When we look back on the 2012 NFL season, there’s little question what it will be remembered for. As three more young quarterbacks saw their first significant playing time, it’s clear that we’re undergoing a quite remarkable changing of the guard at that position. As these young players develop, we’ll be in for a treat, much like Colin Kaepernick showed Monday night.
Who stood out along with him this week?
As news spread early Monday that Alex Smith wasn’t going to be cleared to play, Twitter exploded with eager anticipation of Colin Kaepernick’s starting debut in the NFL. Kaepernick was a darling of the online internet draft community last year, and the chance to see him face off against a strong Chicago defense was an outstanding opportunity to see just how well draftniks had done scouting him.
And while most people were pretty confident in their assessment of Kaepernick’s talent, very few saw Kaepernick having the debut that he did. Not only player deemed by many to be a long term developmental project lead his team to an impressive win over the Bears, but he also played well enough to ignite what could turn into a season long quarterback controversy in San Francisco.
Kaepernick looked nothing like quarterback who would be a run first, pass second player, and he didn’t look like someone who needed to spend any more time on the bench. His final stats, 16-23 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, were that of a seasoned veteran, not that of a project making his first start.
Kaepernick’s day was about for more than just his numbers, though. He consistently made throws that Smith has sometimes struggled to – throwing outside the numbers with accuracy, and isolating players like Vernon Davis when there is a clear mismatch.
In a league that revolves around the quarterback, talking about the “it factor” has become a bit a cliché, but it still rings true when talking about the second year quarterback. This is a 49ers team that might be the most talented in the league, but hasn’t played like that on a weekly basis this season. That wasn’t a problem Monday night, though. From the top of the roster to the bottom, this was a team that was willing to lay it all on the line under the leadership of Kaepernick.
Kaepernick’s explosive debut is great news for the 49ers long term outlook, but it does create some short term problems in San Francisco. Quarterback controversies are hardly ever beneficial to a team. Will Coach Harbaugh play it safe and hope that Smith can manage the 49ers to play off success? Or will he go all in and see if Kaepernick can carry them to the promised land? It’s a decision that not many coaches would envy, but it is one that needs to be made soon.
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Recapping the Top Match-Ups to Watch
Green Bay’s “Next Man Up” vs. Detroit’s OL
With Green Bay’s pass rushing unit banged up, this should have been a battle that Detroit won with no problem. But while Matt Stafford is again taking heat for a shaky outing, it’s time to take a serious look at the Lions’ offensive line. Stafford was under pressure all game long, and while he didn’t play well himself, he got no help from the guys up front.
The Packers were without Clay Matthews and Nick Perry, but they made up for those absences by getting the pass rush from the interior of their defense. BJ Raji had himself one of his bigger games in recent memory, and both Mike Daniels and Ryan Picket recorded numerous hurries. Those types of things should not be happening against a 3-4 defense, and it’s a problem Detroit needs to address immediately.
Atlanta RB Jacquizz Rodgers vs. Arizona’s Run Defense
We talked on Friday about Atlanta’s needing to get the running game on the right track. At some point their high octane passing offense was bound to fail them, and they’d need something to fall back on. Still, watching Matt Ryan throw five interceptions was something that no one would have expected.
While the Falcons’ ground game was still lethargic, there is some reason to think things are getting on the right track. For only the second time this season, Jacquizz Rodgers saw more snaps than Michael Turner. Unfortunately, Rodgers couldn’t get much going. His five carries only gained 16 yards, but he did however catch five passes. It’s a good sign that Rodgers is getting more snaps – now the Falcons need to focus on making sure he’s getting the ball in space where he can make plays. There are no guarantees that the passing offense is going to bounce back quickly – Julio Jones may have re-injured himself – and Atlanta probably won’t be able to overcome so many turnovers again. Can Rodgers be an effective second 
option for that offense?
Dallas OLB DeMarcus Ware vs. Cleveland LT Joe Thomas
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object? It’s a question that great minds like to debate, but when that scenario plays out on the football field, it can prove to be irrelevant when the quarterback that unmovable object is supposed to protect plays an awful game.
That was the case for Joe Thomas on Sunday. The tackle played about as good of a job as one can expect to play against DeMarcus Ware, allowing just half a sack. Ware wasn’t a big factor in this game, making this a win for Thomas. Unfortunately, Brandon Weeden played one of his worst games of the season and the strong game from his left tackle was all for naught.
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Rookie Watch
Rookie Quarterbacks Largely Disappoint in Debuts
For Nick Foles, this was his chance to make his case to be the quarterback of the future. Unfortunatly, the Eagles left the field on Sunday with nothing but question marks surrounding the future of their offense.
Foles was unable to throw a touchdown pass, completed less than 50% of his passes and overall didn’t look like a player that Philadelphia would feel good about leading this team in the future. Foles’ biggest problem was a lack of pocket presence. He continually imagined pressure that wasn’t 
there, rushed throws and scrambled when he didn’t need to. There’s not much surprise that Mike Vick suddenly is recovering from his concussion faster than he had been, meaning the Foles experiment may be ending sooner than later.
Ryan Lindley couldn’t have been expecting to see the field against the Falcons, and when he was inserted in favor of John Skelton, he looked about like we would think he would: a rookie sixth round pick who hadn’t expected to play.
Lindley’s performance wasn’t a disaster, and did actually show some promise. He showed excellent touch on deep passes and didn’t lose the game for Arizona. However, due to a lack of timing with the first team offense and a failure to make plays when he needed to, he didn’t win them the game either. Lindley’s performance won’t keep Arizona from looking to make a long term change at quarterback, but it didn’t cost him his job, either. Lindley looked like someone who could develop into a quality backup with more experience.
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Scouting Notes from Across the League
At least form my view, Trent Cole is washed up. He used to be a top pass rusher, but those days appear to be long gone. The season is pretty much a loss at this point…can we get Vinny Curry some playing time now, please?
There’s no question the Browns most valuable player is Joe Haden. When he’s off the field, not only do they lose a great corner, but the resulting shake up in the secondary is brutal. Buster Skrine simply isn’t ready to play outside. He’s done well in the slot, but he can’t handle the physicality of larger receivers at this point in his career.
Is it possible that Nick Fairley is the best defensive tackle in Detroit right now? He’s certainly played that way in recent weeks.
Stephen Hill is looking like the player many feared he would early in his career. He’s dropping passes and occasionally just looks lost in the Jets offense. He’s physically gifted, but he needs to adjust to the NFL game still.
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