How the San Francisco 49ers Can Get the Most out of Colin Kaepernick in 2014

The San Francisco 49ers have played two games in the 2014 regular season with mixed results.

In Week 1, the 49ers disposed of the Dallas Cowboys 28-17, and the game was not as close as the final score.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick looked poised and played very well, completing 16 of his 23 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, the 49ers created four turnovers, which helped them to a commanding 28-3 lead at halftime.

However, the result in the 49ers' second game of the year was far different. The Niners came out strong and held a 20-7 lead over the Chicago Bears early in the fourth quarter. The roof then caved in on the 49ers, as the Bears scored 21 points in the final period to win 28-20.

The grand opening of Levi's Stadium for the 49ers' first regular-season game started well but ended with a thud. A major reason for the collapse was the dismal play of Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. His four turnovers were too much for a very thin San Francisco defense to overcome. 

David Fucillo of NinersNation.com reported on Jim Harbaugh's press conference. Fucillo notes that when asked about Kaepernick's mistakes, Harbaugh largely danced around the inquiries.

You can be sure that there will be a lot of focus on speeding up Kaepernick's reads and decision-making prior to the 49ers' game against a tough Arizona defense this coming week.

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Kaepernick completed 21 of his 34 pass attempts for 248 yards and one touchdown against the Bears. He also rushed for 66 yards on nine carries. However, the turnovers were his and the team's undoing. 

Another very troubling issue is the fact that San Francisco has managed to score just one field goal in the second half of both games combined.

The 49ers defense is not as strong as in years past. A major reason is that two outstanding linebackers, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith, are both out. In addition, the secondary is a work in progress, with new players replacing three of the five defensive backs who played the most snaps last year.

With the defense still needing time to gel, the 49ers will live and die based on the play of Kaepernick and the offense. Kaepernick has the physical tools to be an excellent quarterback, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

After his very strong performance against Dallas, the putrid performance against the Bears was completely unexpected. Failing to see significant improvement out of Kaepernick will derail the 49ers' season.

This begs the question of how the 49ers can get the most out of Kaepernick. 

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There are three key areas that must be addressed and improved. The first is that the 49ers must get more consistent production from their running game. Against Chicago, Frank Gore rushed 13 times for 63 yards. Carlos Hyde had four carries for no gain.

At this point in his development, the 49ers cannot expect Kaepernick to put the team on his shoulders and carry them to victory. The offense will be most productive when there is good balance between the pass and the run.

Secondly, the offensive line must do a better job of protecting the quarterback. One of Kaepernick's biggest problems is not moving off his primary receiver and seeing the total field. Better protection would give Kaepernick more time to do this.

The offensive line did a decent job in the first half, but struggled against the Bears' pressure in the second half. Kaepernick was frequently under duress and out of his comfort zone.

The 49ers are blessed with their best corps of receivers since Kaepernick came to San Francisco in 2011. It will be up to the line to give Kaepernick the time to find them. From there, Kaepernick will need to throw the ball accurately and on time.

Finally, Kaepernick needs much more practice time, film review and high-level coaching. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman and quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst have a lot of work to do with Kaepernick.

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Kaepernick was a bit late on many of his throws, which enabled the Chicago defenders to make a play on the ball. He also forced the ball into coverage, trying to rely on his strong arm instead of quickly looking for some of his other options.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News argues that Kaepernick played the worst game of his career; unfortunately, Kaepernick's postgame comments do not show that he has the same viewpoint: 

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'Made the throws I wanted to, they made plays on the ball,' Kaepernick said of the Bears defenders.

'I’m not going to say I felt good about the game or what I did; but as far as my decisions, I saw the coverages, I went where I wanted to with the ball.

'We just didn’t make the plays; I didn’t make the throws.'

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The problem was that his decision-making was indeed flawed, and some of the passes he tried to force into tight spaces should never have been thrown. The fact that Kaepernick was either unable or unwilling to face that reality is concerning.

With the upgrade of the San Francisco receivers, Kaepernick should be able to locate open receivers more quickly and consistently. There is no longer a need to lock in on just one or two targets. The quicker Kaepernick realizes this, the better.

Increased film work and dedicated practice time is absolutely necessary for Kaepernick to get in sync with his receivers. Kaepernick must improve if the 49ers hope to challenge for the Super Bowl.