With that comment you may assume Im totally won over either way from Smith or Kaepernick, but the truth of the matter is Im not.
In the old school professional sports world, a starting player didn't lose his job to injury. In the modern NFL, the climate is heated with a 'win now' attitude and I get it. Winning and employment ($) is intertwined like the thread and needle, and that intense pressure is the common denominator that is shared amongst ownership, coaching staff and players.
But is head coach Jim Harbaugh really under that pressure to make such a rash decision? Turning around a losing culture that has plagued the 9ers in recent years and winning Coach of the Year in his rookie year earned him some leeway, I would think.
We all know that Alex Smith mightily underachieved until Harbaugh arrived, but it's also well documented that Smith took the 9ers to the Championship game last year and if you recall, botched plays on Special Teams primarily cost them that loss.
When I think of recent qb's who usurped the starting position from injured qbs, these are the scenarios that come to mind: Steve Young for Joe Montana, Philip Rivers for Drew Brees, Michael Vick for Kevin Kolb and a guy name Tom Brady for Drew Bledsoe. In the last two games, has Kaepernick resembled Young, Rivers, Vick, or Brady? Granted Smith isnt Joe Montana either, but that reinforces my point: theyre equal...and if theyre equal, then Alex Smith should keep his position!
In two games as a starter, Kaepernick has averaged 237.5 yards passing, completed 66% of his attempts, has an overall 102.3 rating and has a 3:1 TD to Int ratio. For the season Alex Smith is 5th in the NFL with a 104 rating, LEADS the league in completion percentage (70), averaged 217 pass ypg, and had a 2.6 TD to Int ratio. So whats the difference?
I thought maybe it was the rushing dimension that Kaepernick brings to the game. But is he really that electrifying? Is he a RG3, Vick, what Mc Nabb or Cunningham was? At most he's probably a lil better (athletically) then Tebow. And if memory serves me correct, Smith was mobile enough to trot 30 yards for a big TD in the playoffs against the Saints last year. So again, whats the difference?
I will say this, the greatest indictment against Alex Smith was when I saw Harbaugh call a running play for Smith on a long third down conversion attempt (I want to say against Seattle but don't quote me). To me that showed the lack of confidence Harbaugh had in Smith as a playmaker and winner.
Clearly HC Jim Harbaugh is being a prisoner of the moment and going with "Kaep." But what Harbaugh has to realize is that you leave the party with who you came with. This is twice now that Harbaugh tried to ditch Smith during the dance (remember he tried to court Manning during the offseason then acted as if he really wasnt). But we all know the old adage, "when you have two qb's, you have none."
But the end we know if this teams win the Super Bowl, it will be remembered for and defined by its defense, a la the '85 Bears or 2000 Ravens; hence the controversy is much ado about nothing.
*Am I reading in too much by assuming Rice preferred Montana over Young with his advocation of Smith? (Kaep the perceived rushing qb in the vein of SY and Smith more of a drop back passer i.e. JM?)
