Kaep vs Alex

[whysies]

It wasn't that long ago and all 3 of Smith's victories I mentioned were in the Harbaugh era.

Well:

Well, first of all your premise is false. We have not played a team yet whose offense is playing as well as the Skins' offense is at this point. But, specifically, what worries me this year (The Harbaugh era counts for nothing) are injuries and suspensions to the front 7 which limits their ability to stop high-scoring teams and the lack of wide receivers and a so far inept QB which limits our ability to score. I'll feel better once we beat a good team which we haven't done yet, albeit with limited opportunies. As they say, you can only play the schedule you have.

If the Harbaugh era "counts for nothing" then why would the Smith era count for something?

 

[AngryNiner]

No. We lose in Green Bay and we beat the Saints with Alex, so it would be a wash.

Niners needed 11 points to beat Carolina, with Alex they would have gotten that. The blame it on the WR thing was kind of ridiculous. Kaep has been terrible and unprepared through most of the season. However you want to cut it, his growing pains has cost us games. Alex would not have had the same struggles as Kaep because he has a better mental hold on the game.

 

[whysies]

You can't run the ball down their gut when they don't respect your QB at all. Here's what I THINK they see: Kaep has a read, they cover that and then he panics and runs into a sack or a marginal gain. They are not a better all around team. Tell me, other than their secondary, how are they better? We have the better OL, front seven and receiving corp. it's either the QB or it's the play calling.

We ran it right up the butt in last years home game. That was with Alex Smith as QB. I don't see why we couldn't do the same this time around.

 

[whysies]

Niners needed 11 points to beat Carolina, with Alex they would have gotten that. The blame it on the WR thing was kind of ridiculous. Kaep has been terrible and unprepared through most of the season. However you want to cut it, his growing pains has cost us games. Alex would not have had the same struggles as Kaep because he has a better mental hold on the game.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens - Recap - November 24, 2011 - ESPN

Alex was more than capable of putting up some stinkers. I think people are way overrating him. Grass is greener I guess.

 

[RoboticDreams]

We ran it right up the butt in last years home game. That was with Alex Smith as QB. I don't see why we couldn't do the same this time around.

Have we ever done that with Kaep? It's like Carroll knows him personally. Kaep has to adjust and make them pay. They DO NOT respect him. He has to change that.

 

[MHSL82]

Maybe, maybe not. Alex's game wasn't based on what we were missing. He's not a deep ball, speed WR, tight window type of QB. He also had better knowledge of the playbook (assumption granted and the playbook could be changing), was more experienced in pre-snap reads, and this year, he's better at avoiding turnovers (last year Kaepernick was par or better).

Teams had film on Smith and he was still winning and statistically efficient - again, his game doesn't suffer as much from what we were missing (though Crabs and Moss made underneath passes easier). Teams have film in Kaepernick and he's winning less and statistically less efficient than I think Smith would be here with our continuity of system, Gore, and VD). But we've also not run those plays or to Kaepernick's strengths - we don't have the personnel around him for that.

I feel we'd have a 50/50 chance at GB/Carolina with Smith (win one -10 points for Carolina's O? Kaepernick would win a rematch), would've still lost to Seattle, Indy/NO were probable losses (maybe stealing one because Indy is up/down this year). We haven't beaten anyone that I feel Smith would have lost to, other than the iffy statement about Green Bay. Smith would look more efficient than real life Kaepernick has looked this year but people would have compared that to a near perfect Kaepernick last year as the alternative. Upset with our no frills offense. Smith would be playing better than Smith is in KC here, Gore would have more runs and catches, and people would still question out chances as they are this yeast (especially under a belief of Kaepernick's potential).

 

[AngryNiner]

San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens - Recap - November 24, 2011 - ESPN

Alex was more than capable of putting up some stinkers. I think people are way overrating him. Grass is greener I guess.

I remember this game. Alex could have played better, no question. But there are some differences. Thursday Night, away game on a short week. Cold November night. With Kaep a clear sunny day at home. Seems like there was another advantage JH was complaining about I forgot what though... Still Alex could have played better, sure.

 

[MHSL82]

Now that Crabtree is back, record would bes are different. Kaepernick will use Crabtree more and Crabtree does well for himself and others with Kaepernick. Plus, Kaepernick is getting more experienced so as people said, there's more potential.

Kaepernick > Smith

To the guy who said Alex had no potential and is mediocre at best - that's not true. That's just an opinion, exaggeration IMO. Alex is taking more deep passes with Reid and it is documented in the drops of his receivers (5th most). Alex is contributing more than he did here though less efficiently (improving as the new offense gels). Next year will be better and NO, not better than Kaepernick or elite, just better than this year (and not mediocre at best).

 

[Pattersonca65]

I think we beat Seattle with Alex. Big plays against them are scarce. He would dink and dunk enough, along with opening up the running game more for Gore. I think we are no less than 10-2 with Alex.

I disagree. Look at what the NY Giants did to us and the Seahawks D is even better. Alex has difficulty making downfield throws into tight windows. The Seahawks would just tighten up the field to take away the dink and dunks.

 

[MHSL82]

San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens - Recap - November 24, 2011 - ESPN

Alex was more than capable of putting up some stinkers. I think people are way overrating him. Grass is greener I guess.

79 yard TD to Ginn taken away by a bogus reverse chop block call that didn't help Smith. Last play of half interception that Edwards arguably went outside the coverage instead of in (I trust a smart Smith over an out of the league Edwards). Plus, there were a LOT of sacks that weren't Smith being Smith but legitimate jailbreaks. Short week for the road team (us) - Ravens were home already.

Again, I'm NOT saying Smith is better, just that there's context to that game.

 

[AngryNiner]

To the guy who said Alex had no potential and is mediocre at best - that's not true. That's just an opinion, exaggeration IMO. Alex is taking more deep passes with Reid and it is documented in the drops of his receivers (5th most). Alex is contributing more than he did here though less efficiently (improving as the new offense gels). Next year will be better and NO, not better than Kaepernick or elite, just better than this year (and not mediocre at best).

This is well said. Its funny and sad at the same time, people can not be real with themselves and admit or simply will not allow themselves to see that Alex is a good QB.

 

[MHSL82]

I disagree. Look at what the NY Giants did to us and the Seahawks D is even better. Alex has difficulty making downfield throws into tight windows. The Seahawks would just tighten up the field to take away the dink and dunks.

Smith did it once well in the regular season in 2011 and had two deep TDs in the NFCC game. Last years was a stinker and even the one time he got a 50 yarder, Harbaugh put in Kaepernick to get a 10+ yard sack. So it isn't black and white (not saying you were being so).

 

[RoboticDreams]

I disagree. Look at what the NY Giants did to us and the Seahawks D is even better. Alex has difficulty making downfield throws into tight windows. The Seahawks would just tighten up the field to take away the dink and dunks.

He DID it. It's not a misnomer. Kaep hasn't beat them once and has been made to look a fool both times.

 

[MHSL82]

I remember this game. Alex could have played better, no question. But there are some differences. Thursday Night, away game on a short week. Cold November night. With Kaep a clear sunny day at home. Seems like there was another advantage JH was complaining about I forgot what though[\B]... Still Alex could have played better, sure.

That Alex was his QB? Then he looked and saw his brother had Flacco and he withdrew his complaint. Just kidding and note: this was before the Super Bowl. I know, even then, some/most would have taken Flacco over Smith at that point. Again, just a joke.

 

[AngryNiner]

there were a LOT of sacks that weren't Smith being Smith but legitimate jailbreaks.

three words. Smith got Chilo'd

 

[MHSL82]

Smith did it once well in the regular season in 2011 and had two deep TDs in the NFCC game. Last years was a stinker and even the one time he got a 50 yarder, Harbaugh put in Kaepernick to get a 10+ yard sack. So it isn't black and white (not saying you were being so).

Just for clarification, I'm talking about the Giants games throughout, not the Seahawks, even though he did win against Seattle.

 

[AngryNiner]

That Alex was his QB? Then he looked and saw his brother had Flacco and he withdrew his complaint. Just kidding and note: this was before the Super Bowl. I know some/most would have taken Flacco over Smith at that point. Again, just a joke.

Naw, I think it was the 79 yard TD chop block penalty that you pointed out.

I'll just say, Flacco aint no 120 mil qb.

 

[Pattersonca65]

Smith did it once well in the regular season in 2011 and had two deep TDs in the NFCC game. Last years was a stinker and even the one time he got a 50 yarder, Harbaugh put in Kaepernick to get a 10+ yard sack. So it isn't black and white (not saying you were being so).

I like Alex Smith and defended him against all the bashers at ESPN. Always gives props to Alex for the New Orleans game. New Orleans didn't exactly play that well. They blitzed and left VD in single coverage. I doubt a good D would have done that. I liked Alex as a stopgap QB but didn't see him as a long term answer. After what the NY Giants D did to us in the playoffs and the following season, I don't think he would have done any better in two games playing in Seattle.

 

[Kinzu]

I remember this game. Alex could have played better, no question. But there are some differences. Thursday Night, away game on a short week. Cold November night. With Kaep a clear sunny day at home. Seems like there was another advantage JH was complaining about I forgot what though... Still Alex could have played better, sure.

And Braylon Edwards dropping TD passes. The 1 Int Smith threw that game was on a hail mary like pass to the endzone to end the half I believe. I'm pretty sure it was to Edwards as well who didn't even really attempt to catch it.

Alex is a better in a grind it out inches mean everything type of game.
Kaep is a better in a wide open let's throw digits up on a scoreboard game.

Kaep really struggles to keep drives going if Gore can't pick up yards running, and it's because he fails to progress his reads to the check downs. Kaep gets to focused in on looking for the big plays and fails to make the very much needed small plays to often.

Alex was nearly the opposite in that he took the safe small plays far to often and rarely ever delivered on big plays.

I personally think it's easier for a team like the 49ers to win with a QB like Alex right now. Kaep hurts them by not playing a more controlled game on offense. He is not good enough to sling it around like Rodgers, Manning, Brady, or Brees, and our defense is good enough that he doesn't need multiple big plays per game for us to have a chance at winning.

 

[NinerSickness]

FYI: Alex Smith is DEAD LAST IN THE ENTIRE NFL in YPA as I mentioned in another thread.