I'm not arguing that he's a top 5 QB, but if you look at the rest of SF's offense that game, and then look at what Kaepernick was able to accomplish, he was carrying that offense. Against one of the best D's the league has ever seen, he came up short, but he played better against that D than did Manning or Brees. If you take away his running ability, his game suffers a great deal. No arguing that. But there aren't too many D's that have the ability to make him a pocket passer; even Seattle struggled to do so in the Conference Championship. SF didn't use Kaepernick's legs very much at all during the regular season in 2013 - likely a combination of that foot injury and wanting to preserve him. But come playoff time, he has a lot of success with his legs, and he makes that offense very difficult to defend. If Richard Sherman doesn't make an A+ play in the NFC Championship, SF is your likely SB Champion. FWIW, that was as good as any game I've seen live. I've watched it at least 5 times. There were so many dynamic players, playing at such high levels, and the competitive intensity was off the charts. After the game, Jim Harbaugh didn't look as upset as he was excited to be part of such an amazing game. I'll grant you that Jim Harbaugh is a weird guy, but I think he had the right perspective. Kaepernick made his mistakes, but Seattle's D competes so hard on every play that those mistakes are almost inevitable. Kaepernick competed just as hard. He just came up short.
I understand why someone would favor Tannehill over Kaepernick as a projection. Tannehill looks more like a prototypical QB in terms of the way he plays. But I'd go with the guy who has played on the biggest stages - and whose play has ranged from very good to excellent and has more physical ability, not that Tannehill is lacking in that department. SF is the main reason I don't love picking Seattle to repeat. I still have them as the favorites, but in any other division, I'd have them as overwhelming favorites. The NFC West held the two best teams in the league and the best team to miss the playoffs. Where I'm getting, I think Kaepernick is very close to winning a SB. Kaepernick is going to have a legitimate chance to win the SB every year for the foreseeable future. He might not ever win it, but he'll have plenty of shots. He's close. Before I get blasted for failing to mention his team, let me do so. Kaepernick's team is better is better than Tannehill's in just about every way - aside from WR last year. He's playing on a great team. But I know that Kaepernick can play well in the playoffs, and I would like my chances of winning at least one SB before he retires. Tannehill, though hamstrung by a worse team, hasn't shown that. You can argue that he hasn't had a legitimate chance to show it. I don't want to get into that debate right now, but there's a lot of merit to that sentiment. My point is that it's against the way I evaluate people to project Tannehill up that many levels of success. Close to playoffs < Close to SB. Kaepernick has shown me that he can play well at a level of competition Tannehill hasn't yet reached. Again, that's not all Tannehill's fault.
This Tannehill's year to turn the tide. I see him getting excellent opportunities in this offense. He has a few guys who will fight for the rock over the middle of the field, and he has a couple of good, and different, finesse receivers on the outside. It's a combination that should work. Lazor's offense and the stability at OT are the big deals. I think he would have been doomed with another year tied to Sherman, but I think he has a solid shot to pull through with Lazor. But I don't like his chances better than a guy who has already done it - understanding the other guy had the much better team.
