Jim Harbaugh is perfectly content to keep the media guessing about who will start at quarterback Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The San Francisco 49ers coach told reporters that both Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick can win games -- a very desirable problem, according to Harbaugh, for the coaching staff. "We'll let it play out," Harbaugh said. "I wouldn't expect an announcement today or any timeline on that. We'll get that to you." Harbaugh expects Smith to be cleared for New Orleans. "I feel good," Smith said. "I feel really good. So I'm kind of expecting things to go well." Smith said he accepts competition -- not controversy -- with Kaepernick following the youngster's heroics against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Kaepernick's play set off a lively quarterback debate, but Harbaugh echoed his words from earlier Wednesday to shoot down the notion that some sort of controversy surrounds the 7-2-1 49ers. "I know everybody took the opportunity after the big win the other night to talk non-stop about the quarterback situation and very little about the great victory, both offensively and defensively, special teams," Harbaugh said, per Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. "... Most of the people who really want to know and really care, don't really care whether we win or lose, to be honest with you. I don't know know if it's in our best interest to make a snap decision on that. We'll get all the factors weighed out and we'll come to the best decision for our team." Source: NFL.com
Sorry Alex...1 more good game out of Kaepernick and your done....completing passes of 15 yards or less can only work for so long. Teams that have forces Smith to go deep, by containing the flat and shuttiing down the run have expoited this as Smith cannot complete the deep passes
You do know that Alex is tied for leading the league in YPA at 7.98. He is also 5/8 137 yards 2 tds for passes that are in the air for 21-30 yards
I also read a story today from Schefter that one of the executives in the 49ers organization was saying that no decision has been made on the starting QB. This could be typical Harbaugh mind games where it forces the Saints to prepare for Kaepernick.
Alex Smith last 2 games(remember he was knocked out early in the Rams game. His stats are 25/27 304 yards 11.25 yards PER Attempt 4 tds 0 INT about 150 passer rating. Yes thats all 5 yards passing...........give me a break.
Alex Smith is 8th in the league in % of YAC at 46, and 15th in QB Air Yards at 4.3. That means he averages 4.3 yards IN THE AIR per completion. Advanced NFL Stats - QB Air Yards
interesting stats. on the surface, they can make it look like alex smith is being protected in a simple passing game. however, his in the air number is the same as Tom Brady's and he is completing a higher % of his passes this season than any other QB in the league, which can skew these figures. i'm a little torn on these particular stats because they can show a poor qb is being protected in a dumbed-down passing game (ala Ponder, Fitz, Skelton, Gabbert, etc.)........... which we already knew their coaches were doing ................ however, a qb should get some credit for throwing to the right receiver who can get the most YAC and also throwing it in the precise spot to maximize YAC, which Smith is pretty good at.
He also has almost half the attempts of Brady, which you could use to make a strong case thats he's also being "protected in a dumbed down passing game" as you put it. Granted it's only one game to go on, but you notice Kaepernick is second on that list in air yards, and also much lower in % of YAC. My only point with this was to refute misfitz' claim that since he's up there in YPA that it means he's chucking it downfield when it's clearly not the case.
yes, i would agree with that and we all have known smith is not a gunslinger chucking the ball way down the field all the time. part of that may be from his physical limitations, part of it may be because smith is conservative and doesn't look to throw it deep enough, and part of it may be that he is being instructed to not go downfield. the niners may have run the same plays with kaep and kaep just went downfield more. i'm not sure.
