San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick returned to earth in Sunday's 16-13 overtime loss to the St. Louis Rams.
His third NFL start wasn't a disaster, but Kaepernick was quick to accept blame for one ugly game-changing mistake. The quarterback's botched, fourth-quarter pitch to Ted Ginn led to Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins' 2-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The subsequent two-point conversion tied the score at 10.
"I gave up those points that were on the scoreboard for the Rams, so that's 100 percent on me," Kaepernick said, via The Associated Press. "I've just got to keep working. There's nothing more you can do than keep working and get ready for next week."
Niners coach Jim Harbaugh was quick to buffer Kaepernick from the heat, saying "I'm proud of Kap" and calling the pitch a poorly crafted play-call.
"I would have loved to have that one back," Harbaugh said, "but don't blame the players on that one."
Moments like these aren't unusual from a young quarterback. Kaepernick is going to endure growing pains, but he also allows Harbaugh to do things on offense that aren't possible with Alex Smith. That's why the change was made.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
