Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson said he and his teammates are confident they can stop Colin Kaepernick this weekend despite struggling against other mobile quarterbacks earlier this season. Seattle's Russell Wilson, for instance, threw for 385 and two touchdowns and ran the ball seven times for 60 yards on Sunday. Carolina's Cam Newton had 202 rushing yards in two games against the Falcons.
"I think we've done some good things against the running quarterbacks," Robinson said on a conference call. "We've been hurt by some running quarterbacks, and we've done some good things against some running quarterbacks. If we want to continue to play, if we want to continue to be the team we know we can be, then this is the time for us to stand up on Sunday and do whatever it takes to get this win."
Despite giving up yardage, the Falcons went 3-1 against Wilson, Newton and Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III this year. The lone loss came against Newton's Panthers in Carolina. Atlanta knocked Griffin out of the game in Washington with a concussion on Oct. 7.
Robinson said Kaepernick was most like Newton and that he presented an additional challenge because the 49ers offensive line is so talented.
"I would say probably Cam - from his size, his strength, his speed," Robinson said of the comparison. "He's a bigger quarterback, very long strides and he's very strong, very good arm also. This is a guy that we also have to worry about in the pass game. He's not a guy who's going to drop back, tuck it and run. You look at him on film and he can throw the ball pretty well."
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Robinson said that the Falcons keep a running tally of which players have the most penalties and that players are made aware of the count every Wednesday when they walk into the building.
Perhaps that's why Atlanta finished with a league low 55 penalties this year. That's nearly half the 109 the 49ers accumulated. San Francisco tied - with Oakland - for the seventh-most penalties this season. The Rams led the league with 130.
"We know who has the most penalties on this team, we know who has the least amount of penalties on this team," Robinson said. "The phase that we're at right now -- penalties are going to cost you ... We take pride in being the least-penalized team in the NFL."
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Jed York announced on Twitter the 49ers' honorary captains for Sunday's game. They are: Former owner - and York's uncle - Eddie DeBartolo Jr., former defensive end Charles Haley and former defensive tackle Bryant Young. DeBartolo and Haley are among the 15 finalists for the Pro Football hall of Fame's 2013 class.
- Matt Barrows
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