Everyone says that the intensity of professional league games is on a whole different level from college football. But what exactly does that level of intensity look like?
Just look at the rookie seasons of the four elite quarterbacks in the league:
Peyton Manning started as a rookie, but he only managed a dismal record of three wins and thirteen losses. Drew Brees and Tom Brady both spent their entire rookie seasons on the bench. Brady was just the fourth-string quarterback, and he wasn't even qualified to lead the scout team in practice. Aaron Rodgers had to wait three long years on the bench before he got his chance to start.
There's a general consensus across the league that college football is just too weak. Rookie players need time to adapt to the pace and style of professional football, especially for the quarterback position, which is extremely demanding on plays. Unless there is no other choice, very few teams are willing to put a rookie quarterback directly into the starting position.
"Hurrying a plant to grow" is the most accurate description, and it's something every team tries to avoid.
The San Francisco 49ers didn't have many choices. Jim Harbaugh decided to go all-in, and after a discussion, the team's general manager and front office decided to support the head coach.
For Colin Kaepernick, this was a chance to stand out and make a name for himself. But the reality was harsh and cold. The professional league was like a huge beast with its mouth wide open, thundering and rolling over him, leaving him no room to breathe.
In the first three preseason games, Colin's performance was a complete mess.
In the first game, a "3-24" blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. In the second game, "3-17," he was helpless against the Oakland Raiders. In the third game, "7-30," he was completely dominated by the Houston Texans and had no fight left.
In those three games, Colin's performance was terrible. His pass completion rate was less than forty percent, and his short, medium, and long passes all fell flat. His glaring weakness of poor passing accuracy was magnified to the extreme. He also had seven interceptions and two fumbles, giving the ball away nine times.
Even worse, his running game, which was so unstoppable in college, was severely hit in both success rate and yards gained. He was sacked, tackled, and hit many times, and his total rushing yards in three games were only eighty-three yards.
His strengths from college were shut down, and his weaknesses were exploited.
At the same time, he couldn't digest the complex and vast playbook, and Colin found himself in a completely passive position. It was a disaster. In three games, he didn't throw a single touchdown pass. The team's only touchdown came against the Houston Texans, scored by running back Anthony Dixon.
With a Wonderlic test score of thirty-seven, Colin wasn't a stupid quarterback. On the contrary, he was a very sharp and intelligent player. For comparison, the highest Wonderlic score among the four elite quarterbacks, Aaron, was only thirty-five. So, this wasn't an issue with Colin's intelligence.
So, what was the root of the problem?
Time. And the lack of experience, improper adaptation, and incorrect rhythm that came with the lack of time. In other words, it was the same issue every rookie quarterback faces, and it was the most serious, most fundamental, and most important one: they needed more time and space to grow.
But the San Francisco 49ers were now in a difficult position. The team's second-string quarterback was also a rookie, and an undrafted one at that. Relatively speaking, Colin was already the better choice and was the player the team had their eyes on early in the draft.
They could question why they didn't choose a veteran quarterback as a backup after Alex Smith got injured so they wouldn't be in such a tight spot. They could also question why Colin Kaepernick's growth was far below expectations and whether they should have chosen other quarterbacks in the draft, like Jake Locker or Blaine Gabbert.
But none of those questions would help. Instead of dwelling on blame and regret, they had to focus on the present and find a solution. It was still the preseason. The problems they were finding now could still be corrected and solved. Getting flustered now would be the most foolish thing to do.
So, for the fourth preseason game, Jim Harbaugh once again put his trust in Colin Kaepernick.
Normally, there is a full week between games. The team gets two days off, practices for four days, and then plays on the seventh day. But to prepare for the last preseason game, the San Francisco 49ers had six full days of practice with Colin at the center. They broke down and went over the playbook again and again.
But when the game started, the nightmare hadn't ended.
Colin's very first pass of the game was an interception. The offensive players hadn't even had a chance to warm up before they walked off the field with blank expressions on their faces.
Jim, standing on the sidelines, was roaring with anger. "Read, read! You have to read the defense! What are you doing?!"
This interception was a complete rookie mistake by Colin. He threw the ball squarely into the hands of a San Diego Chargers defender. Even the commentators couldn't help but laugh. "Did the 49ers' quarterback get the jersey colors mixed up?"
Colin didn't say a word. He walked to the sidelines with a sullen look, took off his helmet, and sulked to himself. Braylon tried to go up and comfort him, but Colin shoved him away.
Kip and Craig exchanged a look. They both shook their heads, and in the end, Craig walked up and tried to reason with Jim. "Jim, why don't we try someone else? At the very least, we can change the team's mood. The situation right now is just too bad."
Jim scratched his head in frustration and glared at Craig. "We have no other choice."
He had already considered Craig's suggestion, but the regular season was just around the corner, and he could already feel the heat. If he changed things now, it might further hurt Colin's confidence. He couldn't open that door.
So, the next play had to be with Colin. This was the professional game. You either push forward against the current or you fall behind completely. There was no other choice.
The game continued. Luckily, the San Diego Chargers weren't playing well either and were on the same level as the 49ers.
Both sides were making mistakes and drawing flags on offense and defense. The game was not only boring and depressing but also constantly being interrupted. Maybe it was because the San Diego Chargers' defense wasn't putting enough pressure on him, giving Colin some room to breathe. Or maybe it was because he was finally starting to find his rhythm after four games of experience.
Whatever the reason, Colin scored a touchdown.
It was a passing touchdown, a successful connection with Braylon Edwards, and it was the San Francisco 49ers' first passing touchdown in four preseason games.
After finally getting a good play, Colin started to feel a bit more comfortable on the field, and Jim's trust was finally paying off. After the first passing touchdown, Colin's first rushing touchdown came in the third quarter. He couldn't find a target in the red zone, so he decided to run the ball himself, completing a five-yard dash to score his first touchdown in a professional game.
At the end of the third quarter, the score between the San Francisco 49ers and the San Diego Chargers was "17-17," a temporary tie. The 49ers had one more quarter to fight for their first preseason victory.
But the Chargers were the first to score in the fourth quarter. The Chargers had a drive that lasted over six minutes but couldn't score a touchdown. They did, however, get into field goal range and kicked the field goal, making the score "20-17."
After falling behind, Colin went back on the field, but he went three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Chargers. But after a series of mistakes, the Chargers also went three-and-out. The back-and-forth brought the game to the two-minute warning. The 49ers had the ball and were still in control. A field goal would tie the game, and a touchdown would win it.
After the two-minute warning, Colin led the offense back onto the field. They stumbled and fumbled but still managed to get past midfield. Then, the Chargers' defense intensified. One play caused Colin to throw a hurried pass, and another forced him to make a bad pass, putting the team in a third-and-eight situation.
On the third down, Colin chose to run out of the pocket and try to run the ball himself, but he was brutally sacked by two defenders and brought down hard.
Colin didn't get up.
The entire San Francisco 49ers team was in a panic. The team doctor immediately came onto the field. After a quick check, Colin didn't have any major physical injuries, but his vision was blurry. To be safe, the team doctor had to do more tests, so Colin was helped off the field. The backup quarterback, Lu Ke, was sent in to save the day.
But this time, Lu Ke wasn't able to be the savior.
After he got on the field, the 49ers had no choice but to go for it on fourth down. Lu Ke, however, threw an interception, completely ending the 49ers' hopes. The ball was back in the San Diego Chargers' hands.
The game ended with a score of "17-20." The San Francisco 49ers lost their fourth preseason game and finished the preseason with a losing record. Their performance was like a nightmare they couldn't wake up from, and it seemed like there was no end in sight.
The disaster wasn't over yet.
In the routine post-game checkup, Colin did not pass the league's concussion test. Due to the concussion, he was forced to miss at least four games, and whether or not he could play again would be decided after further observation.
Then, the San Francisco 49ers' bad luck reached its peak: after careful consideration and an emergency meeting, the team officially announced that the Chinese American quarterback, Lu Ke, would be the starting quarterback for the team's first regular-season game.
Boom! Boom! Boom! When the news came out, the entire league was in shock and turmoil. It was chaos!
When Jim Harbaugh told Lu Ke the team's decision, Lu Ke's first thought was, "Am I that bad luck? All the starting quarterbacks are getting hurt? What kind of a situation is this? Am I possessed by Ryan Fitzpatrick?"
This was a good thing... right?
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