You may remember the big game last year. The 49ers in the red zone, with multiple shots on a touchdown to win the Super Bowl. Despite Michael Crabtree staying on the play, the ball was thrown out of reach. Kapernick’s detractors complained. Fast forward to this year’s NFC title game. With enough time for 2-3 more plays, Kapernick forces the ball into Michael Crabtree. Richard Sherman falls back and puts a hand on the ball. The end result was an interception by the Seattle Seahawk, the game and the season ended for the San Francisco 49ers. Complicating the situation, comments from an overconfident Richard Sherman.
The fan growling now above a low murmur. What was wrong with the play call? Stronger still, is Kapernick the right guy? Skeptics are now increasing in number. Is Colin Kapernick the guy who can lead the San Francisco 49ers to the ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl? Can we get there and win in our own backyard in 2 years? Is this the young man who can take us back to our glory days?
If you compare the 49ers Super Bowl years, does it seem like we have as much, if not more, talent on the field as they did then? Training? I don’t think anyone is questioning the success of Jim Harbaugh and his staff. Were the 49ers as good as their opponents? the 49ers beat a rejuvenated Green Bay team in zero-degree Green Bay. This is no small feat and something that even the Super Bowl teams could not overcome. Young Kapernick is undefeated against the Packers. They also beat a very good Carolina Panther team on the road. It is not an easy task to advance to Seattle and almost come out with a victory.
So what is the missing ingredient? A good coach like Jim Harbaugh should know. It is so simple and right under your nose. Before his success as a head coach, Jim Harbaugh started as a quarterback coach with the Oakland Raiders. Joe Montana and Steve Young had Matt Cavanaugh and Gary Kubiak to discuss things. Why does the San Francisco 49ers have such a young quarterback without a tutelage? He really had no one to learn the job from as Alex Smith struggled with multiple offensive schemes in his time with the 49ers. Who is there to go over the two minute drill with Kapernick and talk about high and low percentages and whether it is a good idea to force the ball towards the receiver? Even Jim Harbaugh, who was a quarterback and also a quarterback coach, should be able to figure this out. Colin Kapernick has only been at this 2 years and is still learning the game. It has all the tools you could want for your quarterback. I don’t think anyone disputes that point. Two things we still need to see and that we can achieve with Kapernicks’ incredible talent, the finesse of passing (comes with time and experience, see Alex Smith). Experience is invaluable and Kapernick has it. The big winning game, as well as the tough loss, the playoffs and the Super Bowl experience. The only thing he doesn’t have is a top NFL quarterback as a coach and mentor. If you get Colin Kapernick, he’ll eventually live up to all that potential.
