NFL Week 12 Discussion Thread.

[descendency]

Originally Posted by Matthew Jones

I can't say I'm that worried about playing the Broncos considering the Patriots have averaged 39 PPG against them over the past three meetings. Peyton Manning is obviously going to produce against anyone, but can he really be expected to keep up with that?

And they don't even have any more of the Tebow magic laying around.

[Docta]

[Hurricanes25]

He missed Hill on that play but I'm pretty sure Mark has ZERO confidence in Hill. He has been awful. The guy has stone hands.

[Docta]

Why the hell even sign him in the first place then? Plax was available.

In other news, Harbaugh just told Alex Smith that Kaepernick is going to be starting on Sunday.

[Hurricanes25]

Originally Posted by Docta

Why the hell even sign him in the first place then? Plax was available.
.

That was Stephen Hill, whom we drafted. You're thinking about Jason Hill.

[Docta]

Ah, my bad. Can't pass up that opportunity though. If he drops it, then it's on him.

[Hurricanes25]

Originally Posted by Docta

Ah, my bad. Can't pass up that opportunity though. If he drops it, then it's on him.

Absolutely. Sanchez probably didn't even see him. I just wanted to add how bad Hill has been.

[abaddon41_80]

Sources reporting that Kaepernick will start Sunday, decision not based on Alex Smith's health

[Caddy]

Gotta admire the stones on Harbaugh. With such a strong team, throwing out a relatively untested guy when the alternative is a good QB who won't turn the ball over that often and can usually coast to victory on the back of strong D and running the ball is definitely risky.

[descendency]

Originally Posted by abaddon41_80

Sources reporting that Kaepernick will start Sunday, decision not based on Alex Smith's health

Kaepernick just blew out the Bears. I'd start him, too. The Bears are a top 5 defense. The Saints are not.

Originally Posted by Caddy

Gotta admire the stones on Harbaugh. With such a strong team, throwing out a relatively untested guy when the alternative is a good QB who won't turn the ball over that often and can usually coast to victory on the back of strong D and running the ball is definitely risky.

I'm not really sure how it's bold. The guy just torched the Bears defense. The Chicago Bears.

[BloodBrother]

Well played, Harbaugh

[Hines]

I'm excited to see Charlie start and to see Plex back in the black and gold. It'll be a close game.

[Babylon]

Originally Posted by Caddy

Gotta admire the stones on Harbaugh. With such a strong team, throwing out a relatively untested guy when the alternative is a good QB who won't turn the ball over that often and can usually coast to victory on the back of strong D and running the ball is definitely risky.

Not sure i'd admire anything about this move. It looks like someone is getting stabbed in the back if you ask me.

[Caddy]

Originally Posted by descendency

I'm not really sure how it's bold. The guy just torched the Bears defense. The Chicago Bears.

It's one game. One. For all we know it could have been a one-off thing and this whole situation will blow up in his face.

[Cudders]

I liked Kaepernick’s skill set as a prospect and believe he landed in a great spot with Harbaugh, but let’s recalibrate expectations. Yes, he burned the Bears in primetime. That said, most indications pointed to Alex Smith starting that game. So coaches and defensive personnel prepared for Smith. Charted his calls, studied his tendencies, and then installed a game plan that was designed for Smith’s offense. When Kaepernick’s number was called at the eleventh hour, Chicago didn’t have much room for maneuvering. You can’t just throw a week’s worth of work in the trash. And, considering the contrast in skill sets, that’s a notable caveat.

Even if the Bears knew Kaepernick was starting, there’s not much available on him. He’s been a gadget, series-to-series quarterback in the NFL. What’s there to chart? What’s there to evaluate? His tape as a senior at Nevada? You assume he’s developed since then. His tape as a gimmick-geared quarterback? It would be unusual for that package to turn into the base of an offense. His tape as the bullpen quarterback against the Rams? That’s a small sample size and backups tend to work from a script in their first appearance. He was an unknown to the Bears. He will be somewhat of an unknown to the Saints. It’s an adjustment period. As his snap count rises, pieces of the puzzle will start to fall into place for both Kaepernick and his opponents.

With regard to the decision itself, it’s a risk for Harbaugh. A calculated one, perhaps, but a risk nonetheless. It’s clear Kaepernick’s ceiling dwarfs Smith’s. His floor reasons to be lower, too. Even the most casual fans realize the Niners are built around their ground game and strong defense. Smith fits well with those concepts. He’s risk-averse, he’s made things happen from time-to-time, and he’s battle-tested. For better or worse, he’s not going to change if the offense stalls in consecutive drives. He’s going to trust his defense to keep them within striking distance, his running game to get better when the fourth quarter arrives, and his teammates to step up when needed. Young quarterbacks are more volatile. Young quarterbacks can be flustered and forced into superhero football much easier.

It doesn’t even need to be a complete meltdown from Kaepernick either. All it takes to be second-guessed in the pundit-sphere is one game. One where Kaepernick’s inexperience shows. One where he holds onto the ball for too long and gets stripped or trusts himself too much and gets picked off. That’s all. A couple “rookie” mistakes at an inopportune time.

Now, football coaches don’t care about being second-guessed in the media. Most realize that’s the media’s job. The locker room is a different case though. Harbaugh didn’t just name Kaepernick the starter. He elaborated and said that decision is not based on health. You can’t just emasculate Smith, flirt with Kaepernick, and then dump Kaepernick for Smith at the first sign of trouble. A quarterback carousel on a contending team is a disaster.

Harbaugh has been accurate with the pulse of this team before and knows how Kaepernick has performed in drills, meetings, etc. I’ve got to believe this move is based on something he’s seen there and not just a MNF game.

[Bucs_Rule]

Harbaugh drafted Kaepernick to be the future of the team. At some point Harbaugh will want to find out if he's the guy. Smith is as good as he'll ever be and is close to 10 years older then Kaepernick.

The problem is now isn't a great time as their just 1.5 games ahead of Seattle. If your a playoff contender you never get a good time to test an unproven QB, unless your seeding is secure at the end of the year. That's usually just for the last game. I think going with Kaepernick is the right move, if he struggles and the team loses go back to Smith. In the next couple of years the Niners will have to find a spot to try Kaepernick for extended playing time.

[49erNation85]

It's the wrong time to start Ck IMO. He had one good game against a defense that didn't show up. What happens if NO clobbers him?And we lose one game because of one bad move and lack of experiences?We don't have room for error here Jim , just place Smith back as the starter and we got this. Let the battle begin in the off season. Just a bad move this late in the year when the play offs are on the line.

[Ness]

I'm just afraid that game against the Bears was a flash in the pan kind of deal. Kaepernick didn't look this good in training camp from the reporters or in the preseason for sure for the most part. Also didn't look that great against the Rams early. Harbaugh deserves the benefit of the doubt for now, but if this blows up in his face while the 49ers are currently 7-2-1 his decision-making will definitely be questioned by not just the media, but maybe the players too.

Originally Posted by Bucs_Rule

Harbaugh drafted Kaepernick to be the future of the team. At some point Harbaugh will want to find out if he's the guy. Smith is as good as he'll ever be and is close to 10 years older then Kaepernick.

The problem is now isn't a great time as their just 1.5 games ahead of Seattle. If your a playoff contender you never get a good time to test an unproven QB, unless your seeding is secure at the end of the year. That's usually just for the last game. I think going with Kaepernick is the right move, if he struggles and the team loses go back to Smith. In the next couple of years the Niners will have to find a spot to try Kaepernick for extended playing time.

He could definitely go back to Smith. The risk is that you screw up the confidence of the guy you previously had starting. That and it makes it seem like Harbaugh just doesn't know what he's doing or can't make a decision.

[abaddon41_80]

I am just worried about if this is the right move for the team to win this year. As someone said, it is not like we have a stranglehold on the division and we still have to go to New England and Seattle before the season is over. If this backfires and we lose to the Saints then we almost have to win at least one of those games. That is a risky thing seeing as New England hasn't lost in the second half of the season since 2009 and Seattle wins at home even when they lose.

[cmarq83]

Originally Posted by Hurricanes25

He missed Hill on that play but I'm pretty sure Mark has ZERO confidence in Hill. He has been awful. The guy has stone hands.

Frankly I'm shocked they tried to play him this early in his career with him being so raw, even though they have nobody else. I didn't expect his hands to be as bad as they've been, but perhaps that can improve over time like it did with Owens and Edwards. Still at least he's consistently been able to get himself open which is encouraging. I wouldn't close the book on Hill yet.

[gpngc]

Originally Posted by Ness

I'm just afraid that game against the Bears was a flash in the pan kind of deal. Kaepernick didn't look this good in training camp from the reporters or in the preseason for sure for the most part. Also didn't look that great against the Rams early. Harbaugh deserves the benefit of the doubt for now, but if this blows up in his face while the 49ers are currently 7-2-1 his decision-making will definitely be questioned by not just the media, but maybe the players too.



He could definitely go back to Smith. The risk is that you screw up the confidence of the guy you previously had starting. That and it makes it seem like Harbaugh just doesn't know what he's doing or can't make a decision.

Originally Posted by abaddon41_80

I am just worried about if this is the right move for the team to win this year. As someone said, it is not like we have a stranglehold on the division and we still have to go to New England and Seattle before the season is over. If this backfires and we lose to the Saints then we almost have to win at least one of those games. That is a risky thing seeing as New England hasn't lost in the second half of the season since 2009 and Seattle wins at home even when they lose.

Harbaugh realizes that the Niners are always going to struggle with Alex Smith when they are in a tight game and especially trailing. That's just the nature of their offensive attack with Smith.

Because of this, he knows they don't have a great shot to aggressively pursue and go out and win a Super Bowl. Their only chance would be to outlast teams and hope to get a lead on everyone throughout the playoffs and sustain it. Problem is, teams in the playoffs are good and can stop the run usually. By the time you get to the postseason, it becomes all about the passing game.

So he made the right choice. The Alex Smith experiment was never a good bet to win the Super Bowl.

[gpngc]

Originally Posted by Docta

My friends showed me this picture and I yelled at them.

This photo in no way depicts Mark Sanchez missing a wide open receiver in game time. It just doesn't.

Sanchez's hips are open and his hand is off the ball so the entire defense has already reacted. The split second when Hill entered the frame from the left, Wagner was literally DIRECTLY in front of him.

Not saying Sanchez should've tested DICK SHERMAN in the right flat and thrown a pick like an idiot. Just pointing out that no one was open on the play and sometimes you need to credit a defense for doing a good job rather than focus on the QB.

[scottyboy]

does this mean Giants fans should be worried about Eli getting pulled for a young, fast QB? ****. Ryan Perriloux!

[gpngc]

Lions 38, Texans 34.

Redskins 28, Cowboys 21.

Jets 16, Patriots 13.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[descendency]

Originally Posted by gpngc

My friends showed me this picture and I yelled at them.

This photo in no way depicts Mark Sanchez missing a wide open receiver in game time. It just doesn't.

Sanchez's hips are open and his hand is off the ball so the entire defense has already reacted. The split second when Hill entered the frame from the left, Wagner was literally DIRECTLY in front of him.

Not saying Sanchez should've tested DICK SHERMAN in the right flat and thrown a pick like an idiot. Just pointing out that no one was open on the play and sometimes you need to credit a defense for doing a good job rather than focus on the QB.

Then why is Hill doing some cardio exercises in the back of the end zone? Is he being paid by Play 60?