NFL San Francisco 49ers

Colin Kaepernick Is Key To San Francisco 49ers’ Week 12 Win

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Colin Kaepernick San Francisco 49ers

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Week in and week out, a victory for the San Francisco 49ers depends largely on the success, or lack thereof, of one player — Colin Kaepernick. He’s a quarterback, which, by default or not, means he’s a leader. And every Sunday, the success of NFL teams is proven time and time again to be quarterback driven. So Kaepernick, by default or not, is the key to a 49ers’ win over the Washington Redskins. If you feel that you’d be better off banging your head against the wall than read about the obscenely obvious, I can’t blame you, but give me a chance to explain it a little differently.

The 49ers are 6-4, so the playoffs are within reach. If you subscribe to the theory surrounding the quarterback-driven league mentioned above, it would be hard not to give Kaepernick a substantial portion of the credit for the 49ers’ success thus far in 2014. However, it seems, at times, that the red, white and gold win in spite of Kap, not because of him.

In last week’s game against the New York Giants, the 49ers’ defense created five turnovers. San Francisco finished the game with a turnover differential of plus-four, which would typically coincide with a lopsided scoreline. It did not. The 49ers eked out a 16-10 win, and against the league’s 22nd-ranked pass defense, Kaepernick was 15-of-29 for 193 yards with one touchdown. It’s a theme all too familiar for San Francisco and 49ers Nation.

I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the amount of man games the 49ers’ defense have missed. In fact, I could count my digits twice and it still wouldn’t be enough to cover the total. From NaVorro Bowman‘s injury to Aldon Smith‘s peculiar sense of right and wrong, the defense has been without at least two elite front-seven starters in every game this year. And yet, they’re one of the most successful units in the NFL.

Giving up a total of 21.2 points per game (19.8 at home), the 49ers’ defense enters Sunday’s matchup as football’s fourth and sixth-ranked squad against the pass and run respectively. Anchored by standout linebacker Patrick Willis until a Week 6 toe injury ended his season, the 49ers have since relied on a mix of old and new to patrol the gridiron. Chris Borland, Aaron Lynch and Eric Reid have all shined while the likes of Justin Smith, Antoine Bethea simply continue to get the job done. Actually, that’s what this defense does; it finishes the job, which is something Kaepernick has struggled to do all year long.

Poised to set career lows in QBR, yards per pass attempt, yards per rush and sack percentage, Kap has been far from what everyone expected when he signed a $61 million, nuance-filled, guaranteed contract. This Sunday, No. 7 faces quite possibly the most balanced defense he’s seen all year. They’re ranked 10th in terms of opposition pass yards and 11th against the ground game, but the Redskins have given up an average of 26 points per game on the road, which is primarily due to the fact that they own a minus-11 turnover differential.

The 49ers, on the other hand, possess football’s third-best turnover ratio (plus-10), which means they have a unique ability to take the ball away from the opposition and place it in the hands of their quarterback, their leader. This Sunday will be no different, and once again, the onus is upon Kaepernick to take advantage.

Jeff Pearlman is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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