Sports

49ers strategizing ways to communicate on offense in deafening noise of Seattle's stadium

Associated Press
Published | Updated

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick speaks to reporters at an NFL football training facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. The 49ers are scheduled to play the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC Championship on Sunday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) (The Associated Press)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick speaks to reporters at an NFL football training facility in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. The 49ers are scheduled to play the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC Championship on Sunday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) (The Associated Press)

Jim Harbaugh will turn to lip reading, motioning and even sign language if he has to in order to communicate with Colin Kaepernick to keep things running smoothly in the deafening noise of Seattle's home stadium.

Kaepernick plans to repeat his calls as many times as necessary in the huddle during the NFC championship game Sunday to make sure his teammates hear him.

Solid communication through the chaos at CenturyLink Field will be paramount for Kaepernick, who had one of his worst performances as a pro in a 29-3 Week 2 loss to the Seahawks.

Yet Kaepernick blames poor execution, not noise issues, for two disappointing defeats in Seattle over the past 13 months.

The 49ers (14-4) had the second-most delay of game penalties in the NFL during the regular season with eight.

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