Smith Screwed by Harbaugh

[Robotech]

It's after the fact. At the time the decision was made, it wasn't the right decision. You don't bench a top 5 QB if he misses a game with an injury. it just isn't done on any level.

My point now is that it is easy to say that the right decision was made after the season and seeing the results. The reason I say that the Super Bowl doesn't matter in this decision is because the decision was made in the middle of the season and the discussion was supposed to be within that context. Another reason is because Smith played well enough to make the Super Bowl last year and without the 2 botched kicks would have made the game last year.

If you want to argue that it was the right decision now based on results, at least acknowledge that at the time it was move that typically wasn't made and that Smith, while playing better than almost everyone in the NFL was screwed out of his spot.

I fully supported the decision from the beginning. I felt it was the right decision then, and I feel it is the right decision now. I'm late to this thread, but you can see my posts in the Niners board where I voiced my opinion that the Niners should continue with Kaep as the starter when it was still up in the air who Harbaugh would go with. Believe it or not, as well as Smith played this season and last season, many (maybe even the majority of) Niner fans were ready to take the leap of faith with Kaepernick. I wanted Kaep to continue as the starter because he just has that big play ability that Alex doesn't. It's playmaker versus game manager.

It definitely was not a typical decision. The easy decision would've been to go back to Smith as the starter. That would've been low risk and he would've faced little to no criticism for that.

I feel bad for Alex, but Harbaugh made the decision that he felt was best for the team. Harbaugh would've been screwing the team and the fans if he chose to go with the lesser QB.

 

[Robotech]

I'm not saying that your opinion is not valid. A lot of people felt the way you do. That's why this was such a big deal. Many thought Harbaugh was wrong. I heard that Joe Montana and Steve Young thought Alex should be the starter. I supported the decision then, and I support it now, but I realize that many felt it was the wrong move.

 

[StateoftheSport.com]

49er fans haven't been on the side of smith for some time. They chanted for David Carr when he was there a few years ago. So I'm not surprised that they were happy to see him sit for rest of the season.

I believe that Smith is more than a game manager. He has big QB play ability, but he's also smart enough to know when to force the issue rather than just move the chains. I think he proved he could step up and make big plays in the playoffs last season when he went score for score with Drew Brees and the Saints.

I don't think I'm going to change anyone's mind on the subject, but I'm surprised how little support Smith has gotten from the football fans. As a guy who has consistently gotten better and was having the best year of his career, with great numbers, I thought there would be more people pulling for him. Anyone else at least a little surprised about that.

 

[Bemular]

State - I get it, you are trying to drum up traffic to your blog site - but starting insidious threads is probably not a great way to do it. Smith was/is/and will always be an average-at-best QB.

If it were any other team & HC Smith would be selling cars instead of heading off to KC for another failed opportunity to become a legitimate NFL starting QB. Harbaugh screwed Smith???

I've got news for you State, Smith owes Harbaugh an eternal debt for the fact that he is still in the NFL at all - Good luck with your little blog site.

 

[StateoftheSport.com]

Thanks for the well wishes. If a completion percentage above 70% and a QB rating of 104 is average then give me average.

I agree with you that last season Harbaugh did a lot to boost the confidence of a somewhat shaky Smith, but that doesn't excuse the fact the man was ranked in the top 5 of QB's in almost major statistical areas when he was benched. Insidious or not, I thought it was a conversation worth having.

 

[Bemular]

Thanks for the well wishes. If a completion percentage above 70% and a QB rating of 104 is average then give me average.

I agree with you that last season Harbaugh did a lot to boost the confidence of a somewhat shaky Smith, but that doesn't excuse the fact the man was ranked in the top 5 of QB's in almost major statistical areas when he was benched. Insidious or not, I thought it was a conversation worth having.

There are earned statistics and there are manufactured statistics; there are looks and there is performance - If Smith performed on the field as good as he looks on paper then we would have traded Kaepernick to KC, not Alex.

Furthermore, from where are you deriving your statistics and thus support for your claim; from one-half of one season - seriously? Do you honestly believe those #'s are an accurate representation of Smith's ability as a QB?

Finally, inciting a conversation is one thing, but to say that "Harbaugh screwed Smith" is more akin to inciting a riot than a conversation - at least, from those of us who know better.

 

[StateoftheSport.com]

The specific stats for being a top 5 QB were from this past season since that is when he was pulled from the lineup. I believe they are an accurate representation of his ability because if you look at his career stats you can see an impressive trend of improvement through each season he has been in the league. They also played 4 top quality games in that stretch in which they lost 2 games.

I believe my analysis of Smith is accurate. Now, if you have some "earned" stats that you'd like to share to change my mind I'm all ears.

 

[Bemular]

The specific stats for being a top 5 QB were from this past season since that is when he was pulled from the lineup. I believe they are an accurate representation of his ability because if you look at his career stats you can see an impressive trend of improvement through each season he has been in the league. They also played 4 top quality games in that stretch in which they lost 2 games.

I believe my analysis of Smith is accurate. Now, if you have some "earned" stats that you'd like to share to change my mind I'm all ears.

Well, let's see, four games, two wins and two statistics - you're right - my bad. Smith definitely has the ability of a "top-five" QB.

So, who are the four QB's with more ability than Smith?

 

[StateoftheSport.com]

B's with more ability: Manning, Brees, Brady, Rodgers, Cutler, Newton, the other Manning, RGIII, Flacco, possibly others.

Playing QB in the NFL is not entirely about ability. Knowing how to use your abilities to put your team in the best position to win is the key. That's why the Jamarcus Russells of the world can't hack it in the NFL when they have all the god given ability won could use.

Again, If you don't like Smith for what he has accomplished during his career then fine, don't like him. I feel that he is probably the most underrated QB in the league so I'm taking the opportunity to talk him up a little bit.

What's your motivation for trying put him down? He's not even on your team anymore.

 

[Bemular]

QB's with more ability: Manning, Brees, Brady, Rodgers, Cutler, Newton, the other Manning, RGIII, Flacco, possibly others.

Playing QB in the NFL is not entirely about ability. Knowing how to use your abilities to put your team in the best position to win is the key. That's why the Jamarcus Russells of the world can't hack it in the NFL when they have all the god given ability won could use.

Again, If you don't like Smith for what he has accomplished during his career then fine, don't like him. I feel that he is probably the most underrated QB in the league so I'm taking the opportunity to talk him up a little bit.

What's your motivation for trying put him down? He's not even on your team anymore.

"QB's with more ability: Manning, Brees, Brady, Rodgers, Cutler, Newton, the other Manning, RGIII, Flacco, possibly others."

Okay, so it appears you now have lowered Smith's ability from 5th to 10th best in the league with the possibility of his actual ranking, again according to his ability, being even lower.

Well, I can think of 6-8 more QB's to add to your list which puts Smith directly within the range where a QB with his ability belongs - in the average range.



"Playing QB in the NFL is not entirely about ability. That's why the Jamarcus Russells of the world can't hack it in the NFL when they have all the god given ability won could use."

Yes, and contrastably you can have all of the attitude, intelligence and work ethic of an Alex Smith and still be a QB with average to mediocre ability.



"Knowing how to use your abilities to put your team in the best position to win is the key."

And having a HC & an OC that understand how to maximize those abilities is even better.



"Again, If you don't like Smith for what he has accomplished during his career then fine, don't like him."

Can't recall where I have ever said I don't like Alex. Like most 49er fans I possess the highest level of respect & admiration for Alex Smith. However, I also happen to have a realistic sense of his ability.



"What's your motivation for trying put him down? He's not even on your team anymore."

I'm not putting him down, I'm putting him precisely where he belongs - squarely under the bell. My entry into this thread was to address the ridiculous notion that Jim Harbaugh somehow "screwed" Alex Smith.



"I feel that he is probably the most underrated QB in the league so I'm taking the opportunity to talk him up a little bit."

And I was just trying to talk you off the ledge of insanity if you honestly believed Alex Smith was the 5th best QB in the NFL just because a snapshot of his statistics said so.



Here is what I believe to be a fair summary of this discussion.

With regard to Smith:

You believe, perhaps a little less so at the moment, that Smith's statistics were earned largely according to his ability and I believe his statistics were largely manufactured due to Harbaugh's genius.

With regard to Harbaugh:

You believe or perhaps now it can be said you believed that Harbaugh screwed Smith for benching him despite Smith's "top-five" statistical ranking at the time.

And I believe Alex Smith owes Jim Harbaugh a debt of gratitude for not only giving Smith an opportunity but also for designing an offense tailored specifically to Smith's strengths thus affording Smith another shot at becoming a FQB with KC.

Jim Harbaugh didn't screw Alex Smith - he saved him.

 

[StateoftheSport.com]

Let me be perfectly clear. I believe Smith to be a legit top 12-8 QB. This season I also believe he was performing like a top five QB before his benching.

With that said, I've already agreed with you about Harbaugh making him the starter last year. It saved his career in San Fran and I will admit the possibility that it saved his career as a whole. I don't think that Harbaugh is solely responsible for Smith's success though. He did improve every year before Harbaugh arrived so I think he deserves more credit for his "manufactured" stats.

As much as I do enjoy this discussion now, you also have to understand that when I posted it, it made a little more sense due to the fact that the guy coming in for him was unproven and had only won a game or 2. I thought at the time the proven commodity should have retained his duties. Knowing what we know now I still feel that Smith was mistreated in the situation, but it is hard to argue with the results.

When I say that you don't like Smith it is meant as a QB and not a person. I know that you have not said anything about him personally.

I have been interpreting the word ability to mean physical talent. If that's not what you were referring to then that's just a misunderstanding of what was being said.