After losing to the Seattle Seahawks this past weekend, one would think that San Francisco 49ers’ coach, Jim Harbaugh, would be disappointed with his players, but nothing could be further from the truth.
In a post-game press conference, Harbaugh said he was pleased with both the offense and defense, and thought it was one of the best games he’s witnessed in his life. Plus, he said the loss had nothing to do with a lack of effort on his team’s part, and it was just how the game ended up going. “We played well,” he said. “The game itself was one of the best games I’ve ever witnessed as a coach or player, because the players played their a– off. It was a credit to the players in the game, the way they played.”
And as far as the 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, he had a smorgasbord of wonderful plays, including a 30-yard pass, off of one foot, to wide receiver Anquan Boldin in the third quarter, so it’s unlikely that Harbaugh or the 49ers organization will be looking elsewhere during the off-season for another quarterback. “I thought Colin played his a– off,” said Harbaugh.
Back in November, the always animated coach said he didn’t know why the young quarterback received so much criticism. “I think he’s doing a heck of a job,” said Harbaugh. “I guess I’d be puzzled to why people would think that. What’s most important is what we see. I’m puzzled to why you or anybody else thinks that….He’s been consistently good. He’s been like that every week [whether] he’s been a backup or a starter.”
Since playing, Kaepernick–who was also drafted by the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher in 2009– completed 58 percent of his passes, had 5,046 yards, 31 touchdowns and threw 11 interceptions, which many coaches in the NFL would be glad to take.
And since he’s still learning the league’s ropes and getting used to being a team leader, many would probably say the loss against the Seahawks was a mere hiccup, and Kaepernick is bound to get the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. But of course, time will tell.
Image via Wikimedia Commons