SANTA CLARA –- After Colin Kaepernick experienced two of his worst games as an NFL starter in back-to-back weeks, 49ers’ offensive coordinator Geep Chryst recognizes his quarterback is under the microscope.
“It puts a lot of pressure on these games, right?” Chryst said on Thursday. “It puts a lot of pressure on a Sunday night game. Traditionally, Kap has played well in the spotlight.
“You’re playing this out in front of everybody. Literally, in front of everybody: The Niner fans, the coaches and your teammates. And people are going to weigh in on it.”
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Chryst said the 49ers made some adjustments this week in hopes that it will lead to Kaepernick and the offense gaining more success Sunday night against the New York Giants. Kaepernick's 67.7 passer rating ranks 32nd of 34 NFL quarterbacks. Only Houston's Ryan Mallett (65.3) and Indianapolis' Andrew Luck (65.1) rank lower.
The 49ers rank last in the NFL with just 158.8 yards passing per game. They face a Giants defense that is last in pass defense, surrendering 316.3 yards.
“We made some major changes –- I shouldn’t say major -– we’ve made some changes, some adjustments, that we feel good about going into this game,” Chryst said.
San Francisco 49ers
Chryst said he did not want to reveal what changes were made until at least next week.
“You do it to boost his game and all that entails in a game,” he said. “We’re happy with those, and we’re excited to go out and test it under game conditions.”
One of the major problems with the passing game is just the inability to get the ball out of Kaepernick’s hands. The 49ers have not taken advantage of blitzes to get the ball out quickly. The offensive line has not provided consistent pass protection, but even when Kaepernick has a clean pocket, he has experienced difficulty making the necessary throws.
“There’s no doubt when your out of sync, out of rhythm, you’re timing’s off and it doesn’t look pretty,” Chryst said.