http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2013/7/31/4561592/alex-smith-preview-for-2013-is-he-ready-for-the-challenge-all-22-film
Harbaugh came in and taught Alex to play safe football. This is well-documented. Alex was told that sacks are better than INTs, and a dump off on 3rd and 8 that picks up 5 yards is better than "forcing" something for a potential first down. This is the SAME WAY Harbaugh played football back in his days as a QB. Harbaugh knows it can work, and can win games, but he also knows it has its limits. In my opinion, this is precisely why Alex was so confused over the QB take-over. Because Kaepernick was going out there and taking risks and just playing football. The 49ers have a good enough TEAM that they can afford a QB to do that. It wasn't like the 2011 squad, where Alex's safe play was, really, the only way to win a game. Alex said, "I feel like the only thing I did to lose my job was get a concussion." In other words, Harbaugh never came up to Alex, at any point, and said, "Hey, we like the safe play... but we REALLY need you to take more deep shots." The truth is that... the SF offense was never really Alex's offense. Even when Harbaugh told him it was, that was likely a lie. The truth is that Harbaugh has been building this offense with Kaep in mind from the start; and he has been waiting, itching, CRAVING the day to put HIS GUY in. The Smith Era was ALWAYS MEANT to end, regardless of what Harbaugh might have said to Smith. Reid knows this -- which is why he keeps reiterating that he is going to let Alex "open things up" and "pull the trigger." Reid believes in Alex, I think; even more than Harbaugh did. Harbaugh simultaneously nurtured Alex in to a winning player while also holding him back. It's an odd paradox.
