SANTA CLARA—Redskins vs. 49ers, Colin Kaepernick vs. Robert Griffin III, just sit back and watch the fireworks, folks.
Two seasons ago, the match-up appeared a scintillating one, showcasing the future of the NFL in a battle of two electric young quarterbacks responsible for the revival of a pair of storied franchises.
Griffin, championed the savior of a Redskins franchise that hadn’t won a Super Bowl since 1991, electrified the nation’s capital with both his legs and his arm, leading the Redskins to their first NFC East championship since 2000.
Kaepernick, on the other hand, stepped in for an injured Alex Smith, and very nearly won the Niners their first Super Bowl since 1994.
Flash forward to Sunday’s match-up between San Francisco (7-4) and Washington (3-8), and we’re left to wonder just what has become of both quarterbacks.
Griffin, the 2012 NFL rookie of the year, looks to have completely lost his trademarked edge and killer instinct, throwing for only 106 yards and surrendering five sacks to a dominant San Francisco defense.
Unlike Griffin, who’s status as a starting NFL quarterback is under serious scrutiny, Kaepernick put-up respectable numbers on the day, throwing for 256 yards, a touchdown, and one interception.
Kaepernick benefitted from a gutsy performance by receiver Anquan Boldin, who hauled in nine catches for 137 yards and a touchdown, including a huge, fourth-quarter reception of 29-yards. The catch was vintage Boldin, who held onto the ball following a massive hit by safety Ryan Clark, who was flagged for an additional 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.
Boldin’s catch set-up rookie Carlos Hyde’s four-yard touchdown run, the decisive points in San Francisco’s third consecutive win.
And yet, the magic of 2012 was noticeably absent, as the Niners managed just 17 points against a 3-8 Washington team that had surrendered a total of 53 in previous losses to lowly Minnesota and Tampa Bay.
Yes, the Niners are on a three-game winning streak, an accomplishment no NFL team can take for granted. But those victories came against teams with combined records of 10-22, a favorable stretch of their schedule that will come to an abrupt end with two games against the defending champion Seahawks and a season finale match-up with division-leading Arizona.
By Joseph Wilhelm
