Posted on 11/30/2012 10:32:42 AM PST by AmericanSamurai
SANTA CLARA -- Alex Smith got right to the point Thursday.
"It sucks," he said. "I don't know what else to say."
Speaking for the first time since 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed Colin Kaepernick's "hot hand" would start at quarterback Sunday at St. Louis, the demoted Smith appeared agitated over once again losing a job that's repeatedly been swiped from his grasp since he was drafted first overall in 2005.
"I feel the only thing I did to lose my job was get a concussion," said Smith, who sustained that brain trauma Nov. 11 during the second quarter of a 24-24 tie with the Rams.
Smith did not, however, blast Harbaugh's communication methods.
"We sat down and talked. It wasn't a one-sentence thing," Smith said. "He explained where he was coming from, felt it was a difficult situation but wanted to go in this direction."
Did Smith try to talk Harbaugh out of starting Kaepernick for a third straight game?
"No, I mean at this point, what's talk going to do?" Smith responded. "I felt he made up his mind. He's not a guy who didn't put thought into it already."
In his last full outing, Smith completed 18 of 19 passes in a 24-3 win at Arizona, earning him a first-career NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. Dating back to halftime of an Oct. 18 win over Seattle, Smith is 35 of 38 for 385 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.
"It's tough. You state your case with your play, and I feel I've done that," said Smith, who leads the NFL with a 70.0 completion percentage and ranks fifth with a 104.1 passer rating.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
Perhaps you misunderstood my meaning.
Smith getting up there and saying what you suggested IS acting like an a-hole.
Of course, I don’t buy into your notion that he’s whining because he said it sucks. Sounds like an honest appraisal to me for a guy who led the team to a 19-5-1 record during his tenure as starter.
And the only QB in history who doesn’t get credit for leading his team to the playoffs (and eventual SB victory) is Trent Dilfer.
Had Harbaugh gone right back to Smith and benched Kaepernick, only to see Smith throw a handful of picks to the Saints, the same complainers would be second-guessing that move, too.
Stats only tell a part of the story. Smith was playing good this season, but he has limited awareness in the pocket, and checks down to safe receivers too often. When a play breaks down, Smith gets tackled or throws the ball away. Kap scrambles and makes a play.
It’s a ballsy move by Harbaugh. He’s going to look stupid if the league gets Kap figured out. In some ways it’s similar to when Montana replace Steve Deberg as the 9ers starting QB. The difference is that Walsh made the move with a losing team. This years 9ers are well on their way to the playoffs.
I do feel bad for Smith. He’s a good kid and a pretty good QB. Then again Wally Pip was probably a good guy, too. Hopefully, Smith can go to a team that needs a starter.
Ok, it is possible, though I have yet to see it. The AZ line has been practicing the "Matador" style... wave your cape and let the defender run by!... and is slowly remembering the need to block...
Kolb might yet step up.. so far just not seeing it. Then again, it's hard to see through tears :)
Exactly... and nobody gave Smith a better shot at self-actualizing than Harbaugh. Because of the work the Niners' coaching staff put into that reclamation effort, Smith will be able to land a starting job and a nice salary with a team who needs him. Absolutely, he will be starting next year.
I think that you had better check something other than Wiki.
I remember when Kaepernick was a freshman at Stanford and beat USC by the score of 14-13. It was considered to be a huge upset.
After the game, the sports journalist on the field asked to speak to Harbaugh. He pointed at Kaepernick and said, “Speak to him. He did it. Not me,” or words to that effect.
I would gladly take Smith on my team. Finding a league-tested quarterback can be very difficult. Just ask many of the current losing teams. If I was the Eagles GM I’d be on that phone in a heartbeat. And the Jets, Holy Crap! Don’t criticize him for making money. They ALL make money. And you guys pay for it. Man, you guys are so hyper-critical it’s bizarre. It’s sports. Sports is entertainment. Jeeze, mellow out and try to enjoy it. You guys are way too serious!
That’s a very reasoned position. I appreciate the insight... although I still hate the 49ers because of their first game this season.
I can think of one Don Majkowski, who lost his starting QB job for good after injuring his ankle early in the 1992 season. The sub who replaced him: Brett Favre.
**it happens.
Heh... Smith may not be starting, but he's good trade bait. Your next five 1st rounders, plus your first-born, please. ;-)
Then the Niners will have both the first and last pick (32) of the First Round of the 2013 draft.
Do you see what I just did there......?
Drew Bledsoe, Tommie Maddox. Lots of guys lose their jobs due to injury, all it takes is a backup that’s better than you. And it stinks, I feel bad for Smith who seems to be a pretty bright grounded guy that managed to survive a bad situation in SF. But that’s life, Kaepernick so far appears to be the better QB.
I want a backup quarterback who wants to play. I have no problem with Smith saying something like this and a coach who is a competitor shouldn’t either.
Losing a job due to injury sucks. Harbaugh made the decision that he thinks will most help his team, and Smith was careful to say he wasn’t going to buck his coach. But, yeah. Give me a guy who wants to play instead of standing on the sidelines in a baseball cap holding a clipboard.
Kaepernick was a redshirt at Reno in 2006. In 2007, he became the starting QB at Reno midway through the season. 2007 was Harbaugh’s first year as Stanford’s HC. That year Stanford beat SC 24-23. Stanford’s QB that day was Tavita Pritchard.
I’m surprised by Matt Shaub. I had never heard of him, and he’s leading the Texans to a spectacular season. Where the hell was this guy for the last 8 years?
Don’t go buying a bigger trophy case just yet. There’s a lot of competition left to go. I’m hoping for a Harbaugh bowl though. I was hoping for that last season too. I just think it would be cool. I like both their coaching styles, I like how they’ve both turned their teams around, and the media week talk would at least be kind of interesting for a day or 2.
I'd be happy with that.
I just don't want to see a Manning Brothers Bowl. (Though it could happen.)
<< Bottom line: Smith will not be in SF next season. >>
I’ll trade you Mark Sanchez for Smith, straight up, right now.
Signed,
Jets Fan
It would be kind of funny if Eli (the “lesser” of the two) went up 3-1 on his brother with a head-to-head. But the press slurping of Peyton and his “miraculous” come back would probably cost me a TV.
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