Coming into Week 13, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick had thrown for over 200 yards in just one of his previous five outings. After his 275-yard day against the St. Louis Rams -- his second highest output of the season -- he's now done it in consecutive games.
Rams vs. 49ers 2013: Colin Kaepernick has Niners passing attack back on track
Kaepernick appears to finally be returning to his 2012 form, though he didn’t face much competition from Kellen Clemons and a dysfunctional St. Louis offense on Sunday.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Kaepernick, who helped lead the Niners to a 23-13 win over their NFC West foes in Week 13, seems to have gotten San Francisco's passing attack back on track. He connected with Anquan Boldin nine times for 98 yards, the big receiver's best production since the season's opening week. Tight end Vernon Davis got involved as well, going for 82 yards and catching a touchdown in a third consecutive game.
While Michael Crabtree had just two receptions in his 2013 debut, David Fucillo at Niners Nation says his return played a major factor in opening up the offense.
The big story heading into this game was the return of wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The 49ers welcomed back their star receiver for his first game since the Super Bowl. Crabtree got off to a slow start with a pair of penalties on the opening drive, but he settled down. He made his first catch for eight yards in the first half, and added a great 60-yard catch and run in the second half. Before the 49ers blew the game open late, Crabtree was on the field most of the day. We’ll see what the final snap count says tomorrow.
The return of Crabtree seemed to make a huge difference for Anquan Boldin. The Rams had to pick and choose their spots with their cornerbacks, and it opened the door for a big performance from Boldin.
Despite allowing big days from Boldin and Davis, the Rams defense held the 49ers to their second lowest point total of 2013. It was the offense, believes Turf Show Times, that let St. Louis down.
[Running back] Zac Stacy was unremarkable, though he did pick up some chunks that would seemingly make things easier for the passing game.
Nope.
Drops from across the team helped nothing. Chris Givens caught just two passes on nine targets. The Rams never unlocked Tavon Austin. Isaiah Pead had a functional role.
It's not entirely fair to Kellen Clemens to expect him to not be Kellen Clemens. That is not something that will change nor is it something to propel this offense.
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