Colin Kaepernick has in the past shown he can compete and win when a game is on the line.
Consider Jan. 5, 2014, in the fourth quarter of a frigid NFC playoff game at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.
With San Francisco trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter, the 49ers’ quarterback led the 49ers from their own 37-yard line to a go-ahead touchdown, a 28-yard scoring strike to tight end Vernon Davis with 10:37 remaining.
Then, when the Packers answered with a field goal to tie the game at 20-20 with 5:09 left, Kaepernick led the Niners from their own 20 to the Green Bay 15, where Phil Dawson kicked the game-winning field goal with just three seconds left in a 23-20 decision. Included in Kaepernick’s three completions on the drive was a 17-yarder to Michael Crabtree on third-and-10 from the 49ers’ own 31.
The victory is one of eight game-winning drives led by Kaepernick in his 39 NFL starts, in which he has a 25-14 record.
But in 2014, Kaepernick and the 49ers often were helpless in the fourth quarter when trailing.
As Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com noted Monday, Kaepernick’s fourth-quarter play last season was notable for its disappointment. Gutierrez, who covers the 49ers for ESPN.com, points out that Kaepernick’s 60.3 QB rating was last in the NFC and far below his 86.4 overall rating in 2014. His yards-per-play average shrunk from 7.4 in quarters one through three to 5.85 in the final period, and four of his 10 interceptions came in the final period.
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According to ESPN Stats & Information, Kaepernick was the first quarterback in two decades to throw at least 100 passes in the fourth quarter without registering a single touchdown pass. He was 0-for-118.
Of course, the 49ers offense as a whole was a mess in 2014. The running game – which had been consistently strong during head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first three seasons – didn’t dominate late in games. Davis fell out of the game plan and the wide receiver corps often had trouble getting open or getting separation on deep throws.
So, as Gutierrez notes, Kaepernick will have to regain his fourth-quarter touch in 2015 if the 49ers are to rebound and contend again for a playoff spot.
This offseason, Kaepernick spent several weeks in Arizona working with former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner to refine his throwing mechanics and hone his ability to dissect defenses.
“But,” wrote Gutierrez, “no matter how much two-time MVP Kurt Warner’s teachings may have tweaked Kaepernick’s delivery, this much is true: the San Francisco 49ers quarterback must improve his fourth-quarter performance.”
Kaepernick’s inability to lead the 49ers back from deficits against the Seahawks has been especially painful.
Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young has said that Kaepernick’s development – and that of other running quarterbacks (as he was) – won’t reach its potential and provide consistent results until he decides he’s going to become a stay-in-the-pocket quarterback. That allows for receivers to work to get open and more consistent completions.
“You have to have the patience to stand in there and figure it out,” said Young, now an ESPN analyst, late last season.
For Kaepernick, his ability to do that late in games during this upcoming 2015 season would be a huge step forward – and could add to his total of late-game comeback victories.
