Giants D preparing for the “Wild Kap”
Posted by on October 10, 2012 – 3:41 pmA common saying in football circles is if you have two quarterbacks, you have none.
That’s not the case in San Francisco.
Let there be no confusion: Alex Smith is and will be the go-to man under center. Just last week he led the 49ers offense to a franchise-record 621 yards against the Buffalo Bills, improving his passer rating to 108.7. But along the road to their 4-1 start, there has been a growing package for backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick. This is becoming known as the “Wild Kap.”
The 49ers have schemed their 2011 second-round draft pick out of Nevada-Reno into the offense this season, primarily coming in the form of the triple option. From there, Kaepernick has rushed nine times in the past two games, finding the end zone in both. This package was not in place the last time the Giants faced them and is part of an overall effort to improve the offense from a year ago.
“I think they’ve added some – ‘trick’ is not the right word – some scheming problems to complement what they did last year,” Justin Tuck said. “They have some things in there that look exactly one way and it’s a complete opposite from what that play was supposed to look like. So I think their coaching staff did a great job of putting in a scheme that can confuse defenses at times, but the biggest thing is just playing more physical. That’s what they respect. That’s what they know. The teams that have had success with them have done that.”
Although he did not play in the second and third games of the season (which included their only loss to Minnesota in Week 3), Kaepernick has rushed 10 times for 106 yards in 2012 and has completed one of two passes for seven yards.
It’s just another wrinkle for the Giants to study when preparing for the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL, which averages 195.8 yards per game and has outscored its last two opponents, 79-3.
“He just adds a different aspect, kind of like when we played Carolina,” Michael Boley said in reference to Cam Newton, whom the Giants held to six yards on six rushing attempts in a Week 3 victory. “He turns into a running back, and it gives them that read zone option. It gives them the ability to do that. And they had some success with that the last couple weeks.”
Tags: Justin Tuck, Michael Boley
Posted in Daily Blitz | 1 Comment »
By fredsfocus on Oct 11, 2012 | Reply
There is tons of talent among the players of the game of football at the pro level. Adapting special, though limited, talent to a specific footbal situation separates the ordinary from the spectacular. Thus, are coaches geniuses when they use that talent to its best effect. This is the only true “trick” in professional footbal.