The Yet Un-Sung

Last year Ravens and 49ers fans alike had barely known names burned into their minds.  For Niners’ fans it was Kyle Williams (twice).  For Birds’ fans it was Billy Cundiff and Lee Evans (or was it Sterling Moore’s timely strip?).  We spent months trying to exorcise these images.

Hope springs eternal.  Fourth down against the Chargers, any time Jacoby Jones touched the ball, the downfield passing game, and Colin Kaepernick brought feverish hope to its highest pitch.  By now we ‘ve heard too much about the biggest names in the NFL: intriguing players like Vernon Davis, Ray Lewis, Navorro Bowman, Patrick Willis, Ed Reed, Dashon Goldson, Justin Smith, Ray Rice, Joe Staley, Terrell Suggs, Randy Moss, Anquan Boldin, and Torrey Smith.

Let’s be honest: this game will be decided by which team wins in the trenches and which team corrects its first-half mistakes better.  One team walks away hoisting the Lombardi trophy whilst the other retreats as quickly as possible from the confetti avalanche which will ensue around either Lewis or Kaepernick (plus one Harbaugh).  I ‘m more interested in who will make the key play to decide the game, and conversely who will become the goat.

No, I don’t mean even the names all fans will know.  Not Ahmad Brooks, not the game of Michael Crabtree’s life; not Delanie Walker or even Alex Smith; or Akers.  No, not Paul Kruger; or Dannell Ellerbe, or Haloti Ngata.  Not even Bernard Pollard or Corey Graham or Dennis Pitta.

No, we’re talking Tavares Gooden (former Raven special teamer who the Ravens tried to groom to replace Lewis), or former Reno Mahe-type Chad Hall.  Or Scott Tolzien.

For the Niners, I’m going with Gooden.  The key play that turns or seals the game for the younger Harbaugh will come from another Miami linebacker.

OR…

On the other side we’re looking at doghouse resident David Reed, Pernell McPhee/Art Jones III don’t quite fit the mold but Ma’ake Kemoeatu does (and it may be the only mold he can fit into at this point in his career).  For most of NFLdom rookie slasher Bernard Pierce (or on the other side Anthony Dixon) would suffice, but I’m talking former Gator speedster Deonte Thompson.

My choice: rookie safety Omar Brown.  Not only is there considerable poetry to go with a player named ‘Omar’ taking the other team’s lunch, but it will elicit an unstoppable barrage of Wire-related references for we the fans true.  Recalling former Ravens special team great O.J. Brigance (part of the last Ravens’ trip to the Super Bowl) and Keith Washington/Anthony Mitchell’s contribution to the playoff run, I’m calling for the play of the game to come from the rookie from Marshall.

SF QB Carousel

After browsing through some highlights of rookie QB Colin Kaepernick’s performance I still feel quite positively about his development and ability to sustain drives and make throws regardless of conditions. He still clearly needs to transition to taking snaps from center and going through his progressions without getting happy feet.

So, I do n’t expect Kaepernick to secure a starting role from Alex Smith (whose QB rating has been in the low 80s the past two seasons)…yet. I like Kaepernick to see the field midway through the season and potentially learn some valuable lessons on his way to becoming a very serviceable NFL quarterback. I like his play much the same as I appreciate watching Colt McCoy – players like those get chances to prove themselves, just not yet. In a division whose best quarterbacks are Sam Bradford and Kevin Kolb, I like the Niners’ chances in the near future with a player like this.