# NFL Week 12 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 22, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859 "2012-11-22T19:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/121 "2012-11-28T14:52:25Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Two 49er bits. > first, top reserves Kendall Hunter (RB) and Kyle Williams (WR/PR) are both out for the season on the same 3rd Quarter play Sunday. This could mean playing time for heretofore inactive rookies A.J. Jenkins and LaMichael James, or at least putting in disgruntled backup Brandon Jacobs. Can you elaborate on Jacobs’ disgruntlement? I always liked him as a running back – the dude is huge. I know he wasn’t resigned by the Giants and went to the 49ers. Is he disgruntled because he’s 3rd or 4th running back on the depth chart or was he buried because he was disgruntled? And the Eagles just cut Jason Babin. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/122 "2012-11-28T14:55:04Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > Maybe I’m wrong and Rivers will thrive with a new coach - it wouldn’t be the first time. He needs a new offensive line more than a new coach, although the coach is no great shakes either. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/123 "2012-11-28T16:02:03Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Can you elaborate on Jacobs’ disgruntlement? I always liked him as a running back – the dude is huge. I know he wasn’t resigned by the Giants and went to the 49ers. Is he disgruntled because he’s 3rd or 4th running back on the depth chart or was he buried because he was disgruntled? > … He started the season injured, but even now he’s only been on the 45-man active roster two or three times, and has exactly one carry\* this season. A few weeks ago he was quoted and/or tweeted about not being happy buried on the depth chart. Then he retracted it after being talked to by Harbaugh. \*: plus one more carry that was nullified by a penalty. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/124 "2012-11-28T16:09:20Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Kaepernick is the shiny new thing. Both QBs are the beneficiaries of a great defense (#2 overall) and a great running game (#1 overall). Frankly I think you could put almost anyone back there and still have success. > > Personally I’ve never really been sold on Alex Smith, however he had a great year last season and was putting up similar numbers so far this year. The man deserves to get his job back. > > And Harbaugh being douchey? I’m pretty sure that’s because he’s a douchebag; _everything_ he does is douchey by default. I was never sold on Smith last season either, until the Saints game. He made some plays in that game that were great. And he’s had a couple great performances this season too, especially completion percentage-wise. I guess I feel bad for him. All those offensive coordinators, all that bad football seemingly behind him, he almost gets his team into the Superbowl and comes back better than ever, only to be shunned due to an injury. And the reason I think Harbaugh’s comment (“We’re going with the hot hand”) was so douchey was because Alex Smith WAS the hot hand! ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/125 "2012-11-28T18:03:50Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I was never sold on Smith last season either, until the Saints game. He made some plays in that game that were great. And he’s had a couple great performances this season too, especially completion percentage-wise. I guess I feel bad for him. All those offensive coordinators, all that bad football seemingly behind him, he almost gets his team into the Superbowl and comes back better than ever, only to be shunned due to an injury. > > And the reason I think Harbaugh’s comment (“We’re going with the hot hand”) was so douchey was because Alex Smith WAS the hot hand! I was surprised when Kaepernick started last week when Smith was cleared. I was also surprised throughout last year (and this) when Smith performed well. In the 2011 preseason, I was predicting Kapernick as the starter by mid-season, but Smith did a fine job. I can see sitting Smith an extra week to get him healthy, and I can also see why he could be upset about it. He hasn’t done anything to lose his starting job. He’s a good QB in the 49ers system. It calls for the defense and running game to control the game while the QB does enough to keep defenses honest and doesn’t make mistakes. And Smith has done a hell of a job with that. I think Smith should be starting, but Kaepernick clearly has long term potential. I don’t like changing from Smith, who was winning, if unspectacularly. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/126 "2012-11-28T18:41:29Z")
I’m conflicted. I’ve been a Kaepernick fanboy since his time in Reno, and I was insanely thrilled when the 49ers drafted him (I had even called dibs in the pre-combine draft thread two years ago). I think he’s better than Smith. That said, I think Smith should return to the starter role. He’s incredibly efficient and makes perfect pre-snap calls, and is capable of good games, like the playoff win over New Orleans. If he falters, then put Kaep back in. The biggest problem I have with Alex is he’s too hesitant. He won’t throw to receivers who aren’t very open (which israre in the red zone) and he takes too many sacks from holding the ball too long. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/127 "2012-11-28T18:52:29Z")
Who would you rather have starting in the NFC Championship game against the Giants: Alex Smith, who is solid and protects the football but can be rendered mediocre by a good defense, or Kaepernick, who may meltdown in some unforeseen way, but is big and mobile and has to be accounted for by the defense? I’d rather have Kaepernick. The Niners probably aren’t beating you with their passing game, but with Kaepernick I feel like there’s a better chance of him going off and spurring a blowout. They may be less likely to beat themselves with Smith at QB, but they don’t scare anyone either. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/128 "2012-11-28T19:09:11Z")
I have yet to see any evidence that Kaepernick can win a game by himself, but I see a very real chance of him losing one by himself. Anyway, they don’t need to scare anyone on offense with the #1 scoring defense and #2 overall defense. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/129 "2012-11-28T20:52:23Z")
Well, Harbaugh announced Kaepernick as the starter against St. Louis. We’ll see how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/130 "2012-11-28T21:14:17Z")
…goes. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859/131 "2012-11-29T04:26:06Z")
I hope LaMichael James gets the start. He is an amazing RB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-12/641859.md?page=6)