Oh snap . . . I know of a regular poster here that will wet himself after reading this.

Alex Smith will get his chance to lead this team!! For Hill to win
the niners have to be perfect in all aspects of the game. If we
can't run the ball, GOODNIGHT IRENE.

Alex Smith is our first round back up for a reason.

I can hear oneniner now sitting on a bar stool someplace in Perioa......told you guys that AS is the man...... I think that is the St.Pauli girl sitting next to oneniner. Man does he have a smile on or what?

Plus Sing wants to win! Smith hasn't broke his fear. If he could be calm in the pocket not panic he'd be pretty good. If he also didn't try to throw a bullet everytime that would help. I think Hill is fine. I would rather see Nate Davis than Smith.

They better be absolutely sure they are ready for the switch. If they go to Smith from Hill, that will be the last switch of the year, for better or worse.

That's why I hope Sing gives Hill every chance to succeed before handing over the reigns. We have Crabs now, and Gore is back. We know things were tough with Gore out, so now Hill has no excuses.

I'm all for the switch, as long as Hill shows he cannot win with this team. I also know that if we do make that kind of switch, though, that it means we have lost a few games and will probably end the season below .500 again.

this what mike S. means when he said that: "Hill sucks really bad and i know it. im going to watch one maybe two more games of his sorry ass play then put smith in. Oh and yeah and smith is going in at some point this season. Cant play with a qb who throws lame ducks and make our WR look bad. cant do it....wont do it!"
you can thank me for the translation now!

Hi Matt, If Hill doesn't produce soon Alex will get his shot. I'd like to see Nate Davis get some meaningfull snaps. I thought he showed instinct in the pocket that cannot be taught. The team needs two pieces on the offensive line and they can address this issue in the off season. Does anyone think Keon Lattimore is an upgrade over Sheets?

Any updates from Terry? I've been gone for a while, and I saw some posts from a couple of days ago. I hope all is going well...

u have 2 really suck if u lose ur job 2 alex smith

the future is either davis or a 2010 draftee

Singletary has already done the OL shuffle and plans to toss Crabtree into the mix to resuscitate this anemic offense.
If Hill or the offense continues to struggle and the 49ers drop the next two games, I would not be surprised if Alex Smith gets the start in the TEN game.

hill is a great guy, just not that great of a qb. he's not a number 1 guy, but pretty solid. i think n.davis is our future qb. time will tell.

Matt,

Good stuff! What is interesting to me is that if Alex Smith was playing and our offense was playing as poorly as it currently is, all of the Hill supporters would be bashing Smith. It is really difficult for Niner fans to digest this team's problems on offense when we have been spoiled with excellent play on offense in the past with super QB's. I sure hope we evolve no matter who we have playing QB. Right now, we can only go up based on where we are. Not good enough for playoffs.

Matt...
This is the first time I'm going to say you're fueling this QB fire... "Hill is starting QB . . . until he's not"

You're response will be something like "I'm not fueling anything. Singletary made a statement and I'm just asking you to be the judge"

If or when Hill single hand-idly loses a game then let's talk about a QB change. Hill is 6 inches away from being one game behind Orton and say what you may... It'd be pretty hard to convince a jury that Hill is the reason for any loss he has started in. Singletary is starting to sound like a politician to me.

I can just see the caption to that photo... "Hey buddy, tough luck against that defense... I got your back though... you just keep hitting those books till you get another shot in 7 years..."

Doesn't surprize me. Hill is ranked 30th in 39 QBs who have thrown a minimum of 50 passes. Coach can read the stats. It was a nudge, play better!

The bottom line is that Nate Davis is the QB of the future. If Hill finishes this season I guarantee Davis will be starting sooner than later. If Hill proves he can't cut it and Sing has to make the move to Smith, it will be Smith who determines how soon Davis plays. If Smith can move the chains, then Davis will sit a little longer than if Hill had been the starter. But if both Smith and Hill can’t cut it, Davis will be starting within a year or two.

I want to see what happens with the receiver mix.
We have a receiver from the Red Raiders and a receiver from the Longhorns. I hope Jones really gets into the mix. Along with Morgan and Bruce. Hell, get all 3 QB's in there. Looks like fun - from just my view.

Let's see, Hill has a sieve for an OL and hasn't done well. Alex had a sieve for an OL and did worse. We are +4 in turnover margin with Hill this year. -17 last year with JTO and Hill. 2007 we were -9 with Alex starting almost half of the year and Dilfer and Hill playing the rest. Smith was never in the positive for td/int ratio. Hill has never been negative. Smith's best was 16/16 in 05. Hill is 23/10 overall, while smith is 19/31. I'm really surprised people are still screaming for him. I had as much hope as anyone when we drafted him, but the rose colored glasses are off. If you think Hill is a career backup (and I'm not saying he's not), what does that make Smith? I like the guy, but he's not a starting QB in this league.

Hill is a great guy, but I believe Smith is the future of the niners and then possibly Davis. Smith never had a chance with Mike Nolan as head coach. Now that Singletary has the reins I believe smith has a better chance and we need someone with a better arm then Hill. I think Smith will get his chance, but it might not be this season.

The only way the 49ers won't draft a QB in the first round is if Alex Smith shocks the world when he finally gets to play this year. Nate Davis won't get enough exposure this year to justify the 49ers not drafting a QB . Whatever happens, it won't be Hill. We've seen his best and it can't end up in the Super Bowl. They'll probably start next season with Smith, Davis, and a high #1 rookie. Sounds pretty good to me. An above average O-line, and a legit back-up RB would be nice too. Hopefully the 49ers will have a new GM who can accomplish what they've needed for years.

I don't get all the hoopla. I don't think Matt's trying to stir stuff up at all. It was pretty clear to me what Sing meant & that is unless S. Hill aka "noodle arm" completely becomes non-productive in the next 2 games regardless of the O-line's play he's not making changes at the QB position. Personally I think we saw Hill & the offense hit rock bottom against the Falcons. With making changes on the O-line coupled with Gore & Crabtree in the mix the 49ers have nothing but upside the rest of the season. Heaven forbid anymore major injuries.

Understand that the bottom line is:
Almost any nfl qb with the correct chemistry in an offensive line will manage and thus win a game.

Hill has done this quite a few times with a garbage line, to say the least. I dont know, this article appeals to the niner fans who want instant gratification. So quick find another flashy alternative?
The least we can do is give hill another chance after his -first- home loss, and hope the line realizes they have a stud rb and a leader behind them.

I'd stick with Hill for now - he's a decent game manager. Alex "Tiny Hands" Smith has already proven he's a bust and Nate Davis is way too raw.

Groom Davis as a future backup and start looking at the 2010 draft for a franchise QB. In the meantime at least Hill doesn't fumble constantly or throw tons of INTs. With good defensive play he can be a respectable QB.

The primary concern on offense is the horrible guard play. I'm surprised the 49'ers haven't brought in a free agent at least for tryouts.

I don't think with the mediocrity of the offense he's going take pressure off of Hill at this stage. But I wouldn't be as melodramatic about is as MM is. Seems like a perfectly reasonable message given the performance.
But I don't beleive he's wanting to be forced to make a switch. Because 1) that means the offense has failed and games have been lost, 2) he knows Smith isn't better (and using Davis isn't an option ladies), 3) if he goes to Smith and that doesn't work out the season is a mess.
Why would he want that mess?

Sticking with Hill until an inujry occurs is the ONLY option that makes sense. Alex is a complete bust and starting him would be taking huge steps backwards for this team, especially since he won't be here next year. And of course it is too early to play Davis, although he is a much better player even at this stage than Alex. Hell, I would rather cut Spurlock and re-sign Huard than have to play Alex, that's how much of an embarrassing bust he is. You don't get 8 seconds to throw 7 feet over WR's heads in the NFL. Deer in headlights boy is done here, get over it already. Never draft a Mountain West QB again, (especially one that should've been a 2nd rounder) learn from it, and move on. His time here is finished. Even if he plays, it just means Hill was hurt or our season is over record-wise and they are just trying to confirm that cutting Smith next year is the right thing...which, it is. Bye bye 50 million dollar bust!

Watch Singletary's press conference Wed., and anyone can see he is in WAY over his head. Look no further than his choice for offensive coordinator. Scotty McCloughan is in WAY over his head, just look at him giving starters money to a #4 WR Brandon Jones. The boy-king Jed, is in WAY, WAY, WAY over his head. WE are so screwed!

"Does anyone think Keon Lattimore is an upgrade over Sheets?"

Don't know anything about Lattimore. But maybe he can be effective ALSO as a blocker--which is what was lacking with our speedster, Sheets. I was very upset when we gave up Kory; so, now that Lattimore is being groomed on the PS, we'll all just have to wait and see. Maybe--if Gore stays healthy enough to keep on playing--we won't need to find out too soon.

As far as the #1 and #1 QB's are concerned, I like both men as individuals and want to see the BEST football PLAYER under center getting WINS for us, so I won't knock either QB. Both of them have had very shakey OL's, so it's hard to tell who is at fault here. If both had a solid OL, then we would have a good basis to judge the better QB for the 49ers. FAIR is FAIR, folks!

Niner MOM

I think 9er1 spelled it out pretty well. Smith did win our 3 wins and he didn't loss the Viking game - hell, all he did was hand off 3 times and the whole team lost the ATL game. He doesn't cause turnovers and he moves the chains as much as the offense allows. Even in the Atl game he seemed like the only guy on the offense who was still trying at the end of game. You can imagine how fried his nerves must be since on every play he goes one thousand one, one thousand two - ouch.

Alex shouldn't even be on this team anyway, he's only here because of McLoughans ego. He was outplayed in camp and pre-season games by Huard AND Davis, so he is basically on borrowed time.

I'm not sure how anyone would want this clown to start again, starting him would be regressing rather than progressing. We know he won't be here next year, he is only here this year because McL saved him. Everyone knows he was outplayed by Huard and Davis but was saved by McL's ego. Next year that won't be the case....we will finally be rid of him, and he will be a clipboard holder for some other sucker team.

I'm glad that Alex stayed around during the BYE week to work with Michael. That shows class on his part.

I presume that Hill got most of the snaps during practices THIS week, so when Sunday's game rolls around, if it happens that Hill needs to get some time out, at least Smith will have had some time tossing the ball to Crabs, so it won't be brand new between the QB and WR.

I'm sorry that Jeff Ulbrich had to go on IR because of multiiple concussions; it seems that history DOES repeat itself (S.Y. and now J.U.). He is one 49er that deserves a truckload of RESPECT from fans because he gives his best ALWAYS; ST will miss his playing.

Niner MOM

I was really surprised to hear morgan stayed during the bye as well. I can understand alex not going, he just got married, but morgan, I would have expected to fly off to who knows where, instead of helping crabtree play his position. however i think morgan knows what's up, bruce isn't nearly as good as he was last year, and he most definitely won't be getting another contract from the niners next year.

The offensive struggles go far beyond Hill. All this talk about which QB is just dancing around the issue that the collective mediocrity of the OL, the playcalling, and the WR's work in tandem with Hill's shortcomings to produce a mediocre offense.

That said, buck up ya'll! We have had ONE game where we were completely dominated. ONE. I am not going to decide right here, right now, that our season is a failure. Our offense needs to improve. Guess what? So does the Redskins! So do a lot of teams. Bottom line is that...it very well might! IN fact, I think it probably will. Still a lot of games to play.

We are not elite, and we will not be elite this year. But we are not going to the SB, and we all knew that to begin with. What, exactly, does everyone expect?

Sure, our QB situation is not inspiring. Big shocker, that. Hill is probably a short term solution. Smith is no solution. Davis may be a long term solution.

Deep breath, this is going to play out in super slow mo.

P.S. I went back and looked at some tape of the AZ game, and there were some drives, and some plays, where Hill actually had time to throw...and he did...successfully!! We need to wash the bad taste of that ATL game out, pronto.

So where is the troll? Sort of like being late to your own birthday party.

I believe Hill will play much better in Houston...he knows he was part of the stink vs Atlanta. Getting Gore back and Crabtree on the field will help. With Pashos now the starting RT and Snyder the RG (alternating w/Rachal) hopefully the OL will settle down and give Shaun enough time to get the ball out.

I think they should draft another QB next year, unless they can get a reasonably priced FA. However, no way I want to see them do that in the 1st round. Nate Davis has the right stuff to succeed in the NFL. Use the two 1st round picks for either the OL or one OL one DL. We've got to get better in the tranches. Strengthen them, the entire team gets better.

Seriously, where's my favorite poster? It will be interesting on draft day. With all the senior D-linemen(whom we should be looking at)it is possible that 2 or 3 of top QBs will be available. It will be interesting to see what the brass does.

Nolanspeak.
Might as well say "Raye is our offensive coordinator...until he's not."

Am i miss reading this quote? There are ppl saying this opens the door for smith? i cldnt disagree more. i think it closes the book on him.. for now. this quote is crystal clear. it says that Hill is the starter, thats it. There is no talk of smith. if Hill has 3 horrible games than they will reevaluate. until then hill isnt going anywhere, which is right on par for anyone in this situation.

where is the controversy here?

it's because coach singletary added the snide comment "until he's not," meaning he expects there to be a time when hill is no longer the starter. when you add that comment with the move to possibly start crabtree over morgan, you can paint a pretty picture. He didn't have to add that snide remark after he said shaun is the starter. but because he brought that in, that means that he's not beyond benching hill like he did jto.

when you look at how the niners are leading the league in 2-and-outs, you can see why singletary is a bit displeased with the offense, to which hill is an integral part. and hill walking into sacks definitely is not endearing him to the coahches.

Alex Smiths rookie season shouldnt be used to evaluate him. In 06 he did a good job and had a few big plays called back because of good ol Kwame Harris.In 07 he played Three healthy games, one of those was a nice last minutedrive against AZ .any other game after he got hurt was B.S. he shouldnt have been cleared to play by Nolan and Co.So we have less than a season and a half to evaluate his real ability.2 I.Rs and he is still fighting back.If shaun does not do more with this offense in the next few games it will surely catch up to us.Then maybe we give Alex one more shot to show if he gots what it takes to win....barring injury of course

There's nothing like creating a phony QB controversy to get those page hits cranked up. Of course Matt is stirring the pot.

Next it will be the head coach, should we keep Singletary or get the celebrity HC du jour? Plenty of those job hunting right now.

Or invent a diva for us all to rail at. Matt tried in the preseason to hang that label on Bruce of all people. Crabtree's turning out to be nothing of the kind despite best efforts. VD is behaving.

Oh I know, let's stir the shyt with Jones or anyone else who's not getting playing time. See if we can get a diva quote or two.

This all really, really doesn't help the Niners to a winning season.

There isn't a QB on the roster that will take this team to the playoffs..

We can't compare Hill and Smith's first four years, because Hill didn't sniff the field. This offense is similar to Turners. Smith has become a better man and qb. I appreciate his work ethic this year. I wouldn't mind seeing him get on the field. He never had a team this good to start on. Nate Davis is longterm future.

Seriously... get off the thought of Davis playing this year. He plays, our season is already lost, then we lose some more.

... where are you oneniner, Matt threw you a frickin bone

Is anyone else as scared of Roman playing against Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson??
How about next week against Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne????

There are only two guys that I want on the roster in all of NCAA... Mays or Berry in that order....

Please football gods grant me this wish... if not can Roman sprain his ankle until the end of the season (I don't wish for anyone to get hurt, but in Roman's case I will take a sprained ankle just to get him off the field)

Shaun Hill is to Oneniner as Mark Roman is to 53Niners
(Never referred to myself in 3rd person before, hahahaa)

MM: Has there been any discussion within the organization of moving Clements to safety, promoting Bly to starter, and Brown to Nickel? Just wondering, it makes alot of sense to me.

Hey 53Niers IF Clements keeps loosing races to the end zone to WR's on the other team he will be moved. wether they want to move him or not.. He is fast becoming a liabilty .. BUT even if the 49ers started Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright with this terrible pass rush NO ONE could cover WRs that long..

Nothing else to write about? Alex will not get off the pine until injury. It could be that's what sing ment by until he's not.

Nothing else to write about? Alex will not get off the pine until injury. It could be that's what sing ment by until he's not.

Watch hill come out on Sunday and put a bullet in this thought of smith starting. Lol. I would love to see oneniners, Aka Alex himself. On game day. Oneniner boo boo. oneniners freind asking. Why are you booing your team? Oneniner; it's not my team unless my hero is starting. Keep the hope alive oneniner.

Lot's of agreement in this thread that kind of makes the notion of a QB controversy just a fun subject to keep everyone iinvolved;
1) Hill is not great, but has strengths that help him overcome the physical liabilities. Can help this team win this year, but we need an upgrade eventually.
2) Smith is potentially ok, but certainly not great. Certainly there is no actual evidence he'll do better than Hill even if he has better arm strength. His play in pre-season confirmed his mediocrity.
3) Davis looks to have the most potential, but for the more sophisticated fans there is no realistic expectation of him getting on the field this year.
4) This team has too many holes on the OL/DL to be elite, so in the end try to have a better year, win the west and then re-tool for next year after our first round elimination.

And we're a LONG WAY from even winning the west. We lose the next two weeks and this year could get ugly fast. We'll be talking about whether Brian Jennings deserves the Len Eshmont award over Andy Lee........

I am amazed at the way history repeats itself. It seem like yesterday that the fans and the media were hyperventilating over who should start between Scott Bull or Steve DeBerg. Tons of ink was wasted on this so called controversy; and all the while a skinny guy from Notre Dame was sitting on the bench, learning the game, and waiting for his chance.

Face it guys, neither Smith nor Hill will lead this team to the playoffs. Davis is the future.

..lol..you guys are funny.....

you can't deny the voice of change....lol

its coming, i can hear the drum beats ..

..but damn i hate to lose against the sorry texans.....

Its so obvious Coach Sing is a ROOKIE.....you can feel in it in his comments...

..first it was we are going to be tough and physical, everyone has to earn their spot, so lets crack sum nuts

...then it was yea - we a very good team, i dont even have to talk to them at halftime

....then ..hmmm...it was a tough loss against the vikings, let me shake every players hand...yea macho man - tough loss

....then it was timeout management, refrees, O-Line(our guards sucks)....lets just move forward, i want winners

...now its ...hmmm, i don't wanna lose my job .....lets put the rookie in the game over the experienced WR's ......also maybe now my QB needs to put up above average numbers......

can someone tell the macho rookie, S.Hill has been doing the same thing the past 10+ games......now he knows he needs more production....anybody could have told him that...

Men - i love this guys on steroids, they think with their muscles not their brain....

i swear to God if we lose on sunday - i am putting two billboards up

"S. Hill sucks" and "Coach Homlgren get ready"

♪♪♪♪♪♪...i can hear the beat drum...♪♪♪♪♪♪

The Niner Comeback by A.Smith is coming soon to a HDTV near you...

♪♪♪♪♪♪

Hey, Franchise. I see your boy Mark Sanchez has a 56.7 passer rating so far. That's about what Smith's was in his first year. 5 picks in ONE game! Whew! I'm sure he'll improve, right? Surely he will, won't he? Ha ha ha. Just ribbing you and talking about a team that really IS in trouble. Our team is not.

Terry, don't know what your wife's issue is, but my wife is very knowledgeable about medicine and health. If there's any questions you might have, click my screen name and visit my URL and leave me a message I can relay to her.

Singletary just basically said that Hill is the starter for now but he would have no reservations about yanking Hill if he feels it's the right move.

Seems like people are remembering the Hill from last year and not the Hill that's been playing so far this season. Hill's play has been mediocre at best so far this season and his play has had some sprinkles of great QB play but overall has been very bleh.

We lead the league in 3 and outs and our passing offense is towards the very bottom of the league so that doesn't seem like a guy that's getting the job done to me.

Granted our line play hasn't been stellar but when you consider that Aaron Rodgers plays behind a far worse line than ours and still able to do fairly well obviously it can't all be the offensive line.

We've been winning with great defensive play so far this year and when that defensive play wasn't there and we needed the offense to pick up the defense it fell flat on it's face.

Question for Matt,

Do you see Hill as a QB who can throw that frozen rope type pass, or a guy who can throw deep when need be? It almost seems that if the Niners are down by two possession scores, the Niners are out of the game because he cant lead short quick score drives which reuires the QB to throw some bombs down the field. Its like the defense has to play perfect and the offense has to sustain long ball control drives. Against Atlanta this did not happen and the game was over by half, whereas if we had a QB that could throw the 9 route with some precision we would be able to compete regardless of having to dictate a specific type of game. Thats what the good teams can do, adapt.

The only team Alex will start for is in Canada. He is a wrap in the NFL and everyone except a poster or two on a few message boards knows it. He is Tim Couch, minus all the talent. He's done. He will either be playing in canada or Europe, or holding a clipboard for some team in the NFL, not the 9ers. He needs 8 seconds to make a decision and throw, and he will only get that in Canada or Europe somewhere. But he does make a helluva clipboard holder. McL's ego has kept him a roster position on this team, but that is done after this year, Davis will be promoted to either starter or #2, Hill will be starter or demoted to #2, and we will sign a veteran backup as #3. Smith is 49er history...and not much of it, thankfully.

Let's settle down on all the Alex Smith as savior talk, folks. While I don't see Shawn as having pro bowl-type talent, with very few exceptions, he has done enough for us to win. He did look bad in the Falcons game, but in every other game this year he has put us in position to win - even the Minnesota game. The sky is not falling yet, but I guarantee if you put smith in the starting lineup not only will it fall, but it will crash and burn too.

I recognize that he has been in bad offensive situations before, but how is this year any different? I have yet to see him hit a receiver in stride. He got Brandon Lloyd paid because he had to make circus catches to reel Smith's passes in.

However, once the Falcons game was out of reach, I would not have minded seeing what Davis could do under live fire. He should be 2nd on the depth chart. I've seen all of Alex Smith I ever need to see.

Agreed.

The fact that Shawn Hill is a journeyman QB, a functionable but not future QB, a stop-gap guy for us, should have NO impact whatsoever on Smith playing. Playing Alex would be complete regression for this team. Yeah yeah yeah, we get it, Hill isn't a pro-bowl QB or the future for us at all, BUT...he can at least FUNCTION in an offense and he doesn't need 8 seconds to make a decision and release, and he can actually throw a forward pass accurately. And Smith is nothing. At least with Hill we avoid embarrassment. With Smith, we look futile on offense. And I'm sick of hearing about this "big" 06 season Smith had....his big claim to fame. Eh. Even his 06 play was way below par by NFL standards. The guy is nothing, the sooner everyone accepts that the better, because it is reality, it isn't even arguable anymore.

i just feel this is a lot of nonsense over nothing. I think Coach wld laugh if he read all this. i dont think he meant ANYTHING by the comments other than its just the way he talks. he is honest. he doesnt wanna say Hill will DEF be the starter all year long, then if he HAS to make a change cuz we lose 6 in a row and he looks like an ass. There is NO story here.

isnt this what we want as fans? of course if someone is playing like crap they will be benched. again if you dont have a franchise QB thats right on par for the league. what else do you want the guy to say?

There is no beating drum, no call for Smith, this is nothing more than a media created storm... anyone remember the " we will run 60%" comment that blew up.. again another nonissue. how is that working out? dont expect to see smith anytime soon

also, hey im not saying Clement is a shut down corner but again ppl go over the top about things. Did we all forget that White is prolly one of the fastest guys in the league? shld we be surpried he beat Clement to the end zone? the reality is, relativly speaking, Clement isnt that fast. the issue wasnt getting beat to the endzone that will happen 100 times outta 100, white is just fast, the issue is you either gotta get in front and knock that ball down, which i understand what he was trying to do it was 3rd down and white was beyond the sticks, or u gotta make that tackle. thast the issue.

I lean towards what westsider stated: it would have been interesting to see what Davis could do after the Falcon game was out of hand.

And why does it have to be that I am "seeking instant gratification" if I state I'd like to see Davis AND Smith brought in for a few downs a game, or see someone (now departed) like Kory Sheets, the fastest RB at the NFL combine as "wildcat" to stir things up?

Gee, the Eagle's Reid takes out a 5 time All-Pro QB sometimes and uses a back up (albeit a 3 time All Pro), the Dolphins under Parcells mix things up...why not state it in a positive sense, and say we want to give Davis some touches? Or line up Coffee under center, with Gore behind him, and make the defense guess a bit....

I like Davis' arm strength, his accuracy, let's give'em some snaps, no knock necessarily on Hill.

What could it hurt? Davis has no "noodle arm", that's for sure, and Smith makes a ton of money, let him try to earn some of it, without the pressure of being named starter.

And Hill can remain starter, not lose confidence, until someone else shows a spark we lack.

A Scott Bull/Steve Deberg reference. Thats freaking awesome!!! If memory serves, Deberg was replaced by Montana and then by Marino. Dude just couldn't catch a break. How many starting QB's in the league today would put up with driving his team to the red zone only to be replaced by a rookie in training to finish the drive as Deberg did with Montana. Josh Morgan displayed a fantastic team first attitude in his training of Crabs. Deberg was the ultimate team first guy with his training of Montana.

90% of this teams problems on offense can be blamed on 2 people Chilo Rachal, and Adam Snyder, Unless Drew Brees is our QB were not going to be susseful playing with 2 players on the line who hold up as well as a bottumless bucket.

I, for one, think shaun is incapable of winning any big games. He is "servicable" and sing knows that also. Can he get us to the playoffs? No, that is up to our defense and gore. Can he keep us in games? No, our defense has to keeps it close. I have seen him throw some nice balls, but he has thrown some ducks as well. He is not consistant and he can not throw with any true velosity. But, I don't think a change is needed just yet. I am in the alex camp, but in order for alex to succeed, he needs to sit and learn a little longer. When he goes in, I want him to know the entire offense. But alex may not have that luxury if hill poorly in the next game or two.

Right on Rick! But the master QB evaluator Bill Walsh is no longer with us (RIP Bill). If he was he would say Hill is not the answer and Smith may not be either but... I think we all know Hill will not take us to a championship.

So the question is should we trade a couple of rebuilding years for a championship in 2012 or 13. I know I would. Because this lack of foresight and talent evaluation has kept the Niners rudderless since Mariucci. I for one am tired of cross your fingers "plug & play" hope for the best.

Walsh played Montana and then he played DeBerg a couple of games then he played Montana because he knew he needed to build around a QB first. Without a solid QB everything else was just noise. Well he found his QB and built a championship team around him.

So Heck play Davis, play Smith see what they have this year! I think we have seen enough of what Hill has and I like most others think he's "just ok". But high paid wide- outs are waisted if the other team knows you have no vertical game.

I mean who thought Aaron Rogers would be the QB he is becoming. You don't know until 3-4 games. And why not where not really going very far this year. If you didn't know it before replay ...Atlanta Game.

PS. If Walsh wanted to win now and he had this team he'd have Jeff Garcia under center this week.

Pierre, There are other qb's that are getting pressure and are still completing the ball. Hill has to be at least 50% of the problem, since he touches the ball 100% of the time.

We know all the things Hill is NOT. Sadly, even with those things he isn't, he is still heads and tails better than Smith.

Smith?? Need to sit and learn more??? Are you kidding??? Mr.Utah Junior graduate?? Mr extremely smart QB according to Urban Meyer?? The guy is done learning. The problem is, what he learns, he can't implement in under 8 seconds!

Enough with the Mountain West intellectual QB syndrome we've been suffering through since 05. For Gods sake next time just find us a football player who can play QB, McClueman!!!

Well put Kit21carson.

All the hill supporters think he can get us to the playoffs. I don't think many think he can win us games once we get there. Is that our goal? Just the playoffs. With hill leading us, we have no growth as a team. Every year, we would hope to just make the playoffs. That is the same hope that the lians have every year, nice.

Straight up? We don't have a QB on our roster who can strike fear in an opposing defense. You can bench Hill for not having a strong arm, but Alex Smith is not capable of being an effective QB in this league because he: 1. Has no field vision 2. Makes slower decisions when throwing the ball than my grandma and 3. He couldn't hit a barn in Pennsylvania Amish country. When/if Davis develops he will be better than both Hill and Smith, but in order for him (or next year's 1st round QB draft pick) to get better the team has to bite the bullet and let them play and develop. That means growing pains, as in losses. Are we as a fan base prepared for more of that? I hate fu**ing losing, but we need a REAL QB...what are we supposed to do?

9er1,

Just quoting urban himself. Alex needs to know the offense fully. He has never had that luxury and he has never had a good team surrounding him. His second year he was making great strides, on a make shift team, as still the youngest qb in the league.

Hill is not heads and tails ahead of "ANY" of the qbs we have on the team. He was just the safe bet at the time. Mediocre at best.

Interesting how everyone knows that S.Hill can't lead the 49ers to the playoffs when he's never had the chance...to. *confused look*

Did S.Hill sink a team's chances at the playoffs before he came to SF? I must've missed something. AND, one man could never lead a team anywhere, it's a team game. It takes 22 guys, for those of you new to the sport.

Everyone dogging S.Hill is dogging the 49ers. Do you kiss your grandmothers with those foul mouths? How dare you...

Shaun vs. Alex? Boys, you KEEP missing the point. And MM was good enough to put it in the first sentence for you: "Coach Mike Singletary placed most of the blame on the 49ers' offensive line when asked about the struggles in the passing game..."

This all comes back to no Hill, not Smith...not even Rachal or Snyder. This is about SCOT MCCLOUGHAN. He spent three picks in the Top 40 selections of three different NFL drafts on Offensive Linemen. Yet, how often does this group look overmatched? Answer: too often.

Fundamentally (and I'm not a Hill guy, but will defend him here), it doesn't matter who your QB is when he takes three steps and still gets squashed like a bug before getting a pass off. (By the way, any view of Alex Smith has to stop the minute Rocky Bernard fell on him -- he hasn't played a regular season NFL game healthy since then. And frankly, up to that point -- following wins on the road against SEA and DEN, plus a 2-1 start in year three -- he was on his way. Fair is fair on that point.)

So, at the end of the day, debate the QBs all you want. But the problem with this offense is still an O line that cannot pass protect or sustain drives running the ball. Think about it, boys...

Stampede, always the voice of reason. Nice comment. Yes it is a team game, but every part of the team has to play well to succeed in the playoffs?

"...Hill is not heads and tails ahead of "ANY" of the qbs we have on the team..."

Well actually he is. The reason for the early competition was to give Alex a chance to win it. Hill showed he could turn that sad sack offense into a winner, so he should have been given the job this year. Instead they gave Alex every oppty to win it, and he COULDN'T!
As for Davis, yes he looked good - in the 3RD and 4Th Quarter! Does anyone here realize what a difference that is from the real thing? Yes he has a big arm, but then so did Jeff George. He could throw any pass you wanted. SO WHAT? I'm not saying Davis couldn't be good, it certainly helps to have the physical tools, but most people here are just dreaming.
Especially when I keep hear 'I'd just like see what he can do'. Like playing QB in the NFL is driving a car? If Hill and Smith get injured then you get your wish, but you better put on rose colored glasses.

niner559-

I don't get this over-sympathatic approach to Smith. He gets excuse after excuse from people. When will it ever stop and when will people recognize this guy isn't cut out for the NFL? There are MANY QBs that have succeeded in not-so-good situations! Enough with the multiple OC excuse, it is really getting pathetic. My God, Favre had about 6 OCs his tenure with the packers and another one now, and we see how bad it has stunted him! Rogers had many of the same OCs and man he looks terrible! Blah. Alex learned and knew Turner's offense all of 06 and was STILL a below average QB by NFL standards! Time to get over it and move on...no more excuses.

Bottom line....If Hill can't take us to the playoffs, then we aren't going, it's that simple. THATS REALITY. Then all we can do is sit back and wait for Davis to develop and hope he can start next year. ALex will be gone anyway, 3rd stringer somewhere or in Canada or arena league. Those are the cold, hard facts that some don't want to face.

Hey hurtinhead ~

Just read your crying little comment about me a few threads back: Boo Hoo -- cry me a river. Did I hurt your feelings? Maybe Houston can dry your tears with his "I love Sarah" handkerchief.

You forgot Baas.

My premonition may be starting to come true....

They "fixed" the O line for this week, so let's see what happens Sunday.

I think they may go for a QB in next years draft with an early pick. Smith is under contract through next year and we will have to see where Davis is at. But it makes sense to get someone who can throw to your new weapon (Crabtree) and stretch the field. Also, even though our D line is getting older...unless there is a stud, they may try to get someone proven through free agency as D line players tend to take a while to adjust to the NFL (see Kentwan Balmer).

The 49ers will have to make a big decision if Smith does start sometime this season and do well.

OL coaching is the problem. We need a McKittrick dna clone.

Things to look for sunday:

1. Dont expect Hill to look too bad against the Texans. The Texans have only had 7 sacks this season. Their pass rush is almost non existent. They are by far worse than us in that area.

2. Frank Gore - Houston's Def line is good at stopping runs but when a run gets through Houston is the worst in the league in having their linebackers and DB's make the tackle to stop the run resulting in a lot of 10+ yd runs. Worst in the league in regards to this. If a back gets through the def line 40% of the time they go for more than 10 yds against HOU. For comparison we only allow 10+ yds 17% of the time if they get through the def line. That is a staggering stat.

3. HOU O-Line is good against the pass rush but poor in the run game. This may allow us to get an extra rusher to go to the QB and allow us to get more pressure on him. The opposite side to that coin is without pressure he may have too long to make plays thus allowing breakdowns in our secondary. THIS WILL BE A KEY PART OF GAME TO WATCH.

4. HOU recievers: A. Johnson is only catching 55% of balls thrown to him, Walter is catching 75% For comparison Morgan is catching 59% O. Daniels is at 69% Johnson's yards are high this year but you cant just look at that stat alone. He has played some weaker teams so far. He is also a better Receiver than White and faster so we may need to double him. Is this why Walter is doing so well?

I think we can do well against their WR's if we can get some semblance of a pass rush on the QB. No DB is going to be good against anyone if a QB is given all day to allow his WR's to get open. AGAIN this is why our Pass rush will be so important this game.

5. HOU running game is weak and their RB's have coughed it up 5 times this year and only scored 2 td's We should have this part under control.

The problem is not the QB. Been a 49er fan since 1949 frankie Alberts niners in the all america conference.
After watching the offense it came to me where i saw this offense before and it came to me. Woody Hays 1950 ohio st, 10 yards and a cloud of dust. except here we get two yards. Two years in rebuilding the offensive line at still leaks live a sieve no run or pass blocksing the two guards whould be run out of town if McKitrick were still offensive line coach he was the best. The day Nolan was fired I told my friends hire Josh Mc Daniels. The moral here never hire a defensive coach as head coach. Billichec, Landry, lombardi were the best defensive coachs who were successful head choachs. You win Super Bowls by throwing the ball or as Biil Walsh stated first down via the pass.

Your Right, Bass is a huge liability as well. Thats 3/5 of our offense of linemen who my niece from getting behind the line of scrimmage, Thats why Smith cant stay healthy, thats why Hill cant get the ball down field, and its gonna be why Davis leaves his facemask imprint permantly depressed in the candlestick field when the other two get hurt.

I agree with you Niner559. I've had the opinion that S.Hill & A.Smith are both mediocre QB's at best and now that NFL teams have more film on S.Hill, coming into this season his weaknesses will be exploited. He needs to improve his game, but I'm not sure he can. I'm still predicting the Nate Davis era starts on Week 13 on Monday nite.

9er1,

You are right about 2006. By NFL standards, Alex was rated 22nd. He was right behind big ben (21st) and 3 ahead of brett favre (25th).

I will just say this, he did very bad his first year. This is very common among rookies (see steve young).
His second year he was progressing and his third year he got hurt in the forth game (2-1 as a starter).

Regardless of OC's, I never saw a bust. He might be, but I didn't see it in 06.

I can't wait till the house cleaning. Singletary is turning into Nolan-oite.

If your right, and nate does well, I would be all for it. We need a qb to step up. I think we all just want to win, no matter what our opinion is of the qb's.

Hill has to be at least 50% of the problem, since he touches the ball 100% of the time.

And Heitmann has to be the other 50% of the problem, since he also touches the ball 100% of the time. That's it then folks. The problem is Hill and Heitmann.

That means growing pains, as in losses. Are we as a fan base prepared for more of that? I hate fu**ing losing, but we need a REAL QB...what are we supposed to do?

If you build it, etc. We need to build the team by the trenches. Strong OL, strong DL. Yes, we need a good QB. But there are good QB's that are not 1st rounders. If Davis is not the answer, I think we could find one, but without a good OL, we get nowhere. In short, we HAVE to have a good OL.

Regarding the never ending QB debate, the most important attribute bar none, is accuracy.

Smith is not an accurate passer. End of story.

Alex Smith's career was in trouble when he got drafted by the 49ers.
Personally I was hoping they would draft Aaron Rodgers (he looked more like a west coast offense qb and he was from Cal), but if they had drafted Rodgers he'd probably be a mess now, too. It was not a good draft year for QBs, just our luck, but even great Qbs struggle as rookies, even when they're on good teams. At the time Smith was drafted, the 49ers were at their worst, and Nolan was a rookie, and McCloughan was way over his head (he still is), and there was no one above them that knew anything about football (there still isn't).

Smith is not an accurate passer. End of story.

That's not nearly as true as you'd like to belive. You'd understand that if you ever looked at the issue honestly.

He's not super accurate. But he's accurate enough to be a 60%+ passer. You look at the first three games of 2007. His WRs dropped 13 if 86 passes and he still completed over 50+%. In the one game where they actually caught all his passes (pre-shoulder injury) he was well into the 60+ percentage range.

If look at his completion rate, without the incredible stat-messing up 13/86ths drop rate, he was a high 60% passer in that time.

But between 13 drops between Jackson an Battle (9 to 10 more drops than SHOULD have happened) Smith's stats took a serious hit. You adjust for those WR dropsies... Smith was playing well. Despite no o-line blocking, run game or help from anyone on the offense besides Vernon Davis.

That's the irony of 2007. The only players, on offense, that did anything during those first three games were Davis and Smith. Yet they were being held up as the problem. Never mind they were the only two performers.

Now, when Smith was playing with a broken shoulder. Yes, he was bad. But all QBs are bad when they have broken shoulders.

But you go back to those first three games and normalize Smith's stats for the two TDs dropped and the 9-ti-10 excess drops... You've got a QB flirting with pro-bowl numbers being sabotaged by his inocmpetent WRs.

Not a bust. Not an innaccurate QB.

As for this year. I'll note how rustry Brady was the first few games. And Brady missed a lot less time than Smith. Who, like it or not, was playing (rusty as heck) as well as Hill.

And now we're in a mess. Because Singletary is a fool.

I WANT WINNERS!

Clearly we are not getting enough production out of the QB position. I favor neither a Hill or A. Smith in this debate - I just want to see consistent play on both sides of the ball. Right now, it is only the Niner defense that is playoff caliber. Hill has not played well for 4 quarters in any of the Niner games. Smith hasn't played at all in 2 years, yet there are those that hold some sort of personal grudge. If there is a grudge, it should be against Nolan and the coaches not Smith. How does anyone know how Smith will play if he is inserted into a game? You can't assume that he will automatically be any worse than Hill has been the first 5 games. I will say that Hill has heart but unfortunately that does not equate into talent. At some point, we need to take another look at Smith since Hill just ain't getting it done and the Niner offense is ranked 28th in passing and 29th overall. Our opponents defenses have caught up to our limitations at QB.

dude...i am so excited to watch the niners this sunday.....

i need a win badly....

go niners

As Sing continues to say,Hill IS the QB and will remain the QB for the entire season,unless he sucks. So far he has played well,except for one game,and in that game Sing blames the O line.
So NOTHING has changed !
Must be a slow news day,huh Matt ? lol

I want WINS!!!
Go Niners!!!!

nice read ...MosesZD

you have good facts...

"You look at the first three games of 2007. His WRs dropped 13 if 86 passes and he still completed over 50+%. In the one game where they actually caught all his passes (pre-shoulder injury) he was well into the 60+ percentage range."

I wasn't looking at 2007 since he was injured early on. I was looking at 2006, the year in which he showed the improvement. He was 58%. But I am not really relying on statistics alone. If a QB throws the ball away to avoid a sack, that hurts his stats. Smith throws inaccurate passes at crucial times, and on easy passes.He does not hit the receiver in stride, throws often behind him, or throws low or too high on screen type passes. Does that mean he misses them every time? Of course not. Does he miss them more than an NFL QB should, IMO, yes.

As for me liking to believe that he is inaccurate -- no way. I would love to believe he is uber-accurate. I want the 49ers to win. I just truly believe that we do not have the QB that is going to take us to an elite status in the #1 and #2 spot. Maybe the #3, but there is a lot of maybe about that. Sigh.

If Smith gets another chance, and he may, if not from Hill being yanked, then possible injury or garbage time, I really do hope that he has "found it" and proves all the supporters right, and all the detractors wrong. Why wouldn't I?

Your niece is as ugly as the O-Line? Huh?

Unless we get carried away by the lack of anything new...Lets remember that even with hill's horrible stats last game,he is still about 20 points higher this season in QB rating than Smith's average.
We all know in our hearts that smith is not any better than Hill and in reality is much worse.
We all know in our hearts that Davis is the only QB on the roster that has the potential to be the future Franchise QB. So if it isn't hill and it turns out not to be Davis,then there is only one choice left,draft or trade for another QB. Smith simply does not enter into the equation at all. He is a backup to a career 3rd stringer.
Hill IS the starting QB and if Smith ever gets into a game for any other reason than injury,the season is a lost season and we might as well play Davis,to make sure he is the man,before the next draft.
As much as we all had high hopes for Smith at one time,that time is loooooong gone . Sad story and sadly a bad mistake in the draft. Time to move on.

hey top_mice.....we know you are old school

i am sure you remember this song by this blk guy called Sam Cooke-A Change Is Gonna Come (the remixed version)

♪♪♪♪♪♪...
My franchise QB got crushed by an elephant
Oh and just like the rethugs I've been losing ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

♪♪♪♪♪♪...

There been times that I thought I couldn't last losing this long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

.♪♪♪♪♪♪

There is also a remixed version with auto-tunes, and a country version as well

Hey,

anybody think Alex Smith would have better success with Michael Crabtree since they both ran the spread in college

i smell desperation to indoctrinate people

"We all know in our hearts that smith is not any better than Hill and in reality is much worse. "

sounds like pycho talk....

- "we" ......you and who?....cmon dude - do u even have a heart?

I love how you totally agree with facts that support your viewpoint, and ignore or attempt to pick apart those facts that don't.

That being said, I don't think Alex Smith playing is a bad thing per se. Love or hate Shaun Hill, it's hard to deny the production from the passing game has not been stellar. Now, I put a lion's share of the blame for that on the line (as any rational person would), but Smith is certainly more mobile than Hill, and when you have a sieve-like o-line, that versatility can come in quite handy. That being said, one of the things I always had a problem with about Alex Smith was that he throws kind of a lot of picks. Hill has been quite efficient and thrown few picks, even if our offense hasn't been amazing. But the bottom line is, we need to do what we need to do to win. If the coaches think that means putting in a more mobile quarterback with a stronger arm, then I'm all for it. But let's keep this in perspective -- the coaches have said nothing indicating Hill is GOING to be yanked, they've simply opened the door to Smith playing. Maybe it'll light a fire under Hill's rear end, and he'll come out guns blazing on Sunday. Whatever the case...Go 9ers!!

The good state is 3-2. However two of those wins are against very bad teams. I really don't know how good/bad are we.? The season is 16 game long. At least we are in the race whcih is something we haven't seen in 7 years.

However it is clear we have a crucial flaw, our O-Line which is now ranked after 6 weeks as 32th running & 31th in pass protection by Football Insiders stat analysis. That isn't fair to Frank Gore or Hill.

Let's hope they play much better this week. It's a big game!

At least this guy is not our QB...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&page=hotread6/JaMarcusRussell

"I love how you totally agree with facts that support your viewpoint, and ignore or attempt to pick apart those facts that don't."

isnt that what a debate is about?

i ignore emotional verbiage/rants - i will always attempt to pick apart facts that counter my arguments - no denying that.

"That being said, one of the things I always had a problem with about Alex Smith was that he throws kind of a lot of picks."

.....i actually miss those picks.....i know ..i know picks are bad....but not necessarily, i want my QB to take chances, i want my QB to be risky once in a while

the good QB's in the NFL take chances, they throw risky passes once in a while....i want that....i need that

i don't want a QB just following the script and when the play is dead, he folds ....does not improvise... does nothing......that is not the DNA of a niner QB

Winners take risks, they take chances - that is why they are feared, when you are feared you get away with alot......S.Hill does not take risks, he does not take chances, that is why he his not feared...

i think that was factual and simple enough....

Joshinsb: If you have actually watched any of the games both those of Hill and those of Alex,you would know that Hill is a much better scrambler than alex. Hill is quick and Alex is fast. But to escape a pass rush you must have the quickness that Smith is lacking in. In a race I would bet my home that Hill would easily defeat Smith for the first 5-10 yards,while Smith might win the 40 yard dash. That quick burst is what makes the difference in avoiding the pass rush. Hill was a track star in high school. So he can run(as we saw with his over 50 yards running in last weeks game !),Alex seems to be wearing cement shoes.
Smith has a huge problem...he thinks something and then it takes his brain many seconds to process the info and tell his body to perform the task. He has a built in delay,that is death for an NFL QB in every area of QBing,not just in avoiding the pass rush. It is clear that Alex can't play NFL qB because of this huge defect. Hill on the other hand has a quicker mind and quicker release and makes things happen most times when things break down,while Alex is still paralized.
(deer in the headlights).
So,Hill is MUCH better in the pocket and better at avoiding the pass rush than alex,no contest.
If the O line is hurting Hill's play,it would be a much bigger disaster for Smith,as we should remember from Smith's time as starter,when he had a poor O line and couldn't ever get away from even a mediocre pass rush.

...notice how bottom_mices's comments contains no FACTS - not one single fact - but just assumptions or feelings about an issue.....

Only him knows all this to be true...

by the way he also thinks

GWB was the best POTUS ever...
the kenyans planned a coup in the usa....
Global warming is farting....

bootom_mice has a PHD in foreign relations cuz he can see russia from his backyard

Oneniner. I figured you wouldn't be happy unless Nolan, Turner, and Smith was running the show again. I have to say I agree with you for once, but only halfway. Holmgren would be a great addition. But as a gm.

I agree with Top Cat on this-From everything I've seen, Shaun Hill has much more awareness in the pocket than Alex Smith. I think that's really important considering the pressure that is put on the 49ers QB every single week-If the o-line starts playing solid football, maybe Alex would better than Hill (although I'm really not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt anymore).
The situation is unfortunate, the niners have some WRs that can be deep threats but there's no time to get the ball downfield-between that and Isaac Bruce clogging the depth chart...
the niners can't make use of a guy like Brandon Jones, wouldn't it be fun to see a 3 WR set w/ Crabtree, Morgan and Jones? just sayin'.....

I agree with Top Cat on this-From everything I've seen, Shaun Hill has much more awareness in the pocket than Alex Smith. I think that's really important considering the pressure that is put on the 49ers QB every single week-If the o-line starts playing solid football, maybe Alex would better than Hill (although I'm really not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt anymore).
The situation is unfortunate, the niners have some WRs that can be deep threats but there's no time to get the ball downfield-between that and Isaac Bruce clogging the depth chart...
the niners can't make use of a guy like Brandon Jones, wouldn't it be fun to see a 3 WR set w/ Crabtree, Morgan and Jones? just sayin'.....

If and when Smith leaves don't be surprised if he is reincarnated a la Steve Young and Jim Plunkett. I could see Smith going to the Patriots or Colts and doing well at some point down the line. Both are stable teams where he could sit for 3 years and really learn his trade.

Ninermd: You do understand that Holmgren was fired as GM of the Seahawks many years ago because he sucked at the job,don't you ?

And why are you speaking about oneniner,I thought he was banned from this site about a month ago and I have not seen any posts by him since then. Is he still around and spouting his nonsense ? lol. I am glad I can't see his posts anymore !!! Must be a glitch in my internet filter,sad you all don't have the benifit of my filter.

Of course your in smiths camp. We know this is oneniner- Alex himself-niner559. You guys" and I mean 1 person" must want to see the niners lose. You are on some good drugs if you believe smith will take this team anywhere but to a great draft pick.

".....i actually miss those picks.....i know ..i know picks are bad....but not necessarily, i want my QB to take chances, i want my QB to be risky once in a while"

*Caution, blatant sarcasm ahead*

Oneniner, your football acumen is outstanding.

I would say put her in at quaterback, but she throws like a girl!! =)

You could argue hill is a better scrambler in terms of yardage gained when coverage is tight, but he's not as fast, and he doesn't do well getting outside the pocket. I'm not really talking about scrambling for yardage, I'm talking about extending the play by moving outside the pocket. Hill drops back into the pocket, and if things break down, he usually gets the ball stripped or gets sacked. It should be noted that I have supported Hill since the beginning of the season, so this isn't a Smith bias.

I do understand some of the fans (very few) who still hold out great hope for alex.He is such a great guy and has class and is a great team mate etc.
Too bad that his football skills are not in the class with him as a person.
He is mediocre at best as an NFL QB. He has had at least twice as many games under his belt as Hill has and yet he still gets his butt kicked by Hill,who is supposed to be only a career 3rd stringer.
Let's look at this from another point of view... Hill is 10-4 and 7-1 at home and had a much much higher QB rating for his career than smith could dream of having. On top of that Hill is just getting started and SHOULD grow with each start,since he has little experience in playing. On top of that he has only started 5 games in the NEW offense and will surly make advancements as the OC and his new offense mature.
Hill is a winner ,Alex is a loser,and can't throw accuratly and throws many more interceptions than hill and is slow to deliever the ball and make decisions about where to throw the ball and in general has shown to be a deer in the headlights. etc etc etc.

Why not give Hill a chance. If he flops like alex did in his 30 something starts,then it will be time for Davis to step in. But to be fair,Hill will need about twice as many starts as he has had in his short career to be able to evaluate him,as we have evaluated Smith,as a probable bust.
But if an emergency happens and Alex ever needs to get in a game (hope not !!!) ,then I hope he lights it up and finally shows at least some NFL skills,for the first time ! I just want wins !

Sam Cooke #1

Don't forget, we had a QB that took risks. His name was JT O'Turnover. No more risk takers please. I'll take a ball manager over that any day.

funny how you say bill walsh would have evaluated this. for one thing, walsh wouldn't care if he can throw 80 yards or 15 yards. he only care if the qb is a FOOTBALL player. that's it. it's all about winning, and if he know that the qb can win, and has leadership quality, then he'll play him.

hill may not be the answer now, but he's doing what he has to make me enjoy this season. the last time we were 3-2 was what, early 2000's?? all this negativity really ticks me off. all i hear from this site and others is a bunch of whiners. we're winning and you're all still whining! we're going to beat houston. and when we do, even then, you negative people will still whine the same way "wahhhhh...i want a better qb, where's my mommy...wahhhh."

hill came in last year and started turning things around. he finally get a chance to start. we're above .500, so why don't we just have a great time and give some positive vibes. man, if you want to stay negative, please head over to the raiders' blog. -sigh-

funny how you say bill walsh would have evaluated this. for one thing, walsh wouldn't care if he can throw 80 yards or 15 yards. he only care if the qb is a FOOTBALL player. that's it. it's all about winning, and if he know that the qb can win, and has leadership quality, then he'll play him.

hill may not be the answer now, but he's doing what he has to make me enjoy this season. the last time we were 3-2 was what, early 2000's?? all this negativity really ticks me off. all i hear from this site and others is a bunch of whiners. we're winning and you're all still whining! we're going to beat houston. and when we do, even then, you negative people will still whine the same way "wahhhhh...i want a better qb, where's my mommy...wahhhh."

hill came in last year and started turning things around. he finally get a chance to start. we're above .500, so why don't we just have a great time and give some positive vibes. man, if you want to stay negative, please head over to the raiders' blog. -sigh-

We had a risk taker. JT O'Turnover. No thanks. Give me the ball manager any day.

Very interesting breakdown. Just a few notes. IMHO Andre Johnson is the best WR in the league, bar none. Dude is an absolute beast. He's huge, fast, and has great hands. He's not as physical as you would think when he goes after the ball but he is a freaking great football player.

The Houston d line is awful. The stats may say they are ok at stopping the run but they simply can't do it when it counts. I think Frank Okam will start for them this week. On one play he looks like a future HOFer and on the next it looks like they ought to cut him right there in the middle of the game. If the 9ers are going to get a running game going this is the game to do it.

funny how you say bill walsh would have evaluated this. for one thing, walsh wouldn't care if he can throw 80 yards or 15 yards. he only care if the qb is a FOOTBALL player. that's it. it's all about winning, and if he know that the qb can win, and has leadership quality, then he'll play him.

hill may not be the answer now, but he's doing what he has to make me enjoy this season. the last time we were 3-2 was what, early 2000's?? all this negativity really ticks me off. all i hear from this site and others is a bunch of whiners. we're winning and you're all still whining! we're going to beat houston. and when we do, even then, you negative people will still whine the same way "wahhhhh...i want a better qb, where's my mommy...wahhhh."

hill came in last year and started turning things around. he finally get a chance to start. we're above .500, so why don't we just have a great time and give some positive vibes. man, if you want to stay negative, please head over to the raiders' blog. -sigh-

nobody loves me :(......

Aw man, I'm still trying to forget. That dude was good for a INT/sack fumble. If I played a drinking game for JTO turnovers, I would've crapped out my liver.

By the way, if I understand your screen name and pic correctly; God Bless you for your service.

Who's whining, dude?? WTH is this blog for?? Shall we sugar-coat everything? Everybody is entitles to their opinion and can say whatever they please with out suggesting they are whining.... We get enough "forty-whiner" BS, we don't need it from our own, thanks.

OneNiner would suckkle your bussom if you let hiim

Houston9er YOU ARE correct AJ is a stud BEST in the NFL? I'd not argue with that
I suspect he will run WILD agains the 49ers DB's..

AND AREN'T THE 49ERS GLAD THEY TOOK KWAME HARRIS IN THE 1ST ROUND IN 2003 AND NOT ANQUAN BOLDIN?

Fabulous, Niner 559, hurtinhead, Oneniner, GLT4:

Who regularly plays (or played) with a hang dog posture? Not Hill.

Who other than Hill began his 49er QB starting career with a 10 & 4 record? Maybe Steve Young.

Who has a per attempt better scrambling yardage average? Not Smith. Few know that Hill went the the Kansas state high school track meet as a sprinter

All admit Vernon Davis is the fastest 49er. He has to date been Hill’s favorite target. How is it that our working class QB without an arm has been able to hit this speed burner so often downfield?

Which Niner QB since Garcia finished a season rated in the top 12? Only Hill (2008)

Are your bloggers too young to know that Joe Montana very rarely threw more than 25 yards downfield. (And yes, Montana always had an offensive line far superior (or was it just far more dirty?) than does Hill.) Imagine Montana with this weak group up front instead of Fahnhorst, Ayers, Cross, Quillen, & Paris.

Hill did everything we could ask for to win the game against the Vikings by bringing us from behind in the last five minutes to take the lead. Nobody can blame Hill for the loss at Minnesota. The same goes for the last second loss a year ago in Arizona. So you agree his record should be 12 & 2.

we're 3-2 and tied for the division and you say we're in a mess.

7 game losing streak following a 2-0 start. that is a mess.

This? no. I refuse to believe in desperation.