San Francisco 49ers: What Does Colin Kaepernick Have To Prove?

Aug 8, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) attempts to throw a pass against the Denver Broncos at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The recent comments of Ron Jaworski set the social media world on fire. Jaworski said on ESPN that the San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick could end up being the best quarterback ever. That is quite a lofty thing to place on the quarterback that is yet to play a full season.

Jaworski felt that having Jim Harbaugh as his head coach would help Kaepernick. He said that Harbaugh will coach him hard and demand excellence from him. He also loves the skill set that Kaepernick brings to the table. There is a lot of potential, without a doubt.

When approached about the comment, Kaepernick gave the best answer: “I’m very flattered by it, but at the same time I haven’t played a full season.”

The “hasn’t played a full season” approach is one that many who feel Kaepernick has something to prove has taken. The sample size is small, but a very high level of quarterback play happened within it. Truth is, Kaepernick does have a lot to prove.

He has to show that his body is capable of taking the hits that an NFL quarterback takes. One of the big arguments that Kaepernick doubters come up with is that he can’t sustain his health for a full season. There will be a target on him so it will be even more necessary to slide and get out of bounds to avoid big hits. Teams will be looking to really hit him hard as they attack the mesh point on read option plays.

The 49ers had the black no contact jersey on Kaepernick at practice today. They want to make sure they can avoid a freak injury.

Another thing that Kaepernick has to show is that he can pass from the pocket. Many don’t give him the credit for being the complete quarterback that he is. Anquan Boldin spoke about that earlier in camp. He mentioned how many people on the outside focus too much on how great of an athlete that he is. This allows people to overlook some of the other things that he does well.

He made some pretty nice throws from the pocket in a game against the Patriots and in the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens. He has the arm strength to attack any part of the field.

There is a misconception that Kaepernick is a quarterback that frequently runs as soon as things break down. That is not the case though. Kaepernick runs to pass. At times, he is able to move within pocket and create time for a big play to develop. This is exactly how he connected with Michael Crabtree on a touchdown in his first career start.

Some question the touch that he puts on balls. Kaepernick needs to continue to show that he is capable of throwing the ball with accuracy and getting it to receivers in spots where they can make plays.

He also needs to prove that even though he does have a big arm, he can make the touch throws. Some critics have said that he lacks the ability to throw touch passes especially in the intermediate passing game. Kaepernick showed that he is capable of doing putting touch on passes down field when he threw a perfect drop shot to Kyle Williams on a corner route for a 44 yard gain against the Chicago Bears.

The last area that I want to address is the perceived notion that he is not accurate. This is something that people questioned as he came out of college. There are many examples of the opposite. One can look at the Divisional Playoff game last year against the Green Bay Packers as an example. He threw an absolute laser to Michael Crabtree on a slant that was placed in a spot that only his receiver could catch it.

In the screenshot above, you will see that Crabtree is covered and one of the defensive linemen is about to beat the guard. Kaepernick is in the pocket and sees this. As shown by the blue line, he slides to the left. You will see in the red how Crabtree breaks his route off and resorts to the quarterback scramble drill.

Here you see how Kaepernick was able to move within the pocket and escape pressure while Crabtree was able to get open in the back corner of the end zone. Kaepernick knows that Crabtree will go there because they practiced this over and over. There is an open running lane for Kaepernick but he refused to go for the short gain because he has the big play in mind. The throw to Crabtree was a perfect shot to the back of the end zone for the touchdown.

Another example of the pinpoint accuracy that Kaepernick is capable of came on a pass that he threw to Delanie Walker in the Super Bowl. He was able to protect Walker by throwing the ball to his back shoulder on a dig route in which the safety was setting up to lay a big hit. Kaepernick saw this and threw the ball a bit behind him to make him slow down and catch the ball without getting blasted.

These are only two examples of the reason why there should be a lot of excitement surrounding Colin Kaepernick. He is the ultimate dual threat quarterback. Many have said that defenses have had a full off season to study ways to stop him and that will slow him down.

Funny thing is, those same people don’t realize that Greg Roman, Jim Harbaugh and company have now had a full offseason to focus on the offense surrounding him as the quarterback. That was not the case last year because Alex Smith was the starter going into the season. Roman has already said that he has worked on some new plays and schemes to feature the strengths of his quarterback.

The 49ers have also hired Eric Mangini, a very good defensive coordinator who is well-versed in the 3-4 defense. He was brought on to help the offensive staff see how defenses are likely to prepare to stop them. This will be of great benefit to the offense.

There are some that feel Kaepernick has a lot to prove. You can count me in that group. He has had some lofty expectations placed on him but he is in the right situation and has the right mindset to handle it. Just refer back to his comments in the beginning of this article.

Kaepernick shows maturity and poise beyond his status as a quarterback going into his first full year as the starter. The way he led a 17 – 0 comeback against the Falcons to win the NFC Championship and how he helped get them back in the game after being blown out in the Super Bowl show that he is a very unique player. He will prove himself and make his mark as one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the NFL.