Colin Kaepernick 'more explosive' than Alex Smith, so where is it?

Colin Kaepernick isn't throwing erroneous interceptions, and he's not out there making egregious mistakes left and right when it comes to his decisions with the football. He's accurate in short, middle and deep throws and his mechanics when delivering the ball are beyond his years.

So where's this "more explosive" trait that everyone gave him during the switch from Alex Smith?

It's non-existent. That is to say, it hasn't shown itself since he took over. It could still come out given more seasoning, but he's not hitting any more deep balls than Smith was. So what's the problem? Well, that one is easy.

Kaepernick doesn't have great pocket presence, and he's a little prone to panicking. He's started just three games in the NFL, so these things are understandable, but he's just not very aware of things around him, and he's actually looking a little gunshy.

Part of that could be due to the play of the offensive line. Anthony Davis was abused by Cameron Wake on Sunday against the Dolphins, but the line as a whole has had two very bad games. This is just weeks after many considered them the best line in football.

Again, we look back to the change at quarterback. More than any other position, the offensive line depends on cohesiveness, and a switch under center has definitely messed with their vibe. More time for Kaepernick under center should get them playing better.

That could be a problem for a 49ers team that was already a shoe-in for the playoffs with Smith at the helm. Kaepernick is supposed to be the guy that takes them from contender to Super Bowl winner, and to this point, he's only shown brief - very brief - flashes.

Again though, Kaepernick is still new at this. It was not a smart decision for this team to switch quarterbacks like that mid-season, but it also is the decision they made and the decision they'll live with. They'll make the playoffs, and maybe by that time, Kaepernick will have some new moves to show us.

But for now, the offense has changed little and is hardly "supercharged."