GP
Go Texans!
Back when he made the call, I said it was a mistake.I'll admit, I disliked Alex Smith losing his job through no real fault of his own, especially at a time when the NFL is trying to encourage player safety (debatable). Smith followed the rules and here came Kaepernick.
However, as I type I have a hard time saying Harbaugh was wrong. The kid has dimensions to his game Smith does not. Harbaugh risked a lot making this call.
Thoughts?
This is why I don't coach for a living. Obviously.
Russell Wilson and Kapernicky are, possibly, the future prototype of NFL QBs. Vince Young was also a playmaker, but he had no passing skills and was a head case.
Cautionary tales though: Vick's body is taking a body, so whatever passing skills he had are now limited because of his inability to simply stay on the field and out of danger. RGIII is also suffering from his own brand of playmaking ability.
Guys who can run but know when to duck out of bounds, guys who run but know when to hit the turf and take a sack, etc., they can play awhile. Steve Young did it until he took a few too many nasty hits to the dome. Brees seems to be the best playmaking QB who knows when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
Wilson and Kaperninsky are going to have to really stay disciplined and continue to grow as passers. Maybe the defenses in the NFL figure these guys out next year. Maybe they don't.
But right now, when guys like Johnny Manziel (TAMU) account for over 500 yards of production, and when guys like Kapernaut account for over 400 yards of production, it makes you think that with then NFL rules so slanted toward protecting QBs.......why NOT take a chance on this type of QB? Makes a lot of sense to me.
Or use a Sloth-type pocket passer. Who gets injured on a simple QB sneak, or folds up under a 3-man pass rush with the nearest guy 3 yards from him.