Where would 49ers be if Peyton Manning, not Colin Kaepernick, was their QB?

When the Colts released Peyton Manning in March, 2012, the 49ers were one of several teams that pursued the free agent quarterback.

Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman even took a private jet to Duke University to watch the four-time MVP work out.

You know how the story goes: Manning ultimately chose to sign with Denver and the 49ers re-signed Alex Smith. Smith then lost his job after sustaining a concussion against the Rams in Week 10 of the 2012 season, and Colin Kaepernick led San Francisco to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.

The Kaepernick-led 49ers lost to the Seahawks in this season's NFC Championship Game, and Manning will face Seattle in this Sunday's Super Bowl.

What if Manning had signed with San Francisco 22 months ago?

On Wednesday's Yahoo! SportsTalk Live, Jim Kozimor asked Mark Kreidler and Lowell Cohn the following question: "Would it have been the difference between losing Super Bowls and winning Super Bowls if he (Manning) had been on the (49ers) roster?"

Kreidler: "I doubt it ... Nobody plays defense in the AFC. I'm not sure he would have stayed upright for two seasons for the 49ers in the NFC. I mean it."

Cohn: "I think he would have been protected on the 49ers. I think they would have won the Super Bowl last year. Are you kidding? I'm all in. And I think they'd be in the Super Bowl this year. That pathetic pass that Richard Sherman knocked down and Crabtree never got a hand on -- they would have had a successful play and they would have scored."

Cohn later went on to say, "Nobody in his right mind would compare Colin Kaepernick to Peyton Manning; that includes Colin Kaepernick and Jim Harbaugh. There is absolutely no discussion ... I see him (Kaepernick) flopping. You know I'm seeing it right now -- the big floparoo..."

Would the 49ers have beaten the Ravens in last year's Super Bowl, and would they be playing in this year's Super Bowl if Peyton Manning was their quarterback?