placeholder image

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports


PFF grades Colin Kaepernick as the 2nd worst passer in the NFL

Nov 8, 2016 at 8:10 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Colin Kaepernick may have had his best game of the season on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback ended the game with 398 passing yards, his most since passing for 412 on September 8, 2013, against the Green Bay Packers. He had two touchdowns, an interception, and would finish with a 102.3 passer rating.

However, advanced statistics site Pro Football Focus warns that the stats were deceiving. "He earned a 42.0 overall grade on the day, with most of his stats padded by long runs after the catch and a 31-yard jet sweep 'pass' to WR Quinton Patton," said a representative with the site.

Kaepernick was just 3 of 10 for 108 yards on throws of 10 yards or more downfield. "Despite a very strong statistical game, Kaepernick still struggled to be a consistent passer and once again faded in the second half," says our own Al Sacco. "He was 10-for-21 in the third and fourth quarters and was inaccurate on many of his throws. I'm not sure why it matters at this point anyway, as Kaepernick is basically just auditioning for other teams as his days in San Francisco are all but numbered."

Kaepernick has started just three games for the 49ers this season, still two less than Blaine Gabbert who won the starting quarterback job to start the season. So his body of work this season isn't yet comparable, especially considering the large gap between his first start this year and his last start last year. Throw in the fact that he was recovering from multiple offseason surgeries and you could argue, just as head coach Chip Kelly has tried to do, that he needs more time before judgment can be passed.

Regardless, when strictly looking at his performances as a passer this season, Pro Football Focus ranks Kaepernick as the second worst quarterback in the league. He is 32nd out of 33 graded quarterbacks, which is just one spot ahead of Blaine Gabbert, who ranks last. Kaepernick's grade as a passer is just 0.1 points above Gabbert. He is ranked slightly higher overall at 30th out of 33. Gabbert is ranked last (33rd) overall. That means that the 49ers have the two worst graded passers in the NFL on their roster – both of which have started for the team this season.

The reason for the slight bump in Kaepernick's overall grade is because he ranks so high as a runner. He has the third highest grade as a rusher among all quarterbacks, slightly behind only Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and Tyrod Taylor of the Buffalo Bills. However, Kaepernick has about half the amount of run snaps as either of the two ranked above him. His 42.1 overall grade this season is the worst of his career – even lower than last season when it could be argued that he had a much worse offensive line in front of him.

"We didn't have him in the Springtime," head coach Chip Kelly said on KNBR on Monday morning. "Had him in preseason camp and then he missed a few weeks there. Really, we've dealt with him consistently for the last four weeks because that's when he became the starter and got the more reps. And that's what we'll continue to work on, but I've seen improvement from him from the first start to this game and we'll continue to look for improvement from him."

Kaepernick still has two games to raise his grade and improve before he gets close to matching Gabbert's 329 total snaps. So a fair assessment or comparison can wait until then. But the fact that he threw for nearly 400 yards and still graded so low is not a good sign for the quarterback, who will likely not be on the roster next season. In fact, with Kaepernick able to void his contract after the season, which he is expected to do, and the other two quarterbacks on the roster being free agents, the 49ers will likely be starting over at the most important position on the team.



LISTEN

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

Brock Purdy on pace to be 49ers' first 4,000-yard passer since Jeff Garcia

By JD Salazar
Sep 22

Since the turn of the century, there have been 179 single-season quarterback performances of at least 4,000 yards. The 49ers, as fans well know, have but one—Jeff Garcia's impressive but futile 4,278 yard effort in a 2000 season that saw SF go just 6-10. Since then, that franchise high-water mark has gone untouched. There have been a few other contenders to rally around in that span—Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick, and Jimmy Garoppolo, but each have fallen short of that historic mark. Brock Purdy, though, will at least threaten to meet that lofty expectation. With his latest 310-yard, two-touchdown performance, Purdy finds himself on pace for a 4,171-yard season in 2023. His key trait has been his efficiency; so far this year, he's completed 67.0% of his passes, and


placeholder image

49ers D-linemen earning impressive PFF grades compared to previous seasons

By David Bonilla
Sep 29

The San Francisco 49ers defense has racked up eight sacks this season, which puts the unit around the middle of the pack in the NFL. The Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers lead the league with 13 sacks apiece. Although, the Lions have played one more game than the Steelers as of this article's publish date. Don't mistake the Niners' sack total for a lack of pressure, though. When it comes to flustering opposing quarterbacks, San Francisco's defensive line has been among the best this season. The 49ers entered the offseason knowing they wanted to shore up the interior of the defensive line, finding a stout body to line up next to Arik Armstead. So general manager John Lynch and company went after the best available defensive free agent, paying a significant


placeholder image

PFF's highest- and lowest-graded 49ers players vs. Giants, plus snap counts

By David Bonilla
Sep 22

The San Francisco 49ers improved their record to 3-0 after a 30-12 win against the New York Giants in Week 3. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades from the game. Which Niners played well, and who has more work to do? Below are Pro Football Focus' five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Giants. Deebo Samuel, WR, 88.6, 68 snaps Ronnie Bell, WR, 80.7, 31 snaps Trent Williams, LT, 76.4, 79 snaps George Kittle, TE, 75.8, 69 snaps Jordan Mason, RB, 74.5, 4 snaps Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense. Javon Hargrave, DT, 93.0, 34 snaps Nick Bosa, DE, 92.8, 39 snaps Arik Armstead, DT, 91.5, 36 snaps Oren Burks,


placeholder image

"49ers look like the NFL's most complete team": Where San Francisco stands in Week 4 power rankings

By David Bonilla
Sep 26

The undefeated Miami Dolphins' 70-20 win over the winless Denver Broncos has shot them to the top of multiple power rankings. However, for most, the San Francisco 49ers sit in the top spot. Also undefeated and sitting atop the NFC West standings, the 49ers are coming off a 30-12 win over the New York Giants. The team is so well-rounded, and Brock Purdy continues to rack up the wins as the starting quarterback. San Francisco has started the regular season 3-0 for the ninth time in franchise history and has now won 13 consecutive regular-season games dating back to Week 8 of last season. It's the longest active streak in the NFL and the second-longest winning streak in franchise


Featured

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone