once the novelty wears off (Vince Young, for example).

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JMarr

I vote for crazy.

And I agree, it's a very risky move that really didn't have to be made. But who knows--maybe Alex Smith was getting a bit c*cky and/or complacent.

Spergon Wynn

I like Kaep a lot. I think once Harbaugh decided to play him over a healthy Smith, he had no choice but to stick to his guns (although I don't think that CK did any thing that would allow Smith to take the job back). Kaep provides a play making ability that Smith doesn't and has a much higher ceiling at this point. I'm rooting for the kid.

That being said, I hope he has a terrible game tomorrow night!

BananaRepublican

That's a good theory. I say it's likely true that the ghost of Giants Past haunts Harbaugh. However it wasn't Alex Smith that lost that game for them.

The time to break in a rookie doesn't seem to be the stretch drive. For instance, what happens if he just turns the ball over once or twice Sunday as you could normally expect from a rookie in a big game on the road? Suddenly the Niners have an average record and are in a rock fight with a Seattle team waiting to ambush them in Seattle. Forget the Giants if you can't win your own division.

TheBostonStraggler

Exactly. The pressure on CK as the playoffs approach is more than any inexperienced QB i can ever remember. This is what makes this move so puzzling (though the $$$ part is probably a factor). Teams get to mid season with the hope they have a formula that gives them a tangible chance at winning the Super Bowl. For instance the Patriots D might have been a weak spot, however, their passing O, good STs and not making mental mistakes is a formula to have a tangible chance at winning the SB. The 9ers already had that formula. Solid defense, solid running game and a passing game that didn't make a lot of errors as well as get a fair amount of TDs. They clearly had that formula. Yet Harbaugh changed the formula to an unknown. It's almost unheard of to do this.
Anything can happen but, IMHO, what the 9ers are asking CK to do is extreme. Come lead a SB caliber team, a fan base with high expectations, a QB right behind you that has just about proven he can lead them to the SB, and do this while having almost no experience handling the pressure or the media attention.
Not sure why Harbaugh didn't continue to have CK come off the bench and play more and more.....but continue to let Smith start and take the media responsibility of winning and losing.

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Joker

I can't help but look at Harbaugh and see this strident, emotional, drama queenish, hawk nosed Joan Crawford impersonator with the intelligence of a comatose Kathy Lee Gifford.

Trying to figure out why a mongo makes a mongo move only makes your head throb.

Brady_to_Moss

kap is going to have a tough time vs our D in our house tomorrow..i see 2 INTs from him