Injuries to Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis weren't the only reason coordinator Greg Roman scaled back the offense after an unstoppable performance by Colin Kaepernick in the San Francisco 49ers' 2013 season-opener.
Kaepernick revealed to The Sacramento Bee this week that he suffered a chipped bone on his forefoot and a ruptured capsule in the ball of his foot when a Seahawks defender landed on it in a Week 2 loss at Seattle.
After rushing for 87 yards against the Seahawks, Kaepernick didn't clear 20 yards on the ground again for more than a month.
"I noticed it, especially in practice," coach Jim Harbaugh said in March of Kaepernick's limited mobility. "I think anytime you have a foot, a hand or a finger, it affects you throwing and running."
The 49ers' offense promptly went in the tank, as Kaepernick was tethered to the pocket with Anquan Boldin as his only reliable target for the majority of October.
Once Kaepernick, Davis and Crabtree shook their injuries, the offense finally began clicking on all cylinders in December.
The 49ers took the longest active winning streak into the playoffs, with Kaepernick posting a 100.0 passer rating and an impressive 12:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the second half of the season.
While there's reason to believe a depleted San Francisco defense will struggle early this season, the offense should be the highest-scoring version since Kaepernick took the reins from Alex Smith.
The latest "Around the League Podcast" recaps all of the action from the second week of the preseason.
