San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick regressed in 2014, and the quarterback had the worst game of his career in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals, throwing four interceptions.
Former teammate and current Fox Sports analyst Randy Moss believes Kaepernick’s issues boil down to one major flaw: He just doesn’t read defenses well.
Speaking on the set of Fox’s pregame show Sunday morning, Moss elaborated.
“No he doesn’t read defenses well because if you’re looking at that tape, he threw two balls to Vernon Davis and got both of them for pick-six. …I think that from a coaching standpoint that they could make Kaepernick’s job a little easier, because one thing you don’t really see in San Francisco is a lot of motion. …And I think if they can help Kaepernick out in those little ways right there, I think that can help that offense out just a little bit.”
After Moss’ comments, both Champ Bailey and Michael Strahan pointed to coaching and poor preparation as reasons for Kaepernick’s failure so far. The entire panel agrees the 49ers need to let the embattled quarterback go back to being a true duel-threat quarterback if he has any chance of succeeding.
The 49ers have a tough task ahead of them in Week 4 when they host the unbeaten Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon. Aaron Rodgers is the hottest quarterback in the NFL right now, and Kaepernick will need to put points on the board for his team to have a chance for victory.
If Kaepernick continues to struggle throughout the season, it seems clear the 49ers would have to consider looking for another franchise passer. He’s in his fourth year as a starter and should be past the developmental stage. Unfortunately, either his coaches have failed him or he simply doesn’t have what it takes to be a franchise leader.