Colin Kaepernick the Football Player

This is what awaits the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game; they haven't played the San Francisco 49ers since Oct. 3, 2010. Making things even trickier, they've never gotten an up-close look at Colin Kaepernick, the Niners' young dual-threat quarterback.

Kaepernick absolutely shredded the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round, racking up 444 total yards (263 through the air and 181 on the ground -- a rushing record for an NFL quarterback) and four total touchdowns in a blowout victory for San Francisco. He figures to be a challenge for the Falcons, as well, but it's not impossible to beat him. Here are four ways they can limit Kaepernick's impact and give themselves a chance to advance to Super Bowl XLVII.

1) Study up

The Falcons must review game tape of Kaepernick to figure out what kinds of runs he likes. Does he tend to go to the right? To the left? Up the middle? What happens when he pulls the ball down and runs?

Someone with the Falcons, most likely a quality control person, has already done a good bit of homework on Kaepernick and the 49ers. Usually, long before you even reach the playoffs, you try to guess who you'll be facing and do some research on them.

The Falcons should look at tape of the Niners' games against the Chicago Bears in Week 11 and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 -- when Kaepernick was limited to 10 and 5 yards rushing, respectively -- to see how those defenses were able to succeed against him. They should also check tape of the Niners' two games against the St. Louis Rams, in Week 10 and Week 13; though Kaepernick ran well in both contests, he wasn't able to secure a victory. Tape of him playing for Nevada in college -- such as his game against Cal in 2010, when he rushed for 148 yards and three scores and threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns -- would also be useful.

2) Play keep away

The less time Kaepernick spends with the football in his hands, the less of a threat he'll be.

In the regular...