Yes, he looked like garbage during the Giants loss and during several drives last night. But shuffling in Colin Kaepernick during critical moments near the red zone isn't helping matters, either.
Last week, Damon Bruce (KNBR) made a point on his show about the loss to New York that made a lot of sense. On the first drive of the game, Smith led the team down the field. The Niners faced a 3rd-and-7 just outside the Giants' 20 and the Kaepernick came into the game. Now, if I'm Smith, I'm thinking "I just drove you guys 60 yards against a pretty good defense, it's time to convert to keep the drive going, and you take me out? This is MY job! WTF?" Meanwhile, Kaepernick is ineffective, the team lines up for a field goal attempt on 4th down and Akers misses the kick. Boom goes the dynamite.
Throughout the game, the Niners brought Kaepernick in with mixed (mostly bad) results. At best, the 49ers pick up a few yards and keep the opposing defense guessing. At worst, it completely disrupts the quarterback's rhythm and often throws him back on the field in a do-or-die situation.
Last night, Kaepernick was brought in to run a second-down play in the red zone and a minimal gain set up a 3rd-and-7 situation. When Smith returned to the game, he had one chance to convert and he forced a ball into coverage that resulted in an endzone pick. It was a terrible throw, but also a terrible decision to put your quarterback in that situation.
On two other occasions, the Niners basically gave up on third down and ran designed running plays for Smith, including one on their last drive that could have wrapped up the game. It makes no sense. If he's your quarterback, make him act like a quarterback and MAKE A PLAY. Oddly enough, those two plays would have been more suited for Kaepernick's running abilities (although they would have been telegraphed if he entered the game at either of those two points).
There's a reason no team has sustained success with Wildcat formations: they are a gimmick. And once opposing defenses have seen enough of it on film, they can prepare for it and it becomes ineffective. That's why the Broncos were so eager to get rid of Tim Tebow despite a playoff victory over the Steelers last year, and why the pathetic Jets haven't even bothered using him in similar fashion this year.
One more thing - Smith gets absolutely blasted for every interception he throws. The guy has no margin for error with the fans and media these days, and I think he's deserved a bit of slack after last year's performance. If mistake-prone (and turnover machine) golden boy Tony Romo gets a free pass to remain the unquestioned quarterback in mediocre Dallas, Smith deserves to have a chance to let this season play out without getting burned at the stake.
Is Smith the long-term answer for the 49ers? Probably not. But until Colin Kaepernick is accomplished enough to run an entire offensive playbook, he's the best we have.
