NFL Week 15: Mike Phipps' late delivery

Smith is 3rd in YPA: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2012/passing.htm

He is 1st in completion% http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2012/passing.htm

So he's quite good doing what the 49ers ask him to do.

 

Steve DeBerg?

Chad Pennington?

 

Hmmm... Pennington is an interesting one... Jay Fiedler?

 

Just slot in a QB who can't get the ball down the field.

 

Late-career Colts/Ravens Harbaugh is a good comparison, actually. Check out his 1995 stats. That's about the height of Smith's potential.

 

Smith is Tebow-ish in how you defend against him. You stack the box and dare him to beat you deep. You stack the box against Tebow because of the threat of him running and because he was not accurate long. You stack against Smith because he was not a threat deep, not because he was going to run.

Smith is like Pennnington or DeBerg, although DeBerg threw way more picks.

 

You really don't watch much football if this is what you come up with. But, I think you're the one who started the thread about how overrated Brian Urlacher is.

"Stacking the box" is a nice talk radio phrase, but there may not be two quarterbacks farther apart than Tebow and Smith in how you'd defend them.

 

RG3 and Peyton Manning?

 

As for the Smith comparisons, I don't know that it's all that necessary -- he's Alex Smith. Those seem more worthwhile for a young guy you're trying to project. That isn't the case here. I guess as for whether anyone like him has won a championship, Hostetler might be the closest -- low INT percentage, not a running quarterback but can move if needed, the kind of guy that you build a game plan figuring 20-24 points will be enough and just don't give the other team any gifts. Maybe Brad Johnson too.

 

Listen you're entitled to your opinion and your conclusions, that's fine. Stacking the box, whatever. I based my opinion on how I saw teams defend Tebow. The Steelers in the playoff game brought as many as 9 people within 10 yds of the line of scrimmage. That's how I see others crowding the 49ers with Smith at QB.

You say that's not how you see it but leave out specifics. Okay, then describe how its different.

As for the Urlacher thing, go ahead bring it up. If you want to pretend that you're perfect that's fine. I've admitted my mistakes.

Hostetler guided the Giants to a 15-12 victory in the NFC title game over you know who when Craig fumbled. Don't think he was extraordinary in "leading" the team to 5 FGs.

I personally would not rely on winning any game 15-12 these days. Even that 20-17 loss last year was likely the only type of game that Smith could win in a championship game; he was 12/26 for 199 and 73 were on that 1st TD to Davis. I am not betting on having the same opportunity in 2013; more offense is going to be needed.

 

And the evidence the other guy can provide said offense is what? He shredded the Saints? More offense will definitely be needed Sunday night. Let's see if it happens. If it does, fine. If not, the 49ers are in a cleft stick of the coach's own making.

 

So Kaepernick has to go into Foxborough and beat the hottest — and arguably the best — team in the league to prove Harbaugh didn't make a mistake? That bar is about 10 stories too high, don't ya think?