Colin Kaepernick

[TobyTyler]

I wish Smith a speedy recovery, but I wanna see what Kaep can do.

Me too, but not against the Bears defense. He will get killed behind that porous line of ours.

 

[Kinzu]

Alex was 7/8 for 72yds and a Touchdown before coming out and completed at least 2 of those passes including the TD with blurred vision. It seemed to me he was picking up right where he left off in Arizona. When Alex did not come back into the game you could tell it really affected the momentum we had gained.

Kaep is Troy Smith right now. If we start him against the Bears we're screwed. All they would have to do is contain the outside and try get pressure up the middle while forcing him to stay in the pocket and throw the ball. He might occasionally hit the deep ball, but against that D he probably ends up turning the ball over 3+ times.

I fully expect though that who starts at QB will be a game time decision even if Alex gets cleared as early as tomorrow. The 49ers will try to use the injury to their advantage to keep the Bears D guessing all week as to who to prepare for.

 

[TobyTyler]

Alex was 7/8 for 72yds and a Touchdown before coming out and completed at least 2 of those passes including the TD with blurred vision. It seemed to me he was picking up right where he left off in Arizona. When Alex did not come back into the game you could tell it really affected the momentum we had gained.

Kaep is Troy Smith right now. If we start him against the Bears we're screwed. All they would have to do is contain the outside and try get pressure up the middle while forcing him to stay in the pocket and throw the ball. He might occasionally hit the deep ball, but against that D he probably ends up turning the ball over 3+ times.
I fully expect though that who starts at QB will be a game time decision even if Alex gets cleared as early as tomorrow. The 49ers will try to use the injury to their advantage to keep the Bears D guessing all week as to who to prepare for.

Agreed. Kaepernick fumbled twice against the weak Rams and Gore and Miller bailed him out with recoveries. he has no pocket awareness yet and also holds the ball way too long. With our weak pass blocking he'd get ruined out there against the Bears.

 

[ChrisPozz]

Agreed. Kaepernick fumbled twice against the weak Rams and Gore and Miller bailed him out with recoveries. he has no pocket awareness yet and also holds the ball way too long. With our weak pass blocking he'd get ruined out there against the Bears.

You keep talking about weak pass blocking. Can you explain what you're talking about? What makes the 49ers a weak pass blocking unit to you? How would you back your stance up?

 

[tallglassofwater007]

You keep talking about weak pass blocking. Can you explain what you're talking about? What makes the 49ers a weak pass blocking unit to you? How would you back your stance up?

I was thinking the same thing. Because you also said that he holds onto the ball way too long. This is a problem with Smith as well. I think that contributes to a lot of the sacks that the line gives up.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

If we had landed Manning, we'd have given up like six sacks this season. Smith has some strengths, but pocket presence is not one of them. I would venture to say that most of the sacks he has taken were avoidable.

 

[TobyTyler]

You keep talking about weak pass blocking. Can you explain what you're talking about? What makes the 49ers a weak pass blocking unit to you? How would you back your stance up?

Watch a tape of the game yesterday and see how the line gave up so many sacks and so many Qb pressures.

 

[TobyTyler]

I was thinking the same thing. Because you also said that he holds onto the ball way too long. This is a problem with Smith as well. I think that contributes to a lot of the sacks that the line gives up.

Good point. Neither recognizes coverages particularly well. Did you see how wide open Williams was in the end zone when Kaepernick missed him? I cannot believe he could not see a receiver all by himself 20 yards down the field. That was aTD.

 

[TobyTyler]

If we had landed Manning, we'd have given up like six sacks this season. Smith has some strengths, but pocket presence is not one of them. I would venture to say that most of the sacks he has taken were avoidable.

I'm not sure its pocket presence as much as not having vision down the field or to be able to see a receiver opening up as it happens. Once the original play breaks down he's pretty much done.

 

[ChrisPozz]

Watch a tape of the game yesterday and see how the line gave up so many sacks and so many Qb pressures.

So you're saying that game by itself leads you to believe the 49ers have a poor pass blocking group?

 

[TobyTyler]

So you're saying that game by itself leads you to believe the 49ers have a poor pass blocking group?

I would say mediocre, not poor. They just had poor performances yesterday, against Minnesota, the Packers and Giants. They've also had some decent ones as well. Like TGoW pointed otu though, a lot of those sacks and hurries can be attributed to Smith's inability to recognize coverages or see a play opening up that is not the designed one.

 

[ChrisPozz]

I would say mediocre, not poor. They just had poor performances yesterday, against Minnesota, the Packers and Giants. They've also had some decent ones as well. Like TGoW pointed otu though, a lot of those sacks and hurries can be attributed to Smith's inability to recognize coverages or see a play opening up that is not the designed one.

I'm glad you changed tune because nothing I've seen and nothing I've read has suggested that this is a consistently weak/poor pass blocking team.

 

[TobyTyler]

I'm glad you changed tune because nothing I've seen and nothing I've read has suggested that this is a consistently weak/poor pass blocking team.

Oh I still see the O line's pass blocking as a weakness for this team, its just that their performance is compounded by Smith's inability to get rid of the ball and Kaepernick's lack of experience. I do like the way they run block for the most part; I've never seen Guards and Tackles get up field on the linebackers so quickly while using the TE's as Wham blockers. A good example of this is what they did to Seattle in the second half.

 

[Bemular]

If we had landed Manning, we'd have given up like six sacks this season. Smith has some strengths, but pocket presence is not one of them. I would venture to say that most of the sacks he has taken were avoidable.

I'm not sure its pocket presence as much as not having vision down the field or to be able to see a receiver opening up as it happens. Once the original play breaks down he's pretty much done.

I'm not so sure this is a [full] chicken & egg issue and thus I think you both are spot-on.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Good point. Neither recognizes coverages particularly well. Did you see how wide open Williams was in the end zone when Kaepernick missed him? I cannot believe he could not see a receiver all by himself 20 yards down the field. That was aTD.

How about we give Kaep an actual week to prepare before we make these assumptions. Just one week. I know that's not as much as Alex Smith's 8 years, but surely he needs more than 3 qtrs of football.

 

[clyde_carbon]

I'm not sure its pocket presence as much as not having vision down the field or to be able to see a receiver opening up as it happens. Once the original play breaks down he's pretty much done.

It's both. He's inconsistent in the pocket, often creating phantom pressure on himself, and he also has trouble making post-snap reads down the field.

 

[yossarian]

How about we give Kaep an actual week to prepare before we make these assumptions. Just one week. I know that's not as much as Alex Smith's 8 years, but surely he needs more than 3 qtrs of football.

I disagree with your analysis of Smith, but I have to say I appreciate the sarcasm, nicely done.

 

[NinerSickness]

As I said in the other thread:

Remember the deep out to Manningham on the left side of the field? Alex physically cannot make that throw. It was nice to see some velocity on the ball.

I'm very happy w/ Kaep's first real game. He didn't even turn the ball over.

 

[LifeLong9ersFan]

It's both. He's inconsistent in the pocket, often creating phantom pressure on himself, and he also has trouble making post-snap reads down the field.

This. I can't count how many times I've seen him tuck the ball to his belly and start to fall well before any defender actually hits him. I have to believe at least some of those balls could be thrown away.

 

[clyde_carbon]

As I said in the other thread:

Remember the deep out to Manningham on the left side of the field? Alex physically cannot make that throw. It was nice to see some velocity on the ball.

I'm very happy w/ Kaep's first real game. He didn't even turn the ball over.

Apparently that's only an accomplishment when Alex doesn't.