Smith has sprained middle finger on throwing hand

[MHSL82]

Alex is playing really really good, but Nolan you can't definitively say that the offense would be crippled without Alex yet. Colin might do alright, granted the offense's plan as it currently exists would probably suffer because Colin's pre-snap read level isn't close to where Alex is... but who says they have to run Alex's offense with Kaep behind center?? Roman is a smart guy, he can adapt. That is still a possibility. How would you adapt to that? Easy, you just call one play and run with it... instead of calling matching run/pass plays and having the QB decide which one to go with. Honestly, I'd trust the other 10 guys with just one play and Kaep behind center... obviously I'm a homer, but, I think the 49ers today are the perfect situation for a young QB. Dominating O-Line, great running game, and I absolutely love what Manningham, VD, Moss, Crabtree, and Williams bring to the WR corps.

The flashes I saw from Kaep in pre-season were positive, he threw well from the pocket and was great at avoiding the rush and extending plays. Will that translate to the regular season? Who knows, but if Smith did go down... the one advantage is whoever the 49ers are playing... they only know Colin as the WildKap, not the passer.

I said a lot to try and sway you, but bottom line, I love what Alex is doing and I'm rooting for him because of all the shit that gets shoveled on him.... but, in no way will I ever say that if he was injured the season was over. That's just nuts with how great the defense is and how good the rest of the offense is. I don't know how you could possibly say he is the one 49er the team can't afford to lose.[/QUOTE]

Everyone knows Harbaugh is the 49er the team cannot afford to lose. I know Nolan/Mozart has said that Kaep is extremely inaccurate and that losing Alex would doom the season, but insofar as this next game, he may be right. I have to say that Alex is not the only player we can't afford to lose, either.

For this next game, it is against the Giants, a pretty good team. I think if Alex went down, we'd lose but Roman would figure out a way for the season to get back up. We'd have still beaten the Jets and Bills. Heck, we might have beaten the Vikings due to Vikings being unprepared (this was before the Jets/Bills packages). But as far as the Giants' game, while I know that the coaching staff is as prepared if not more prepared than others for in-game adjustments, if I were a betting man, if you were to tell me the offense was playing well enough with Alex to win (not predisposed to lose) but he gets injured, I'd bet on the Giants. That's not to take away from Kaepernnick, because he hasn't started a game or prepared fully as the starter. I know they go into every game with the mindset that they are playing, especially with all the packages he's gotten, but that's my feeling. Not saying it'd be a blowout, just a big enough of a difference to lose this game. The Giants would have to scramble to figure things out, so I suppose it'd be less certain.

But say our center goes down, regardless of how well he's doing, the center's pretty important, too. Staley could give us a loss if he got injured and everyone got through to Smith in the left side. Etc. Etc. Football is a team game, against the Giants, everyone is most important. Arguably, Teddy Ginn was the most important in the NFCC game. Alex wasn't doing anything that game, so KW's fumbles stood out.

 

[MHSL82]

Damn bolding!

 

[threelittleturds]

If the team lost Staley, I'd be super cool with Boone at Tackle again and Kilgore at guard... thats kind of the funny thing with this O-Line. Boone can jump out to Tackle with experience as the swing tackle all last season... and Kilgore showed stuff last year in preseason, and this year too... and Kilgore was opening up holes during the extra innings vs the Jets and Bills. I honestly don't know if they had backups in at that point... but I saw Kilgore downfield blocking for Dixon against the Jets and the Bills, getting his push on still.

 

[MHSL82]

If the team lost Staley, I'd be super cool with Boone at Tackle again and Kilgore at guard... thats kind of the funny thing with this O-Line. Boone can jump out to Tackle with experience as the swing tackle all last season... and Kilgore showed stuff last year in preseason, and this year too... and Kilgore was opening up holes during the extra innings vs the Jets and Bills. I honestly don't know if they had backups in at that point... but I saw Kilgore downfield blocking for Dixon against the Jets and the Bills, getting his push on still.

That's true. I don't know much about the oline, but I read someone talking about that possibility. I was just thinking that IF Staley got hurt AND people kept getting through to Smith, then that's someone we couldn't afford to lose. With how Boone and Kilgore being experienced and flexible, Staley is a bit more affordable to lose - but I think there's a similar thing Kaep can perform similarly. Bad example on my part, as I knew Staley was doing well but don't know much about oline functions and personnel.

 

[MHSL82]

Per Pozz per Maiocco:

Jim Harbaugh saw Alex Smith (right middle finger sprain) throw yesterday. Smith is fine, he said. #49ersTalk

 

[NinersFan80]

I wouldn't mind seeing Kaepernick starting a game but not against the Giants yet. Hopefully we will have home field clinch by week 17 and Kaep can start or play the 2nd half maybe.

 

[TobyTyler]

Alex is playing really really good, but Nolan you can't definitively say that the offense would be crippled without Alex yet. Colin might do alright, granted the offense's plan as it currently exists would probably suffer because Colin's pre-snap read level isn't close to where Alex is... but who says they have to run Alex's offense with Kaep behind center?? Roman is a smart guy, he can adapt. That is still a possibility. How would you adapt to that? Easy, you just call one play and run with it... instead of calling matching run/pass plays and having the QB decide which one to go with. Honestly, I'd trust the other 10 guys with just one play and Kaep behind center... obviously I'm a homer, but, I think the 49ers today are the perfect situation for a young QB. Dominating O-Line, great running game, and I absolutely love what Manningham, VD, Moss, Crabtree, and Williams bring to the WR corps.

The flashes I saw from Kaep in pre-season were positive, he threw well from the pocket and was great at avoiding the rush and extending plays. Will that translate to the regular season? Who knows, but if Smith did go down... the one advantage is whoever the 49ers are playing... they only know Colin as the WildKap, not the passer.

I said a lot to try and sway you, but bottom line, I love what Alex is doing and I'm rooting for him because of all the shit that gets shoveled on him.... but, in no way will I ever say that if he was injured the season was over. That's just nuts with how great the defense is and how good the rest of the offense is. I don't know how you could possibly say he is the one 49er the team can't afford to lose.

Gosh, I don't see it in Kaepernick yet. I think he'd really struggle against that fierce Giants front. I'm not saying Smith is the best player on the team I'm just saying the drop off at QB between starter and backup is much more severe than at any other position on the team. You can cover for an LB or D Lineman or running back but there is no way you can hide a weak quarterback.