So, Jim Harbaugh came out yesterday after an especially impressive performance by Colin Kaepernick, and said he had no idea who would start next Sunday in St. Louis. This information of course is up there in the pantheon of who shot JFK, and who General Patraeus is currently banging.
Funny thing is, a case can easily be made for either. Smith has put together quite a resume since Harbaugh took over. 20-6-1 and a botched punt or two from the Super Bowl. Cappy? Well, he’s the hot hand right now. He has put together 2.6 games of very solid play with some absolutely beautiful passes along the way.
So what will Harbaugh do? I have no idea. Does he ride the horse he’s got now? Or defer to the guy that got him close last year? Alex Smith didn’t do anything to lose his job besides get hit in the head, but Cappy is very dynamic and has strung together a great stretch of recent game play. If it was me, I’d keep Kaepernick in there. Let it ride. I love what he has brung to the table, and the team sure seems to feed off his energy.
As recently as Saturday I thought they should go back to Smith after NO, but this last game was a pretty big deal. Norleans needed this game in the worst way. They were on a roll, and desperately trying to climb back into the playoff hunt. They threw anything and everything at Cappy and the offense. A win would have put them solidly in the hunt for a wildcard spot, and no one would have blinked had the Niners lost a tough road game on the bayou. Instead, Cappy played tough, driven football. His field vision is outstanding, and his passes were accurate. The only blemish came on a bad snap, and Cappy didn’t get much of a look downfield when he threw the pick. He likely should have taken the sack, but that INT let to Ahmad Brooks’ pick 6, so it ended well for ther Niners. No one was happier when the defense came off the field than Cappy.
That being said, it would be so like Harbaugh to start Smith this Sundy just to tweak us droolers and mumblers out here in the wasteland of fandom. If so, I think Harbaugh has a megalomaniacal bent of the highest order. He’s Dr. Frankenquarterback. He can whip up QBs out of lumps of clay in a week.
I suspect Scott Tolzein will enter the QB race by week 14. But he’s not included in the poll.
Yet.
Forty Niners Forever 
All that being said, Harbaugh very well COULD go with Smith if he stands by his earlier statement that he brought in Cappy in NO to make sure Smith is fully over his concussion.
I suppose he’ll drag it out all week again. My drool bucket is at the ready . . .
WTF is wrong with the Genius? Now he says Smith is the starting QB but Colin isn’t a back up. And he won’t name a starter.
As I suspected when I saw the replay, it’s now confirmed that Kyle W has an ACL tear. Out for the year. Looks like Jenkins just got a ticket to being active. Haven’t yet seen anything on K Hunter injury update…
This week the “no one’s better than Smith” crowd in room A (for Alex?) is looking to straddle the fence to the room B “Smith’s holding back our offense” crowd with their “Yeah, I said the other guy’s pretty good” gestures now. Apparently this week will be consumed with the “who should start now” debate and the slickest methods to take both sides at once.
If you’ve been one to beat other posters over the head with your Alex Smith club, here’s your chance to man up and allow ‘hey, maybe you guys were right’ and if you’ve been on the ‘anyone but Smith’ side you don’t have to keep poking the Smith acolytes in the eye, at least more than a week.
Right.
Where do you stand, NoFear? You gonna stopp poking?
After eight years of clubbing, gimme a week.
It’s the Kaepmeister I hereby proclaim. Should this come from Harbaugh? Because he OWES us what exactly? Right jackshit…just deal with it
It’s been eight years of lying, abusive “clubbing” from Fear’s kind. Gimme a break, pal. The notion that it’s been Smith’s detractors who have been put upon is absurd.You people have set upon Smith’s supporters like crazed jackals.
Huh? Who gives a fuck
Just win already
Well my predictions continue to suck eggs albeit quite happily this past week.
Smith is not going to start this week Chuck. JH is just fucking with people, though I truly think he puts little thought into it. He just doesn’t want to say anything, anytime, to anyone, that is not inside the clubhouse.
However the situation was handled last week, CK has shown a lot in two weeks. It ain’t about stats either. His pocket presence, movement, sack avoidance, all while looking downfield trying to make plays happen, are all on a level that is simply superior to Smith. Sample size is small, but he’s done things in two games I have been complaining about AS NOT doing for a long time. He has proven to me that he has the better star potential. Just like that. He’s going to make more mistakes than Smith. He’s going to take less sacks than Smith. He’s going to make more bigger pass plays, and TDs than Smith. It all adds up to a more explosive offense. If the D finds itself ahead, and also knows it can take more chances because our offense can make up for mistakes, that set the table for more TO’s, sacks, etc.
Kicking ass, coming to a stadium near you.
I was previously concerned about how other players view the demotion but I’m not anymore. They look energized. The only long face I have seen on the sidelines belongs to Alex. I feel for guy, I really do, but it’s a business, with enormous pressure on all the players to win, week in and week out.
Well, in the thread I said I thought he’d stay with Cappy. But he’s throwing up mixed signals again. And if you believe Cappy, he said yesterday that he got the word (with the rest of the team) that he was starting at 10:00 pm Saturday night.
Like the SF Giants and their closer-by-committee (something that usually never works), Harbaugh’s going way against the grain with this. Maybe it keeps them both sharp thinking they both may be out there the next day.
At this point, I really don’t give a fig what Harbs does with the media. He’s been around now for 1 1/2 seasons, so his rope a dope with the media is old hat, and won’t change, unless maybe the team tanks and he can’t get away with it. This is a huge deal, so it’s not surprising he’s screwing around with this. Hell, he won’t tell the media a guy had a bad dish of prawns last night, so he’s sure not going to tell details about this issue. IMO, his media phobia looks staged and stoopid, but he wins games, so whadda I know, and secondly, maybe it doesn’t matter anyway. Nonetheless, however he releases the info, if Kap is NOT announced the starter against the Rams, then none of these past two weeks of cloak and dagger uncertainty will make any sense to me at all…
Harbaugh’s decision, as I see it, is simple. Start Kaep.
Alex won’t get any more pissed off by it than he already is, and Alex has to know that Kaep has lit things up in making the most of his opportunity for playing time. It shows the other players that better players will earn playing time and playing well earns starting jobs. That’s easily explained to and understood by players.
Going back to Alex after Kaep’s performances sends the opposite message. Loyalty trumps playing better. That’s a tough message to stick with when faced with cutting players from the roster every year and results in a team failing to keep new talent.
Gee, what happened to the “free at last free at last{” theory? Vernon wants Alex back.
Agree 100%. You got more talent? Fine you start until you suck. Then it’s the next guy. Capice?
On the thing about Alex wearing his helmet — yeah, I heard some on the radio say he wore it to hear the plays, and didn’t when the defense was on the field. Well, I never saw a shot where he had it off, but I didn’t watch every single second of the broadcast, so whatever, but I did see most of both halves. Anyway, that’s fine, but when Kap was second string on the sidelines, did HE wear his helmet? Do other backups on other teams wear THEIR helmets and stand somewhere away from the coaches? I don’t know for sure, but I thought the backup is usually near the head coach or one of the other coaches, and sometimes has a headset on to hear the chatter and the plays and does some charting at the same time or some such, and talks to the coaches. To me, standing off to the side somewhere with your helmet on seems a little out of the ordinary. Somebody who notices these things can correct me if I’m wrong…
So your theory is what?
He really loves his helmet?…
Well, I expected better, Snarkk. With Harbaugh more and more exhibiting bipolar behavior, maybe it was for protection.
Well, VD now says Alex should be the QB. And you can bet others feel the same way. Players are human beings-they know Colin has performed well but many have been here with Smith through some shit times and they know he and they came out of it to become a top team under his leadership. They’re pros and will support any choice publicly, but they know damn well that Smith was already leading them back to the playoffs and performing at a top level.Jimbo has put enormous pressure on Colin- this is hardly a change from an ineffective, unpopular QB.One poor outing and there will be big time grumbling in the locker room.
BTW, Fear: your crowd has the apologies to make, pal. …
And maybe you boys need to pay more attention- Alex was consuting with Colin regulary, the helmet was to hear the plays. No, it’s not done all the time. It’s quite likely that with the noise, they asked him to to do that as insurance on the play call. But I think Snarkk has an alternate theory, like he thought he could sneak in and no one would know..
I think Snarkks’s asking a question, Twin. no need to go all black-helicopters on this.
To answer the question, yes. Most backups hang around the HC with a head set and listen to the calls from upstairs. Listening through the helmet? The only diff there is with the headset you hear the chatter from the OC in the press box to the HC, then the call from the HC to the QB. With the helmet all you get is the call from the HC. I think.
Did Alex want to show everyone he was ready to play if called upon?
It had already been answered. And with the helmet he gets less crowd noise. No, he didn’t want Daddy to know he was ready. I kinda think they both knew that…And if it’s not your job to fact check the liars, it’s sure as fuck not your job to jump on my posts.
I added a poll to the thread. Wonder who wins . . .
Colin Kaeper- f’ing- nick. Because he is BETTER at the QB position obviously already
Another thing that the Kyle Williams injury does is put the spotlight on the QB position even more. Kyle was the emergency QB if both activated QBs go down in the same game. Now, that’s no longer an option. Will they need to activate Tolzien? I would think Crabby doesn’t want to do it…
Or Freddie Solomon.
Yeah, I think with Smith just coming off the concussion, Tolzein may get activated.
Yeah, they’ll likely activate LMJ as well. Unless Jacobs gets the nod.
Would they give LMJ kick return duties, or give both kicks and punts to Ted Ginn? That’s assuming after the game yesterday Harbs let Ginn back onto the plane to come back home after that stoopid punt muff. Also, I didn’t get why Kyle fair caught that one punt on the 5 yard line — at that close to the goal line, just let the damn thing go, it might bounce into the EZone, IMO…
I thought about that, too. Or maybe Jenkins? He shouldn’t get tired out too quick just returning a few kicks a game, should he? 🙂
Wow. Tinfoil hat time, Twin. How about you blow it out your ass? Settle down. As usual, Twin, you give people shit for their opinions, and cry when you get some back.
Snarkk asked a legit question. Which you think is some sort of veiled dig at Young Sir Alex Smith. You give him grief.
I answer his question. You give me shit for my answer.
Now you whine to me that I shouldn’t give you shit about giving us shit?
HAH! Dream on, Skippy.
His question had been answered. If he doesn’t want to believe it was to hear the play calls, he can go with three “Black Fist” bullshit..
No, we should fight and bitch about ‘how it’s someone else’s fault’ that the HC chose CK to be the next 49er QB.
Yeah that’s gonna help….A LOT. Thanks
WWII is over, Philco. You can come out of your cave now.
I think it’s clear why Smith wore his helmet all game (and remember, he did NOT wear it in the Chicago game). He was just sending a message. “I want to play and I want to play now”. —It was *Black Power* fist shit, albeit more underwhelming……….
He wore the helmet only when the offense was on the field to hear the play calls. Your theory is a crock of shit.
Really? According to your post earlier this morning on my blog you said that Snarkk saw it on him all game and that you saw it on him in the second half. Now you are saying he only wore the helmet when the offense was on the field? Super cool that you know that. Hey, you’re home all day long so you probably read the article where it said this. Got the link for me? Thanks in advance.
I don’t vouch for Snarkk I said I saw it on in the second half. That’s not inconsistent ewith the fact that he only wore it when the offense was on the field.Here’s the qoute and the link
“Smith stoically paced the sideline fidgeting with a football. He wore his helmet during the 49ers’ possessions so he could listen to the play calls via the radio transmitter in his helmet.”
Next time call the liars liars. It’s the 5th paragraph down.
http://tinyurl.com/bot7tru
You’re welcome, always glad to help.
all I did was ask to see the link and you posted it as I asked for. Thanks!
No, you pull that when you think I’m lying.As I said, pull that shit with the liars.
I never accused you of lying, if you read that or saw that, maybe that’s your brain on drugs—or altered by them, who knows. I respectfully asked for the link and you gave it to me. I then respectfully thanked you. Kind regards and I hope your mood turns around tonight………
As is yours. That’s why they call them theories.
As shown to Flavoro, my “theory” is in Maiocco’s game report. I think we’ll call it fact now.
LMJ was a disaster in the preseason returning punts so I think we’re stuck with Ginn. If he can’t go, I’m not sure what they’ll do. Perrish Cox did some returning in college, but I’m sure he’s rusty.
Raid someone’s practice squad?
It’s not like returning punts and kicks is no big deal. It is, as we learned (re-learned) to our chagrin in the NFC title game. They need a guy who isn’t a hand grenade ready to go off. Seely needs to start earning his dough a little more and figure it out, along with how the blocking broke down on that FG attempt yesterday…
I completely agree that he has to stay with Colin. Nothing to do with performance-other than style points he hasn’t been better than Smith. Harbaugh would make a situation he already fucked up even worse. Now he should do what he should have done Smith- go with Colin as far as he takes them.If he does make another change for performance issues, make it the last one.He’s already benched a guy who was performing well, doing it again would be el stupido redux.
VD’s comments about Alex still being *our guy* is just him playing both sides through the media (as he should do). If Kap gets hurt Smith will be back in and he doesn’t want to ruffle Alex’s feathers.
I think everyone who is looking at this objectively knows that Kap is the starter from here onward unless he gets injured (more likely than him imploding, IMO).
After the Ram game I said I would be mildly surprised if Kap didn’t get the start against the Bears for 2 reasons, a Smith concussion and because Kap largely played well and brought them back and almost won it. After Chicago I said Kap will get the start in NO and after his long drive to eat clock I said we have a new QB. Kap has earned the position regardless regardless of what VD said or Harbs has said to the press. It would be unfair to both guys to play who’s on first week by week. Despite Twins agenda and pushing every angle possible Kap has played at least as well as Alex and has done things onfield that we rarely if ever see from Alex. This is a done deal IMO.
I already said Kap should start.
You did Twin but for a different reason.
Not a totally different reason. Everyone with a brain knows that switching back now would be fucking up a fucked handling even more. You may want to think that the sportsworld is as one on Kappy being the right choice, but it’s not the case. You guys give me shit for backing Smith but I always support my opinion with reasonable info and data and yes, even some “sniff test”. It’s you guys who won’t just agree to disagree. It’s always been that way.
Getting everyone to agree is ethereal nonsense. There will always be dissenting voices in any decision and the world is full of crackpots. After the Chicago game you are right “the sports world” was heavily divided and coming down more on the side of keeping Alex as a starter. After last night the sports world has been about as unanimous as it going to be in support of Kap starting. Including guys like Maiocco who the week before had said keep Alex. You are entitled to your opinion but it’s your’s Twin and almost nobody agrees with you now that Alex is better than Kap.
It’s not a question that Smith has a ton of respect in the locker room. But if Harbagh starts Smith, it’ll be the weirdest fucking deal in the history of football. They might as well go with the Wood/Strock idea. Smith can start, and Cappy comes in as his reliever. Or vice versa.
Twin, nothing to do with performance? Style points? Really? And how do you know how well Smith would have done in those circumstances since they didn’t happen?
I can pretty much guarantee you though, the Saints would have gotten a few sacks if Smith started yesterday. As it was, they didn’t get any.
We have Smith’s record, pal. Obviously we have to make an educated guess, Which holds more water than the ridiculous “Alex doesn’t make that pass” bullshit. We also know that the way the defense played in both games, they would have won with you under center.