Quote Originally Posted by Mr. E View Post
I know, I was expecting pretty much nothing from both. Titans are doing a bit better than I expected (No Payton Manning and a relatively easy schedule helps), but Jesus the Niners are solid. It's been a painful majority of a decade, but there may be something to Harbaugh's system.

I still don't know if Alex Smith has what it takes to be the franchise QB (I'm thinking not), but the defense is vicious and pretty young. Might be the start of something.
If I had to guess, I'd say that the niners stick it out with Smith for a couple of years, and really hope that Kapernick develops into something more than what Smith is. For now, he's a quintessential game manager. He's prone to mistakes if you ask him to do more for you, and I really don't think the 49ers can win a game when they let up more than 27 points or so, but as long as the defense keeps the other team down they have a shot. I don't see how they can beat the Packers or Saints, but a couple turnovers throughout the course of the game could easily swing it in their favor. I wouldn't count them out, but at this point I think the NFC Championship Game will be Packers Saints, with the 49ers losing their first playoff game. Still, it was one hell of a year, and like I said anything can happen in one emotionally charged game, especially with a defense as good as the 49ers. Plus, with the way the team is built I don't see them losing the division any time soon, so you'll have something to look forward to every year.

Harbaugh is amazing. I think he's probably coach of the year. Maybe McCarthy, because that Packers team is unreal, but with the 49ers the only real change between this year and last was head coach, and the 49ers have turned into a top five team.

Quote Originally Posted by Mr. E View Post
And Jake Locker looked pretty good in his time against the Falcons a couple of weeks ago. He almost brought us back. I think the kid is going to be pretty good once Hasselbeck gets done with him. Hasselbeck may not have ever been great, but he's one of those guys who seems like he knows how to be and just never had the tools. Locker seems to have the tools.
Probably a fair assessment of Hasselback. He seems to be really good half of the time, but for some reason he was never the whole package. It didn't help that he never has anybody to throw to. His brother said that Britt was the best receiver he ever threw to, and that's probably true, but Britt lasted all of two games.

We'll see with Locker, horrible accuracy in college usually doesn't translate to the pros, but he definitely looks the part of the pro quarterback, in that he's built like one and has a strong arm. I still think they drafted him too high, and Ponder probably would have been the better pick (even Dalton, though that's more of a hindsight decision). The one thing you can say is at least he's not Blaine Gabbert.

I don't see how the Titans really make the playoffs this year, but they're a solid team. And maybe they could grab that second wild card spot. It's not like the Jets or Bengals are any better than the Titans are. They're all pretty much dead even.