In case you haven't been near a television, computer, or mildly informed sports fan in the last month, the 49ers seem to have ditched their old reliable quarterback Alex Smith for the exciting new model Colin Kaepernick, at least for the time being. Kaepernick has gotten the start the past two weeks, officially because Smith is still recovering from a concussion, although he was cleared to play yesterday. The only quarterbacks to record more wins than Smith over the past season and a half are Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan. Make no mistake, Alex Smith is not in the same league as those other two but rather he has been surrounded by the best team in the NFL. The niners' defense is easily the best in the league, surrendering a league low 14.1 points per game. Opposing O-lines have been simply unable to keep up with the Smiths (Justin and Aldon) and if they're lucky enough to hold them off until the quarterback can release the ball, the pigskin is property of Dashon Goldson or Chris Culliver. On the off chance that a receiver can get to the ball and make a clean catch, they are soon going to become very familiar with elite middle linebacker Patrick Willis. Things bode even worse for a team planning to run the ball, as San Fran didn't give up a touchdown on the ground until week 17 last year. In terms of offensive weapons, Alex Smith has had about as many toys to play with as a quarterback can dream of. Their ground attack is led by Frank Gore who is averaging near 6 yards per attempt and is as good a blocking halfback as they come. In the air, the niners have elite tight end and physical freak Vernon Davis complementing a receiving corps of Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. With all of these weapons, Harbaugh could put a toddler behind center and get the 15 points they need to win. With that in mind, I am really not concerned with who Harbaugh chooses. If he wants to keep Kaepernick and his unreal athleticism on the field or wants to go back to the consistency of Alex Smith, it won't mean any change in their record because the niners have assembled a team so good that for the first time ever, a team in Superbowl contention doesn't need an elite quarterback; we don't even need a good quarterback, just a body to catch the snap. As a niners fan, I should be on pins and needles waiting to see who gets the nod next week, but frankly, the Rams don't stand a chance either way.
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