Patrick Peterson Comments on Colin Kaepernick, 49ers
In the San Francisco 49ers’ week three matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers’ offense will be facing one of the best cornerbacks in the league, Patrick Peterson.
Peterson will most likely be matching up with Michael Crabtree, who has had significant success against the Cardinals in the past. Crabtree has 41 catches, which is his most against any opponent, 618 yards, and six touchdowns against the Cardinals in his career.
ESPN Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss explains these numbers though, in relation to Peterson:
"Before we begin debating how good Peterson is or isn’t because he hasn’t played like the elite player he’s supposed to be this season, let’s point out that Crabtree had 456 of those yards from 2011 to 2013, and in 2013 against Arizona he had just three receptions for 29 yards. Let’s break it down even more. In 2012, when Crabtree had a career-high 1,105 yards, it was in large part because the Niners’ offense was playing well and he was the primary option when he went off for 244 yards in two games against Arizona. Let’s go another level deeper. He had 18 catches on the right side from 2011 to 2013 compared to 12 on the left, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Peterson split his time almost evenly between the two sides so a very strong explanation for why Crabtree has torched the Cardinals is that if Peterson was covering him, Peterson tends to rely on his athleticism more than his skills, especially against top-tier talent."
Colin Kaepernick understands Peterson’s prowess and shared his thoughts on Peterson with Taylor Price of 49ers.com on Friday.
"“He’s a great player,” Kaepernick said this week. “Has all the physical tools you’d want in a corner.”"
Peterson has the same type of respect for Kaepernick. In the past, Kaepernick has put up great numbers against Peterson and the Cardinals’ defense, but Kaepernick struggled mightily last week against the Chicago Bears, as he committed four turnovers.
Price also shared some of Peterson’s thoughts on Kaepernick and his performance last week:
"“Kaepernick is a great quarterback,” Peterson said this week from inside the Cardinals locker room. “Games like that happen. It’s all a matter of how you bounce back from them. We just can’t have him bounce back and have a great game against us.”…“We have to make sure we keep him down,” Peterson said. “As a defense, we understand what type of quarterback Kaepernick is. He’s a play-maker. He has a strong arm. He can make plays with his legs and his arm, so we have to make sure we stay plastered in our coverage and make plays on his receivers.”"
Peterson also understands the significance of this matchup. Although it’s still early in the season, these two teams are playoff contenders that play in the same division. Any divisional game is important, no matter how early it is in the season.
Price shared Peterson’s comments on this game too:
"“Although this game is early, we can hold a tie-breaker,” the cornerback said. “Any time you can beat your divisional opponent, it’s huge, especially when you can do it this early.“The way this season is going, it’s a big game. Playing these guys, this game is early, but it means a lot.”"
Hopefully for 49ers fans, Kaepernick and the 49ers can overcome Peterson’s talent and secure their second win of the season.