SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Had you told Colin Kaepernick back in training camp that, with two games remaining in the regular season, his San Francisco 49ers would be sitting at 7-7 and eliminated from the playoffs, would he have believed it?

“No,” he said with a sad shake of his head. “Not at all.”

Especially with the season set up as a Super Bowl or bust campaign.

QB Colin Kaepernick has been sacked a league-high 49 times. Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports

“I think that’s what everyone’s expectation was, including ours,” Kaepernick said. “You don’t play this game for any other reason than to try to win a Super Bowl. And it’s disappointing that we’re not going to be able to accomplish that this year, but we have to keep moving forward.”

And for Kaepernick, that means to stop regressing. Of course, it is a team game and quarterbacks get too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they go south.

But that’s the nature of a beast that eats its young, and its inconsistent quarterbacks.

Consider: in his first 23 starts over the 2012 and 2013 seasons, Kaepernick had a record of 17-6, was sacked a total of 50 times, threw 11 interceptions and had six rushing touchdowns, per ESPN Stats & Info.

This season? He is 7-7, has been sacked a league-high 49 times despite being one of the more elusive quarterbacks in the NFL, has been picked off 10 times and has yet to run for a score and/or kiss the bicep.

Niners offensive coordinator Greg Roman was asked Thursday if Kaepenrick had to be coached differently as he has tried to right himself.

“Not really,” Roman said. “We haven’t had to coach him differently. But there’s been some ups and downs and whatnot, and I think it’s important for him to finish strong as well.”

The 49ers’ season is over, except for the yelling, and Kaepernick in particular and the offense in general should focus on improving their second-half failings. The Niners have scored 76 points after halftime, the fewest in the NFL, with their 33 fourth-quarter points also ranking last.

Breaking it down further, the 49ers have scored 78 points in the first quarter, which ranks sixth, 94 points in the second quarter, which is 13th, and 43 points in the third quarter, tied for 27th.

“As you know, I believe very strongly in Colin Kaepernick and his talent, his effort, his execution,” said Niners coach Jim Harbaugh. “We’ve gone through some years here where we’re maybe one play away and now we’re not in that same situation.

“This business, I think you tend to look at what’s happened the last weeks, the last game or the last four quarters. It’s not a profession where you look at things in totality. So, I think the quarterback, a lot of times, gets the scrutiny. But we’re a team. This is all of us and we’re all working to get it right.”