I dont believe that Colin Kaepernick is, ever was, or ever could be a good starting QB in the NFL. He simply doesnt have any game intelligence, and he tries to make his living entirely off his athletic skills, which I readily concede are formidable. But athletic skills dont translate into good QBs - brainpower does. To be a good QB, you need to be smart. You need to be able to read defenses, memorize and act on tendencies, and make split-second decisions that can make or break a game. Kaepernick has no aptitude for any of this. I think a lot of Kaepernicks success his rookie year - which he has not approached since - came due to a combination of luck and lack of familiarity. Teams were surprised by his ground speed, and that caught people off guard. As teams grew to know him and how he plays, his production has diminished rapidly. He was a one-trick pony, and now that trick is all used up. Contrast with Russell Wilson, who is a true tactician. Teams havent figured him out because theres nothing to figure out - they already know what he does and they just cant stop it because hes so dynamic. He doesnt rely on his athletic skills, which are also formidable; he relies on his game smarts. Wilsons legs arent a one-trick pony; theyve been integrated into the strategy of the offense and are used to the teams tactical advantage. Look at that first touchdown he scored today - after seeing the defensive end bite to the inside, he keeps the ball instead of handing it off and runs in for the touchdown. Thats a deliberate use of his skills in an overall team context, and its something they do time and again - sometimes handing it off, sometimes not, depending on how the defense is reacting to the play in the first second from the snap. Everyone has already figured it out, everyone knows that its coming, but they cant stop it because the execution and decision-making is so sound. Thats not luck or reliance on athletic talent; they practice that stuff relentlessly until its perfected. Back to Kaepernick. This is his post-game presser after being humiliated by the Raiders today. Look at the body language and the facial expressions. Look at the shifty eyes. Listen to the terse, vapid answers. THIS IS THE LEADER OF THE 49ERS. Would you follow this man? Would you work side-by-side with him trying to correct problems and fix mistakes? Would you go into meetings with him and attempt to have thorough discussions about the strategies and goals of the team? Imagine a co-worker or business partner being like this when things go south. Again, contrast with Wilson, who would never give a post-game interview like this one. Leadership is probably the most vital skill a quarterback can have, and Kaepernick has none.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 06:27:35 +0000
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