2011, Where They Stand: San Francisco 49ers (Part I)

Is it possible for bloggers and fans to now believe that SF is not a fluke, but the real deal? I am flat out excited about every aspect of the team and their play!

As much hatred as I have spewed for a number of years about Alex Smith…yes, i am eating crow…the above statement is 100% incorrect.

The Heard says the "niners are a “QB away from a Super Bowl”, and my response is, “Ok, and Alex Smith is a step away from being that QB”. The point is, he’s still growing. I don’t think we’ve seen it all from him yet. He’s had barely two months working with Harbaugh, and already the change is pretty amazing – fewer mistakes (his TD to INT ratio, his management of the WCO, etc), better footwork, better pocket presence, better location on his passes (especially the out route). There are two and a half months left in the season, maybe three given how the team is playing, and he’s being coached up every week by Hardballs. So while people are talking about Alex and evaluating him as if he’s a finished product, and what you see if what you’ll get… I think that’s really missing the whole picture. He’s not the QB today he’s going to be in December, not under Harbaugh and Chryst. And as I posted elsewhere, I expected him to regress here and there across the season, and then excel, and that’s still what I expect. If Detroit was a regression, I’m willing to bet here that we’ll see a huge step forward against Cleveland. While the rest of the team is flying home for a deserved bye week break… Alex was out throwing to the rooks yesterday, under Harbaugh’s supervision. He has a fire in him this year, and he knows he finally has a coach and a system that will allow him to show what he can do. He’s been called a bust for six years, and now, with FA coming up for him at the end of the season, he has a chance to elevate his reputation, and his paycheck, exponentially. I’ve never been an Alex lover or hater, but I’m definitely moving to the “like” side of the fence – I especially admire his toughness – and I have a very strong feeling we’re only seeing the beginning of the transformation. Just as Harbaugh opened up his offense the past few weeks (even while claiming he wasn’t, love that man), watch him open up Alex across the second half of the season. We aint seen nothin’ yet…

but a good season. The injuries to two top receivers has obviously hurt. Had hopes for the Az St. kid but he hasn’t shown up yet.
Passing game should improve as season advances. Just stay away from those high middle passes.

Yes – he is much improved this year (thank you Harbaugh).
Yes – I think he will continue to improve over time, specifically with his accuracy, mobility and leading receivers to open area…..for the longest time (and multiple offenses) he hasnt really had a chance to excel. Albeit, his numbers arent like the big names to date. But he is part of a winning team. In fact, during a huge road win (Detroit), he threw the winning TD on a 4th and Goal with little time left.
No – I would never compare Smith to the likes of Montana or Young. But HE is developing into a ‘Smith’!

Alex has taken way to much flack for the 49ers woes over the years. When your a bad team your a bad team and that is exactly what the Niners were. The coaches were new every year the systems were different every year. Our secondary was horrible our o-line never protected any QB that was back there. I like Alex n always have and I believe that the difference this year is that the o-line is much better our secondary is much better our coaches are much better therefore Alex is better because the team as a whole is better. That’s the reason we get to the playoffs that’s the reason we may have a chance to play in a SB. I could care if he ever makes a pro bowl as long we continue to win that’s the stat that matters!

Is making good reads and making the throws that the coaches have asked him to make in the scheme they are playing. The complexity of the throws are as hard as the plays have made them to be. I will be the first to say that at the start of the season I was a die-hard Kaepernick supporter. Mostly because I was putting the blame on Alex as a QB for all the hardships in San Francisco and not the coaches. I think that Alex has made some very good throws this year and he has even done a better job with his foot-work and escaping sacks. He could easily have 3 or 4 more strip-sacks, but he has done a really good job taking care of the ball. Everyone keeps mentioning the high pass to Crabtree, but you can’t blame him entirely. The only receiver that he hasn’t been able to get on track with thus far is Crabtree because of his injury. So far I think Alex is doing exactly what is necessary for this team. If the O-line would stop putting him in such poor situations with false-starts and holding penalties that are putting us in 3rd and long situations we would see even better numbers coming from him. Thus far in the season there have been quite a few drops which are also hurting his numbers. The way this offense and defense are built through field position and clock management Alex hasn’t been forced to put up huge numbers. There have been times (like the Eagles game) where he has shown that he is able to do so. He is coming through clutch and not letting some mistakes get him down. I am really sick of hearing this and that about the deep ball, his long release and throws he can’t make when every QB coach that has worked with him says he has all the mechanics to be a GREAT QB. I will take their word about throws he can and can’t make before I take any of yours. All in all I got much more than I was assuming with Alex and it has been a pleasant surprise. It has been great to see the Niners playing the way that they are and if we can take care of more of the stupid mistakes on offense with penalties and dropped balls we will see a much more explosive offense. The QB is going to make mistakes no matter what. No matter how good he is. Right now Alex is making less than some of the “Elite QB’s” People need to wake up and give him some props.

score for clev game stats say 28-17 niners also did for gb if we played them now and and
sf 32 gb 27.
alex stll needs to improve, lots of dropped passes but 11-19 tb and 17 of 32 det is too low. either improve or throw to receivers that can catch “the ball”. backfield or te’s, still looking for more to fb (wco). question, does harbaugh know something about going from coast to coast that others don’t?
unbelievable , thank you harbaugh ,jim that is.

throw the ball 50 times and get 300+ yards. walsh said something like, throw the ball more than 30 times and you probably lost the game.