Monday, January 14, 2013

NFL's Most Controversial QB Rivalries

And in this corner...

Joe Montana -vs- Steve Young
Brett Farve -vs- Aaron Rogers
Alex Smith -vs- Colin Kaepernick

Those aforementioned quarterbacks were all involved in some of the Greatest QB Controversies in NFL History — some of the Greatest Competitive QB Rivalries in Football's History.

Joe Montana was a Hall Of Fame starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers while Steve Young anxiously –yet humbly, waited patiently/patiently waited for many years –in the wing, as Joe's back-up... ...NFL fans of late-80’s & late-90’s know exactly how the Montana-Young Saga unfolded.

#16 -vs- #8
Joe was eventually traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and Steve Young finally took over the reins for San Francisco 49ers.

An older-Montana had a few good years w/ the Chiefs — taking them to the playoffs meanwhile a primed-Steve Young won two NFC MVP’s albeit being robbed of another (by Brett Favre; who –ironically, is involved w/ the next competitive rivalry). Young brought another Super Bowl title to San Francisco in '94/'95 season.

The same exact QB situation was happening in Green Bay between Brett Farve and Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers bided his time w/ the Packers, then took over the starting job from Favre — three years after being drafted w/ the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2005 draft.


#4 -vs- #12
“There comes a time in everyone’s career and at an organization when you have to make those tough decisions,” said former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski, “If you’re the Green Bay Packers and you have a guy like Aaron Rodgers -- who you believe is your guy that’s going to be your quarterback for the next 10 years -- and you’ve got a 39-year-old guy, it’s a tough decision but I believe it’s a decision that had to be made.” 

Ultimately, the Packers have already done a better job of replacing Favre than most NFL teams have when bidding farewell to a future-Hall of Fame QB.

But that was Green Bay, let's get back to San Francisco.

#7 -vs- #11
Currently, Alex Smith was had been the 49ers starting quarterback; whom recently signed a Smith signed a three-year contract worth $24 million and who led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game just over a year ago. It seems like the former No. 1 overall draft pick out of Utah was finally living up to his potential. 

Enter the concussion.

In the 10th game of the 2012-2013 NFL season while playing against the St. Louis Rams, 49ers starting quarterback Alex Smith was hit hard multiple times in the first half and pulled out of the game to be examined for a concussion which later turned out to be the case.

Colin Kaepernick | #7 | QB | San Francisco 49ers
40-yd dash time: 4.53 seconds
Salary: $607,900
Enter Colin Kaepernick.

Smith missed the following game, and Kaepernick was 16-for-23 for 243 yards w/ 2 TD's in a 32–7 win over Chicago. Coach Jim Harbaugh was impressed w/ Kaepernick, and said "we have two quarterbacks that have a hot hand" while controversially dismissing any rule that a player should not lose their starting job due to an injury.

 Enter the Harbaugh's quarterback controversy.

Smith was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (104.1), led the league in completion percentage (70%), and had been 19-5-1 as a starter under Harbaugh, while Kaepernick was considered more dynamic w/ his scrambling ability and arm strength.

Smith was medically cleared to play the day before the following game, but Harbaugh chose not to rush him back and again started Kaepernick, who threw and ran for a touchdown in a 31-21 win over New Orleans.


The following week, Harbaugh announced that Kaepernick would start for the 8-2-1 49ers, while also stating that the assignment was week-to-week and not necessarily permanent. This controversial QB decision seemed to prove to be the correct one after a record-setting playoff-debut that sent San Francisco to the NFC Championship game for the second straight season, Kaepernick needs no more introductions.


Colin Kaepernick at 6' 5" 235 lbs brings out the guns
The former-baseball stand-out pitcher (once clocked at 94 mph) and second-year pro out from the University of Nevada Wolf Pack squashed all the questions and uncertainty about Jim Harbaugh’s controversial "in-season" decision to replace Smith as the starter in a 45-31 playoff rout of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.  

Exit a huge 'sigh of relief' from Jim Harbaugh. 
 
Colin Kaepernick's record-setting post-season performance w/ a total of 444 total yards — 263 passing yards & touchdowns and ran for a quarterback playoff-record 181 yards 2 touchdowns in a 45-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers.  

[Note: Kaepernick recorded two 1-yard rushing loss during two kneel-down plays at the end of the game]
#Kaepernicking = flexing right-arm & kissing bicep

Kap is quickly becoming a household name, and his touchdown celebration — flexing his right arm and kissing his biceps — is trending all over social media networks. "You’ve got to be one of the biggest and strongest quarterbacks I’ve seen," Patrick Willis jokingly said. 

Jokes aside. In the season, the 25-year-old QB threw 10 TDs and rushed for 5 TD's combining for 2,229 yards, highlighted by 4 TD passes against the New England Patriots in Week 15 including a record-setting playoff-debut win over the reigning MVP – Aaron Rodgers — who was involved w/ another historical QB controversy for the ages.  

Exit #Tebowing 

Enter #Kaepernicking

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