oh boy, a quarterback controversy!!!

Ever since I started my nutritional cleanse and detox, particularly the initial 30-days, I've not been posting about my beloved 49ers. No dedicated posts about each game; all I can recall remarking about was the issue with the replacement refs. Which may actually come back and bite us (meaning the Niners) because the Seahawks are a threat to win the division still. Darn referee lockout! 

I've been laying low here on this quarterback controversy matter. But here goes with some of my musings about the Smith vs. Kaepernick conundrum we find ourselves in: 

Where to start? Well, first of all, for all those too young to remember the great Montana vs. Young battle and have been thinking that you'd like to know what a QB controversy feels like, here you go! Not at the same level, of course, being that both Joe Montana and Steve Young are in the Hall-of-Fame, but really, quarterback controversies are not all that fun. Sure, it's better to have too many good players than not enough, but it's one heck of a sticky situation to have to deal with. 

You're dealing with human beings with human emotions, not just commodities. These are hyper-competitive athletes with pride that also happen to be very public personalities. They exist in fish tanks for all to see. That's why Coach Harbaugh has been trying walk a very narrow tightrope; he needs to make sure that his two quarterbacks are going to be able to perform their very best if and when they are called upon. 

I am quite happy to see the outpouring of support for Alex Smith, especially in light of what he's been through with the 49ers. The hurdles he has faced since being drafted are well documented: different coaching staffs and different playbooks almost every single year, rosters that could use improvement, an injury that led one coach to question his toughness that later required surgery and a lost season, probably many more. And still Smith soldiered on and remained loyal to the Niners. And he was among the tops of the league in many categories this season no less! 

His improvements could be traced to one man: Coach Jim Harbaugh. He built up Alex Smith's confidence and played to Smith's strengths. He, more than anyone else previous, was responsible for Smith no longer being seen as a bust, but a viable team leader and bona fide NFL starting quarterback. 

Yet then again, there is 2nd-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He was drafted by the 49ers during Harbaugh's tenure; apparently he was Harbaugh's personal choice, selected by the team at his bequest. Kap is Harbaugh's guy. More of a gunslinger, more instinctual and willing to improvise, a stronger arm, more willingness to run and faster than Smith - he's like a wild Mustang with smarts! 

So what to do? I can fully understand the contingent that prefers that Smith get back his starting job, lost in the first place only because he suffered a concussion. In a heart-warming way, people believe he should get the opportunity to complete his journey and maybe lead the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and perhaps even a Super Bowl victory. A triumph of the greatest magnitude! 

And it's not just about sentimentality - these Smith supporters would also argue that Smith has the necessary experience and skills to put the team over the top that Kap lacks at the moment. They see yesterday's loss as what would have been a victory had Smith been the starter. 

On the other hand, I can recall that for many seasons, there has been an outcry for the Niners to get the speedy type of receivers that were fast enough to take the lid off of the coverage; that is, extend the field and make the long passing game an actual threat. Either Smith lacks the arm strength and accuracy, or he is not willing to pull the trigger because it's not in his personality. So even having the speed won't mean much if the quarterback won't make the corresponding throws. 

Hence, Colin Kaepernick. He's got the arm and the willingness to throw it far downfield. He just lacks the experience right now. Plus, he's more natural at throwing passes that can be caught in stride - my gosh, I can recall countless times when Smith threw passes during broken plays where the ball didn't lead the receiver and were even at their feet. 

Sooo... what choice would I make? If Kap were my guy, it would eventually stink for Smith either way. It would be a tough gig for him to know that unless he leads the team to a Super Bowl victory this year, he'd be out. There is no easy way to make the change. On the human and loyalty level, I'd have Smith start, but on a strictly football level, I believe that Kaepernick has the set of skills that I'd want for now and into the future. He'll just have to learn real fast this late into the season and I think he can. Thought he played pretty well yesterday, I really do. Some mistakes for sure, but mistakes were made by many, including the coaching staff. If they had to lose a game, yesterday's wasn't the worst one to lose. If Kap and the rest of the team can learn and improve upon it, things can still work out. 

Projecting into the future even more, then, if Kap establishes himself, there is no way that Smith will want to remain with the 49ers as a backup. Therefore he'd want to move on, and after his latest starts where he was extraordinarily accurate and effective, well, he made one heck of a case for himself with other teams. Unless they wanted to take the chance that they would be able to outbid everyone else for his services should he be let go by the Niners, then he ought to be available for a trade - and he should be able to garner some great compensation. A high draft pick perhaps? But this is thinking way too far ahead. Let's see how this season goes. Alex may yet be the one who leads the 49ers to their 6th Lombardi trophy.