49ers vs. Saints: Breaking Down Expectations for Every San Francisco QB

The San Francisco 49ers travel to New Orleans Friday night to take on the Saints in each team's 2011 preseason opener. 

While the Saints will have Drew Brees—a bona fide NFL starter and one of the elite quarterbacks in the game—on their sidelines, the 49ers have a much different situation on theirs. 

After drafting second-round pick Colin Kaepernick in April's draft, the 49ers re-signed their former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith to a one-year deal. The team also signed undrafted free agents Jeremiah Masoli and McLeod Bethel-Thompson to battle for the No. 3 spot. 

Here's what to expect—both from a snaps and performance perspective—for the 49ers quarterbacks tonight against the Saints. 

Alex Smith: Snaps

According to Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle, the 49ers' starters will get a good chunk of playing time:

"

"Harbaugh expects his starters to play between 20 and 30 snaps..."

"

Depending on how well the offense plays, that could mean anywhere from just the first quarter to the entire first half. 

Different teams do it different ways, but most stay right around that number in the opening preseason game. 

Alex Smith: Performance

Based on most of the reports coming from 49ers camp, Smith has looked considerably better in many aspects of quarterback play after just a few practices with head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

Harbaugh, the former Stanford coach who helped make Andrew Luck into a potential No. 1 overall pick, has worked with Smith on many of finer details and the results are starting to pay off. Smith looks quicker in his reads and the fundamentals that sometimes eluded him in seasons prior aren't surfacing. 

However, things can sometimes look good on the practice field without it transitioning into live game scenarios. That will be Smith's test tonight. 

One could expect a more relaxed Smith, but I wouldn't bet on huge numbers. Probably best to let this relationship between coach and quarterback grow before we claim Smith to be a brand new player.

Colin Kaepernick: Snaps

According to Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Kaepernick will see his fair share of playing time tonight: 

"

"Harbaugh...anticipates getting a long look at rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick."

"

After the starters play their 20 to 30 snaps, it could be all Kaepernick from that point on. Harbaugh has stressed how ready Kaepernick is to play, more-so than any of his other rookies on the team. 

If the starters go just a quarter, Kaepernick will likely play the second and third quarters. Either way, he's going to be getting plenty of snaps tonight.

Colin Kaepernick: Performance

As is the case with any rookie quarterback in his first professional appearance, expectations must be tempered to meet the situation. 

Kaepernick could be as ready as Harbaugh wants him, but there are going to be times tonight where things go wrong for the rookie. 

But the good thing for Kaepernick is that this is just the preseason. It's the time for making mistakes and correcting them. And he's going to get a good chunk of playing time, so it should be a good first learning experience for him. 

Expect growth tonight out of Kaepernick, not stats. What the box score says won't tell the full story of his first appearance. 

Bethel-Thompson/Masoli: Snaps

Again, according to Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle: 

"

"If the offense gets enough snaps, young quarterbacks McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Jeremiah Masoli also could play."

"

In other words, if Harbaugh is comfortable with the amount of snaps Smith and Kaepernick receive, Bethel-Thompson and Masoli might get the chance to play. 

The competition for the No. 3 quarterback position isn't all that important, but Harbaugh does need game action to accurately evaluate where he's at with both Bethel-Thompson and Masoli.

It's the fourth quarter or nothing for these two.

Bethel-Thompson/Masoli: Performance

If you have to temper expectations from a second-round quarterback, you probably know what to do with two undrafted free agents. Actually, having no expectations for these two would likely be a good start. 

For one, they might not even see the field. Smith and Kaepernick are the priorities at the quarterback position. 

But even if the two do see the field, they likely won't be lighting the world on fire. Bethel-Thompson would be the first to see the field, and he has more passing potential than Masoli.

After transferring from Oregon, Masoli struggled at Ole Miss. Frankly, he's lucky to be on an NFL roster.