Daily Madden: Harbaugh Stokes QB Controversy
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - After backup 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick shredded the tough Chicago Bears defense in a 32-7 victory Monday night, coach Jim Harbaugh left the question unanswered. Who is the starting quarterback?
"(Harbaugh said) 'we have two guys that are really hot and I have to play the hot hand.' He didn't come out and say 'when Alex Smith is better he's coming back, he's going to be our quarterback,'" John Madden told the KCBS morning crew. "So he left it open, and knowing Jim Harbaugh, if he left it open for speculation, he did that because he wanted to do that."
Smith is still recovering from a concussion suffered in last week's tie game with the Rams.
Madden said Kaepernick and the 49ers offensive scheme surprised the Bears.
"He's a guy that can pass and then also can run," Madden said. "It's not either or with him, it's both, and I think he proved it last night." T
he 49ers led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter and 20-0 at halftime. "(Because) we have a young quarterback, you think we're just going to run the ball, play ball control, play defense. And I think everyone kind of expected that kind of game including me," Madden said. "And boom, they hit them with a deep one and then two plays later they go another play action pass and hit them with another big one. And that put the Bears back on their heels, and I don't think they ever recovered from that." (8:00)
Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM. And catch John's extra report at 9:15 a.m. Mondays and Fridays during the NFL season.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
