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It's obvious to anyone by now that Alex Smith should have started the game against the Packers this past Saturday, and there are plenty of reasons to support that argument. For starters, the NFL is a unionized sport and if you have ever been in a union, you know that seniority matters. Clearly, Alex should have started over newbie Colin Kaepernick because he's an eight-year veteran whereas Kaepernick is just a second-year kid.

Also, Smith can do things that Kaepernick doesn't do, such as check-down on every play or take a sack when the pocket collapses. Smith would never try to run for a single-game record of 181 yards. Remember, Smith can check-down to Frank Gore like it's nobody's business.

Now you may think that Smith would have cost the 49ers the game over the Packers, but that isn't necessarily so. Last year, the defense and running game worked twice as hard, so Smith could 'manage' them to the NFC title game.

But anyways, the 49ers can still bring back the league's premier 'game manager' for the NFC title game. Smith's conservative play and elementary throws make other game managers like Matt Schaub and Jay Cutler look like junior varsity kids.

If coach Jim Harbaugh's smart, he'll start Smith over Kaepernick next week, but not because Smith has necessarily earned it but because he DESERVES it. Forget the long-ball or 50-yard runs from the quarterback folks; you know you want to see that check-down, and nobody does it better than Alex Smith.