Kaepernick Versus Campbell?

Added on Nov 14, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

What might end up a preview of the NFC Championship game on Monday night between the Bears and 49ers will be a bit less interesting with both Alex Smith and Jay Cutler expected to sit due to concussions. No offense, but Colin Kaepernick and Jason Campbell under center doesn’t sound nearly as appealing. Needless to say, two of the league’s best defenses will be licking their chops more so than usual.

Kaepernick is the polar opposite of Alex Smith. While Smith excels in Jim Harbaugh’s conservative run heavy scheme, Kaepernick is more a freelance signal-caller. He’s long, athletic and more apt to take off and run when plays breakdown. This could be a catastrophe in waiting against a Bears defense that has intercepted 19 passes and scored multiple touchdowns.

Campbell has 70 career starts under his belt and at times can look cool and confident. However, he’s also prone to severe lapses in judgment, especially in crucial situations. Having Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall will help, but Campbell can ill afford to force the issue.

Neither head coach will get too fancy with their game plans. Run the ball, play solid special teams, and hope the other guys makes a mistake. Preparing for Kaepernick is a bit tougher simply because there isn’t much tape on him, and the unpredictability factor. A couple of long scampers could end up being the difference in a close matchup.

Campbell’s experience can’t be ignored, though. He definitely represents a significant upgrade over Caleb Hanie, who filled in not so admirably when Cutler went down in 2011. Campbell won’t be afraid to air it out as he did last Sunday night when he hit Marshall for a 45-yard gainer.

Gleaning anything from Monday night’s outcome will be problematic due to the quarterback changes. Whichever team wins will gain ground in the race for NFC home field advantage, but booking tickets for New Orleans in February would be premature.