San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick doesn’t fit into any mold.
He’s not a true classic drop back quarterback and he’s not a pure running quarterback. He’s an eclectically talented quarterback blend and that makes him the X-Factor for this game.
“The thing that I’m most impressed (about) is how he throws the ball,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “He’s not a running quarterback. He’s a guy that can throw the ball and make things happen when the integrity of a play breaks down and he can run the read-option.”
Kaepernick, who’s in his first full season as the starter, slumped earlier in the season and the 49ers dropped back to back games to Carolina (10-9, on Nov. 10) and at New Orleans (23-20, on Nov. 17).
“As far as I’m concern, the quarterback hasn’t had any slump,” Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said. “I don’t look at it that way at all.”
They’ve since won four straight over Washington, St. Louis, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
Kapernick currently averages 12.87 yards per completion, which ranks fifth in the NFL.
He’s coming off a strong showing against Tampa Bay. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 203 yards for two touchdowns and had a passer rating of 108.8. The 49ers are 13-0 when Kaepernick has a passer rating of 90 or more.
Last season in the NFC Championship game, Kaepernick leaned heavily on this tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker. His tight ends caught seven passes for 105 yards and one touchdown in the 28-24 win over the Falcons on Jan. 20 at the Georgia Dome.
Overall, he completed 16 of 21 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown. He finished with a passer rating of 127.7.
“They’ve got a lot of good weapons around him,” Nolan said. “The receivers are good. They play very aggressive. They are a physical football team.
“The quarterback even plays a physical football game. He’s a big guy and he runs with the ball. He may not as big as (Carolina’s) Cam (Newton), but he’s a big guy with outstanding speed.”
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