In today’s installment of As the Quarterback Turns, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh went out of his way to speak fondly of Alex Smith. Harbaugh, in his weekly Monday news conference, said he probably will announce Sunday’s starter against St. Louis on Wednesday — because he doesn’t want his players to field a barrage of “Who’s the QB?†questions all week, as they did last week. Harbaugh, of course, fielded another barrage of such questions today. He praised both Smith and Colin Kaepernick, without offering evidence of his choice for Sunday — though it’s hard to imagine Kaepernick not starting, given the way he played in consecutive wins over the Bears and Saints. “It starts with this week, this game, and what gives our team the best chance to win,†Harbaugh said when asked about what goes into his decision. Then he said, “Alex Smith is our starting quarterback. He has not done anything to lose that job. He’s playing at a very high level. “You also can’t categorize Colin Kaepernick as a backup quarterback. He’s started games and played very well. It’s a unique situation, because both quarterbacks are playing well.†Source: San Francisco Chronicle Posted via Mobile Device
He has to be a politician about it, but there should be no way Kaepernick doesn't start after two strong performances. At home against one of the best defenses in the league, and on a loud dome against an aggresive unit (albeit not every effective)? Baby, please. And oh, heck Alex Smith for pulling that garbage "I'm gonna wear my helmet the whole game so Colin notices me and feels more pressure" move. Utterly classless, IMO. Posted via Mobile Device
lol you really hate Alex dont you. Here are the simple facts of the situation. Alex Smith was 26-28 4 tds 0 ints over his last 2 starts. He is 20-5 over the last 2 years with 6 4th quarter comebacks wins. He is 5th in the league with a passer rating of 104. He is 7th in the league for total QBR. He is leading the league in completion percentage at 70%. He is tied for 2nd for yards per attempt at 7.98. Low int percentage at 2.3%. If this was any other quarterback not named Alex Smith you would be singing praises to the moon about it. However because its Alex Smith you will find a way to twist it and claim a bunch of bs because Alex can never be a good QB in your eyes and nothing he does will change that. Am i right? Posted via Mobile Device
Oh and heres a nice little comparison between Colin and Alex that DOES NOT take into account YAC this is just how far the pass traveled Alex Smith Attempts 1-10 yards: 112.5 Passer rating, 69% completion percentage Attempts 11-20 yards: 104.5 Passer Rating, 73% completion percentage Attempts 21-30 yards: 91.5 Passer Rating, 68% completion percentage <--pretty darn good if you ask me. For those who say he can't throw deep. Attempts 31-40 yards: 80 Passer rating, 50% completion percentage(3-6) Colin Kaepernick Attempts 1-10 yards: 107 Passer Rating, 64% completion percentage Attempts 11-20 yards: 105 Passer Rating, 70% completion percentage Attempts 21-30 yards: 68 Passer Rating, 50% completion percentage Attempts 31-40 yards: N/A Posted via Mobile Device
Those are fun; here are more facts: *Alex comes from a previous regime. *Harbaugh traded up to draft Colin Kaepernick. *Harbaugh pursued an old QB with four neck surgeries, right after a season where they made it to the NFCCG with Alex at QB. *Harbaugh has been preparing Kaepernick to take over, giving him spot snaps and didn't hesitate to throw him to the wolves at an hostile environment in NOLA. *Saints fans were begging Harbaugh to start Smith, not Kaepernick. *Kaepernick stuck it to the Saints. Didn't get sacked thanks to his mobility, didn't get rattled the whole game (he had his moments where he looked like a deer in the headlights, but he got over it). *Small sample, but throughout two starts and a few other snaps, Colin also records an 100+ QB rating. *Alex's 6 wins this year came against the following defenses, with their current overall ranking in parenthesis: GB (17), DET (14), NYJ (19), BUF (26), SEA (5) and ARI (7). Hardly other-wordly opponents: in the Seattle game he played like crap. I'll give you the Arizona game. None of those teams are remotely considered contenders, save for Green Bay. *Alex's 2 losses came against: MIN (11) and NYG (23). One contender and a semi-contender. *Colin's 2 games? Against the worst defense in the league, sure, but also beat the 3rd best in the league so convincingly he turned heads all around America. *To anyone who insists a QB doesn't lose his job due to injury, Drew Bledsoe would like to have a talk with you. How did that turn out? And no, I'm not comparing Brady to Kaepernick, but let's not act as if Brady was a finished product when he took over in 2001. *Kaepernick may have posted similar numbers to Alex, but let's not forget something: he's a raw 2nd year QB with very little experience. Alex is an 8-year vet who can't really get much better than this, and lost arm strength due to that shoulder injury a few years ago. I would understand Alexsexuals if for some reason Colin looked like Blaine Gabbert out there. He didn't. Posted via Mobile Device
Alex still sucks...he sucked in 2005 and still does in 2012... Posted via Mobile Device the above is posted just to piss off [MENTION=685]misfitz[/MENTION]
Hi sweets. Im happy for Kaepernick and I have no clue who I want to start but I do think Smith deserves to start again. Posted via Mobile Device
Harbaugh hates the media, so it's hard to get a straight answer from him. I will support either way he goes, I know Kaep will be the starter sometime soon regardless.
I like the example of Bledsoe losing his job to a then no name Tom Brady... In fact, during 2001 Boston/NE Fans wanted Bledsoe back eventually... There was a pro bowl QB who went to a Superbowl... Alex Smith never earned pro bowl honors and while he did well last year, it was more so the defense, running game and coaching that put the team a game away from Indy. In this case, you can argue they are on the same level and that Kaep does in fact have more upside. Sorry but Smith isnt Bledsoe from 2001... he's more like an upgraded Trent Dilfer. Posted via Mobile Device
