USA TODAY
8:21 AM - 13 Jan 13 · Details
SAN FRANCISCO – Colin Kaepernick typically is a low-key, keep-it-short guy with the media. Even he had to cut loose a few superlatives after what he did Saturday night in his playoff debut to put the San Francisco 49ers within one win of the Super Bowl trip that eluded them a year ago.
"It's been amazing. I couldn't ask for anything more," the new age quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers said after his mix of record-breaking running, resilience after early setbacks and big-armed passing gave the 49ers a 45-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.
Coach Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers took a calculated risk at midseason when he benched incumbent quarterback Alex Smith in favor of the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Kaepernick. Smith was having a solid season. He'd taken the 49ers to the NFC title game last season.
BOX SCORE: 49ers 45, Packers 31
But Kaepernick, in just his second pro season, had the big upside. He put it all on display against the Packers as he upstaged Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl MVP and the top-rated career passer in NFL history.
The 49ers now advance to the NFC title game to meet the winner of Sunday's matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons.
Kaepernick ran for 181 yards, a record for an NFL quarterback in a regular or postseason game. He averaged 11.3 yards per rush on 14 carries – scrambles and read option runs. His two touchdowns included a 20-yarder and a 56-yarder that put San Francisco ahead to stay in the third quarter.
