Hope you feel better.......Nice read....

...Not only did i get my QB back...looks like i got my MM back......finally!!!!

yipeeeee....Go niners

MM were you able to find out what the mis-q was when Staley was blocking down on that early M.Williams sack?

This quote from Matt says it all and says exactly what I have said all along...
"This was the first time I've really seen Smith play like he practices."
I have always said that alex NEVER played like that before and that if he had all of us would have stayed on his bandwagon all these years. Of course he had many bad practices this training camp,but that was when he was coming back from his shoulder problem and getting his confidence back . But over the years,when healthy,alex has been said to be pretty good at practice (while Hill was horrible) but then in games Alex became rather horrible and Hill shined.
Great to see alex finally doing it for the first time in games!
Glad to hear the expert Matt agree with my opinion on this issue. Now I just hope that Alex does not regress but keeps up the play during games .

Matt - Hope you get better soon. Are the delay of game penalties (the last one on the last drive to make it a 4th & 10 instead of a 4th & 5 was killer) more of a result of Smith not playing much and getting used to the calls or are the calls getting in late to the QB? I noted several times when they snapped the ball with the clock close to zero or having to burn timeouts to prevent a penalty. When I watch the Colts they seem to get the play in fast and give themselves enough time to makes changes and get the snap off well before the play clock reaches zero.

Matt - Hope you get better soon. Are the delay of game penalties (the last one on the last drive to make it a 4th & 10 instead of a 4th & 5 was killer) more of a result of Smith not playing much and getting used to the calls or are the calls getting in late to the QB? I noted several times when they snapped the ball with the clock close to zero or having to burn timeouts to prevent a penalty. When I watch the Colts they seem to get the play in fast and give themselves enough time to makes changes and get the snap off well before the play clock reaches zero.

MM 2 things

1)could there be a problem with the line calls that are being made to adjust to the pass rush/run blitz or is that the blocking schemes are that bad?

2)that 2 wr, 1 rb, 2 te formation is genius. you can't tell if they are going to run or go 4 wide....that means that package could be brought in on 1 & 2nd down, and the base defense of a team would be out. then we could shift from a run type formation to 4 wide and suddenly its eitehr lbs covering our Davis/Delaine or safetys. either way that SHOULD be a win for either the wr/te/rb. hopefully they utilize it that way.

great writing as always

Ian: I head one commentator,I think it was the sideline reporter for the Niners,Rod Brooks,say that since alex did not start in the game he was not made aware of the unusually high placement of the play clocks in that stadium. Brooks said that alex was having trouble scanning the field and also keeping his eye on the play clock,which was not at the usual eye level but was way up above what the usual play clocks in most stadia are placed.
That may explain why alex had those delay of game issues in that stadium,that along with him not being sharp in running a huddle during games for years.That should not continue to be a problem.

Matt,

Nice job as always but especially on the "myth busting." I suspect there's the impression that the 49ers went to a spread or "opened it up" because the commentators mentioned something to that effect and because Smith was able to get the ball down the field and get the WR's involved, not to mention the 3 TDs to Davis Also, the fact they were in the shotgun in the final drive, which is what people will then remember most because it was the last thing they saw.

I think Matt wrote that Crabtree didn't know the play when Hill audibled, resulting in the sack. Matt on Crabtree, "He messed up an audible on the first play, resulting in a sack." Crabtree was probably the hot read but was out of position, so Hill had to pull the ball down.

Top_Cat - Thanks for the info. I could see that being a problem in the 3rd quarter but why was it still an issue in the 4th? I think they have had this same problem earlier in the season with Hill so I wonder if it the play caller not getting it in soon enough because he has not called plays in a while.

great stuff Matt with the mythbusting and the "like he plays in practice" - thats exactly the kind of candid insight that i dont see in other Niner coverage, thanks. i'm glad to eat crow on my suspicion that Crabtree was prematurely promoted, and i'm also hoping this marks Alex Smith's rise to be the qb we all hoped he would be. one further question tho: did the Texans change up their defensive coverage in the 2nd half? unfort i didnt get a chance to see the game, and probably couldnt have figured it out from my usual spot at a sports bar, but any color there would be awesome.

Thanks as always Matt for your awesome work. We get more juicy details and insights from you than anyone out there. Thanks!

Anyone else see a huge crushing of our beloved team coming this Sunday? We are frickin' dead. Our offensive line is awful against even mediocre teams. We are horrible in 3 and outs and our defense can't stop mediocre teams if our offense can't stay on the field for more than 2 minutes at a time... oh and the Colts are one of the NFL's elite teams and are playing at home.

Sorry folks, but we are going to get killed this weekend. Better to go in to the game with that expectation. I can't handle all of these heart-wrenching losses.

Ian M - If you watch the final drive Alex was NOT getting the play calls in time. He kept looking at the sidelines and motioning for them to hurry up. It was smart QB play for Alex to take the 5 yard delay penalties vs having to burn our timeouts. If I’m not mistaking he still had a timeout in his back pocket when the game ended on the 4th down. Had Bruce made the catch we would have needed that to set up the Field Goal team.

Here is a dirty little NFL secret - The road team will sometimes have problems with the helmet radios during 2 minute drives to win games. You decide why that is!!!

Yes good point Mike,

Hopefully the calls get in quicker so Alex & the unit can get out of the huddle quicker. Matt had a great point about Haralson, he hasn't done much these last 2 games & it's CRUCIAL that he plays better since he's the only player on defense that can get to the QB. Alot has been said about the O-line & play calling but the defense needs to play better & get turnovers. That's what's been missing these last 2 games. No coincidence that the 49ers have gotten ZERO on the turnovers these past few games. Just something to think about.

fesnyc:
Yes,alex himself said that the coverages the Texans used with a 21 point lead and in the entire 2nd half were totally different than what Hill faced in the 1st half. As I always said,Smith is a class guy and wanted everyone to know that Hill didn't have it as easy in the 1st half as alex had in the 2nd. Those two really are good friends !
But imho,the way Hill had played for his last 6 quarters or so were as if he was beaten down by the pass rush and he no longer looked confident and actually looked like he was looking more at the pass rushers coming at him than looking downfield at his receivers. Imho,Alex would have also done better in the 1st half. But then ,we will see this week when he has the pressure of being THE guy and not just a backup coming in with a 21 point deficet and nothing to lose.

Also, Adam Schefter reported this morning that the Niners signed Tarell Brown to a 3(?) year extension for about 7 mil, with a 2 mil signing bonus.

Aaaand I'm an idiot.

Ohhh yeah that's right. Good lookin' out Dino.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the 49ers have inked cornerback Tarell Brown to a three-year, $7.125 million contract. The deal includes a $2.5 million signing bonus, and it will pay Brown $800,000 in 2011, $850,000 in 2012, and $925,000 in 2013.

Brown, a fifth-round draft pick from Texas in 2007, has been under contract through 2010 at base salaries of $460,000 this year and $550,000 next season.

Bull. He played like that in spurts. However, Hill only played like that in spurts too. Like Smith as a rookie and early in his first year, Hill was pretty much only good for a quarter, sometimes a half.

With Smith, it was just inexperience. Inexperience he was, if you were looking for it instead of Pavlovian bashing him, he was over-coming. By 2007, we could see in those first three games he was playing well. It wasn't his fault that Jackson, Battle, and to a lesser extent Davis, between them dropped 13 passes in two of the three games we played.

Anyone looking to see if Smith was growing could easily see that the abnormal effect of those two horrid outings severely impacted Smith's statistics. Yet, despite that impact, and with no running game or pass-blocking to speak of, we finished 2-1.

Yet, you and the rest of the haters just dumped on him. Looked at his stats without normalizing them for the horrible games put-in by the stone-hands troika and how they impacted his stats.

Really, 13 drops in 86 attempts! There is no QB in the NFL that can survive WRs dropping 15% of their passes. The usual rate is 4% Maybe 5% on a poor club. If Peyton Manning would have a completion percentage of 57%, not 72% like he's running right now. That's how big of an impact that had on Smith.

And when people like me explained it: "Alexcuses" from "Alexsexuals."

You know what, eat your crow. You were wrong about Smith and his progression. You used him as a whipping boy even though the problems were mostly our lousy defense. You wouldn't admit half of Smith
s second year INTs were Hail Mary's in losing efforts. You wouldn't admit that this horrible performance in the early season by the crappy 2007 WRs impacted Smith's stats and made him look far worse than he was. You wouldn't give him credit for winning games despite less protection than Hill got and no running game to help.

So stop with your excuses on why you used Smith as a whipping boy and bashed him relentlessly. You. Were. Wrong.

As for Smith, hopefully he'll develop. I don't know. I only know that he has grown every year as a QB. From a total-know-nothing that should have never played a snap as a rookie, through a rough sophmore campaign, promising, demonstrable growth in 2007 to the shoulder problems and club whipping boy while a bunch of second-rate coaches pinned their hopes on a guy that obviously couldn't play and just lucked into a winning record because he played a bunch of stiffs and padded his stats with two-yard dump-offs.

So stop pretending it was Alex. It was YOU. You can't see what is in front of your face when it comes to football. And that inability to analyze Smith's play made you hate in your little fan-rage.

MosesZD you are the best,.... nicely written.......i bet he still doesn't get it...

Am I the only one that has the ads and writing on the left and right side overlapping the print here? Both of my computers have been doing it for a few days now and I can't figure out why. Thx.

you are not the only one........its a browser issue.......i switched to firefox.....

Hi Matt,

Since I'm home with the "bug" today as well thought I'd write and ask: Does it seem strange or just the nature of the league that we pick up a Tackle from the practice Squad of a 1-6 team that in fact has a very suspect OL?

Comment: I suspect there's the impression that the 49ers went to a spread or "opened it up" because the commentators mentioned something to that effect and because Smith was able to get the ball down the field and get the WR's involved, not to mention the 3 TDs to Davis

My response: All three TDs came with two TEs on the field, and only the last one came on a formation in which guys were spread out. On the first two, the 49ers' TEs were bunched together on the line. --Matt M.

Question: Does it seem strange or just the nature of the league that we pick up a Tackle from the practice Squad of a 1-6 team that in fact has a very suspect OL?

My response: No more odd than a good running team like the Dolphins taking a practice-squad running back from a team that's had a lot of difficulty running the ball.

That's it for me today. I'm turning in. By the way, the 49ers are confirming the three-year extension for Tarell Brown. Other notes today when Singletary spoke to the healthy reporters: Adam Snyder starts at RT, Chilo Rachal starts at RG; Michael Lewis is fine and will start at strong safety; free safety Dashon Goldson has replaced Patrick Willis as the man with the green dot; and Brandon Jones will suit up for Sunday's game and be a backup to Michael Crabtree at the "X."

I'll be back at tomorrow . . . I hope.

--Matt M.

Moses: Smith had much more experience in games than Hill ever had. You know that ! So you were clearly wrong on that one.

So you are saying "Bull" to Matt when he says this was the FIRST time that smith ever played like he shows in practice he is capable of playing? Because that is what I said and you called that "Bull" ??? It's the truth,and Matt knows it and so do almost all observers of the niners.

And Moses,you must not really be reading my posts of the last few days.If you had you would know that I have said that alex played better than Hill has played this year,in that 1/2 of play.Now if he can keep it up we will all be happy about that.

I don't have any crow to eat because I was correct to say(like Matt says) that alex has never played well before that (except in a few spurts,as you say). But I have always said I like Alex a lot and think he is a great kid with class but was sad that he played football so poorly when he played in games.
I always said I wish he had played as well as I thought he would when drafted,since I was a big fan of us drafting the kid. But I know ,as you do,that he didn't play well when healthy,and certainly never played as well as he did last week,EVER. But you know that.
We just better hope that what we saw in that short 1/2 of football is NOW the real ,new and improved ,mature alex. I hope it is ,but we will need to wait and see.
But I certainly don't need to eat crow because I have written the truth all along,that alex played poorly for the most part,until last sunday. I have been consistent,I hope now that alex can be consistent with what we saw against the Texans.
Because I am a Ninewrs fan and want every player to do well. I have never been a hater,like some we know who actually wanted Hill to fail so Smith could start,not so the team would do better but just so they could say they were right. How sad for those false fans,who only care about being right in a blog site arguement and don't really care about the entire 53 man team winning.

Great news about Brown signing that extension ! He is good ! Can't have too many good corners .

And the only ones who should eat crow are those who hated on Hill all this time . Not because Hill was all that great,as I said all along ,we knew he was only a stop gap before we switched to Davis or whoever. But some so called fans actually wanted Hill to flop,as Alex had always flopped (before last week's half),so they could say they were right about Hill and smith,not s their team could win,but so they could think they won a sill arguement on some web site. What a sad life they (he)must have.

That really was a good, long post, MosesZD.

Just wanted to add that the drop % was actually 20.4%... which only further solidifies your stance.
http://profootball.scout.com/2/687001.html

Alex may or may not turn out great. He was on his way to good before the shoulder seperation. Since that awful Seahawks game and Bernard's pancake sack leading to injury, the fans have turned nastily on their QB and have no reasonable excuses for their shameful attitudes. Props to all others that still gave the kid a chance to bounce back.

Prediction time.......

What stats do you predict for A. Smith Sunday?

My hopes are not high because Indy has a good pass defense. Something like 6th. They also have only given up 6 TD's so far on defense and also they only have allowed only 40 successes of 92 tries on 3rd down conversions and are 2nd best in points allowed per game.

The key stat I will look at is INT's since Indy is only average at getting them. (1 per game average same as us)

If Smith shines in this game I will take notice. If he fails poorly I wont hold it that much against him. If he gets seriously rattled it will be interesting to see what he does with that going into next weeks game against TEN.

In the past once he has gotten rattled it seems as though it can get into his head and effect his play in the games following.

As I said all along from day one,I like Alex a bunch as a person and respect him and think he has class.
BUT when it comes to playing football,I have always told the truth on how he plays,not the fantasy I had hoped for him. Some people have never faced the reality like I and most fans have(and Matt said today) ,that alex was never very good in games. It's simply the truth and no matter how much I wanted him to be a Pro bowl QB and how many high hopes I had for the kid,I had to face reality,unlike some others ,who still can't face that he was a bad QB most of the time when healthy.
But I will be overjoyed if alex comes out of his funk and can play well, finally. All fans should be happy if a 49er plays well.
When he plays like he did last week ,I then say he played great and am happy(would have been more happy if he got in the game sooner and we won !!!).

As I have said for years now,I hope that Alex makes the Pro bowl every year and is the MVP of the SB several times ! The only difference between all the times I said that over the years and now id that Alex actuallt,for the first time,has shown that he might be able to deliever on some of that hope.
But we will have to wait to see if he can keep it up or if that half was just an abberation . I sincerly hope he does not go back to the old alex. Because I want wins and want the best QB to play. If that is alex now,then GREAT !!! GO ALEX!!!

I know everybody who comments on this blog is anonymous, but please cease with all the name-calling and personal attacks. Thank you. --Matt M.

Thanks Matt !!!!!

Good sound reasoning Brekkon !
I think alex will do better than Hill would have done .Hill has become gun shy over the past weeks and has not been the same guy. He has let it rattle him .I thought he was more calm and cool than that,but he let it get to him .like alex always let it get to him in the past.Right now Smith looks like a much calmer guy in the pocket than ever,so I hope that cotinues.
I doubt we win this game but I actually have MORE hope now than I did last week.
A couiple of turnovers and a good pass rush against an immobile Manning and who knows,it could happen .

I wonder what I'd do if I couldn't come here and watch people argue about Shaun Hill and Alex Smith. Have a life, I suppose.

Pleximus,

You're not the only one worried about the weekend. I would love to believe that the "any given Sunday" could roll this Sunday. That's my heart singin'. My head is telling me that we are going to get crushed.

At this point, what I really want to see is Smith play well, and for our offense to move the ball and score points. That would be progress, and reason to hope. I have trouble seeing how the defense is going to stop Indy. Unless Manning gets the flu, I just don't see it.

Top Cat give it up buddy, you were wrong about Smith, plain and simple, just like I was wrong about Crabtree, just admit and lets all enjoy an explosive niner offense.

...OH,what do I predict for Smith's stats.
About 19 for 28 and 270 yards passing and a QB rating of 96. But I am always an optimist.

I agree that defense needs to play better, however your statement: "No coincidence that the 49ers have gotten ZERO on the turnovers these past few games." is not correct since we caused a fumble in the Houston game, had an Int and a fumble in the Atlanta game! The problem has been our offense and special team putting the defense in poor field situations. Of course, except the big 90y td by 22. Let's just hope we show up this sunday and shock the world. Go Alex, I truly hope this is your time to shine so we do not have to read all this qb conterversy! I just want niners to win and do not care who is playing.

Matt the thing I dont undestand is everyone keeps talking about drafting o-lineman but thats what weve been doing..Rachal was a second round pick and Baas was a high 3rd I beleive....Whats the deal is it our scouting department or Mc Cloughan?Kentwan Balmer still cant even get on the field..highly questionable first round pick...Your thoughts Matthew?

Thank you for stepping in, Matt. I'm very tired of reading posts talking about how much better one QB is over the other QB.

I don't care what the QBs stats are -- just help the 49ers win.

This is my new hobby......no insults.....just think its fair to bring back those comments from Top_Cat......it is not fair to the readers of the blog to have users disrespect this site with lies/opinions and call them facts.....

"What I am stating is that he has not really improved from his mediocre play when he was 100% healthy. That is undisputable. The Niners staff have said he is looking better than before(when he was trying to come back from his first surgery) but nobody is saying he IS good,just better than when he was pathetic. Now he is back to mediocre ,at best. Hopefully he improves as the staff hopes he does. But it is obvious that he has not yet improved past his mediocre healthy days .
Don't be bitter now,just because your pet player isn't playing well,he just is not a very good QB at the NFL level. Be happy for your team ,that they have a pretty good QB starting and a great prospect in Nate Davis,for our future.
Don't get mad at me because I was right and you were wrong,(oh so wrong,lol) ! Be happy that the future of OUR team looks bright ! Or are you just a fan of smith and not the team (Mrs Smith ?)"

"There was never any REAL QB competition,not at all.Alex was given a chance to TRY to improve his game up to the Hill level,but his numbers tell the story,he is still the same Alex. Case closed !
I like alex,he is a class guy and nice kid,he just is not a very good football player at the NFL level.It would be best for Alex if he moved on to a team where he had a chance to start over. He will never be the franchise guy for the 49ers (at least we fans had better hope not ! We deserve better)."

This one to oneniner-
"I always learn something from reading other peoples posts. Sometimes I KNOW they are wrong and sometimes I just think they are wrong but even those that are way off base are not wrong all the time. Even a broken clock is correct twice a day,lol. (oneniner,I am talking about you ,lol)"......

How was I wrong? Everything I ever said about him was correct. I never called him a bust but did call him a probable bust a few times.
I just tell it like it is,some people want me to lie and say smith was always great ???
Get real now,he played one really good half of football,in his whole NFL career.
He has been anywhere from pathetic to average in his time,but never played like last week before(as Matt said).
I have never hated on smith,but have been dissappointed in his play,as has almost every rational 49ers fan . We all hoped he would become consistently what he showed last week. It still remains to be seen if he will do that.
I have been correct about alex,I have neither hated on the guy or worshiped him(like ONE guy we know,lol). I think I will have prime rib tonight.
But if I had been wrong about Crabs then I would have eaten crow. Because in the Crabs case,I stuck my neck out and said he was a good kid and probably not a diva and thought he would be great in the long run.
I have been wrong plenty of times in my life,but have not been wrong yet about what I said about Alex. I have been down on him,but what rational person has not been.It would have been irrational to have not been down on how he has played since 2005.But it would be irrational to not give him credit if he indeed has turned a corner. I am not stubborn like some,I just tell it like it is,not just as I wish things are.

It wasn't the QB debate that made Matt step in,it was the childish name calling from ONE poster that made him step in and ask that the child acts like an adult for a change. And what a pleasure that would be,if he doesn't just blow Matt off and continue his hatefull attacks. But we can hope.
Thanks again Matt !!!

I did enjoy Michael Robinsons kick returns... he may not be from the same mold as Devin Hester but he DOES punish the guy trying to tackle him!!!

10 Games left... I predict 6 wins which would put us at 9 - 7

Just walk away, buddy. I agree with you, but you keep trying to convince people who aren't open to being convinced.

I'm looking forward to going back to the days of short/factual posts.

Ill: I am as much to blame for the long boring posts as anyone. I can't seem to write a short post,but I will try to start right now,lol

I am not arguing with him.....I am waterboarding him.....with my keyboard....lol

"It wasn't the QB debate that made Matt step in,it was the childish name calling from ONE poster that made him step in and ask that the child acts like an adult for a change."

Oh, I know. I've been reading and glaring at certain people's posts for a while now. I should have put the "Thank you, Matt" on its own line.

Would you two quit arguing!!!

Who cares who's right and who's wrong. Let's talk about this weeks game.

What is Alex Smith and Crabs pull a Peyton Manning on Peyton Manning?!? That would be awesome!!!

Hopefully we have success at passing the ball which will open some lanes for Gore finally

I can only speak for myself ....TOP_CAT you can stop backpeddling because I don't care what you say. It means nothing to me but YOU wanted Smith cut so if that's not hating I don't know what is.

I remember watching Bob Sanders walking to the locker room during Sunday's game. I could find out myself, but I like allowing people to feel helpful (read: I'm lazy).

/facepalm

Edit: *I could find out what happened to him myself...*

Any volunteers to help TOP_CAT get his crow finished up? This is taking longer than the Ten Commandments. Let's all chip in. I'll take a leg. Anything to get this embarrassing attempt at self-reconstruction/purification over with. Is there a priest in the house who can provide absolution? Maybe an exorcist?

LMAO!! based on his posts it's not going to happen.

Matt,

I was a bit shocked to see how weak Hill's arm looked. Seeing it live is much different than on TV. Everything was floating without any zip.

With Smith, I was pleasantly suprised to see the touch on his passes to VD. He dropped in a few perfect passes over a defender on that seam route. Missing Gore in the flats so badly is a bit concerning but it was just one play.

I would LOVE to see a coaches section in your weekly review. I thought the play calling on offense was poor. The delay of game penalty at the end of the game was simply awful.

You were wrong, and you're not going to admit it and that is ok. You basically said Alex would never play a down for this team again. Once you started to recognize Shaun Hills shortcomings you were jumping over Smith (as if he had played his last down with SF)and hugging Nate Davis' nuts..

Nobody ever looked at the big picture with this guy and what he had to go through and overcome.. They all took it as us making excuses for him and basically loving him more than our own team. Turns out they weren't excuses after all - they were the facts. A young kid hurt, with no team around him and a fraud of a coach who threw him under the bus.

Young, talented, smart, athletic = work in progress not a BUST, which is a word you used SEVERAL times.

My question to the Maiocco Lounge is who do we root for this weekend, the Cardinals or the Panthers. One team were hoping loses so we can win the division, the other we want to lose so we can get a high draft pick. I"m personally rooting for the panthers, I'd rather make the playoffs than get a top 5 pick.

Skeebers: I am embarrassed for you joining in with that crowd. You are usually more resonable and rational.
And f49er: You are correct that I wished Smith was cut,that is true. I wanted Huard as the backup and Davis is probably going to be the future,unless alex is even better every week than he was last week.
I thought it best for the team and for alex,to move on. I was wrong about it being better for alex,since he is once again a starter in the NFL. I still don't know if it would have been best for the team (which is my main concern). We will see about that.

ButI have always said that IF Alex ever gets in a game I will cheer for him just like I would hill or Davis etc.
I have been consistent in not hating on Smith. But I will confess that I did think it would be better in the long run if the team and alex just moved on. That may still turn out to be right,but at least now there is hope .
Hating on smith would have been if he played well,like Hill often did and I still ripped him,like some haters always did to hill,when he was our best QB.

I agree with you Pierre!!!

I want the Cards to lose as many games as possible. We'll still get a Top 15 pick off the Panthers

CALM DOWN DUDE! It was the way it was with Smith because it was the way it was!
It is the way it is with Hill because that's the way it is!
Let this bashing go! We've ALL written what we think and ALL said it the best we could!
Let it go! OK? This guy vs. This guy! That guy vs. T
That guy!
The REAL bashing better be by the 49ers on the Colts Sunday or it won't much matter who vs. who!
Get it! That's what this site is all about! 49er football! And we love ALL of the team!

...And f49er:
You do know the difference between hating Smith and hating the way he played ,don't you ??? He sucked on the field most of the time,I hated that(Smith probably hated it too,lol,I know most of the fans hated it). But Smith is a great kid and class guy,as I have always said.That doesn't sound like hate to me,unless you have a different dictionary than I have ,lol

Completely agree. This whole argument is getting tiresome. Seems to me that Hill has proven that he's not the answer. Let's give Alex a few games to prove that he is the answer. 30 minutes of football does not a comeback make. After a few games we can start debating who was right/who was wrong - or what the 9ers do to solve the QB puzzle long term.

Pierre99,

No question, pull for the Panthers. I want to make the playoffs. I don't care if we are one and done (well, actually, I do, but you get it). We make the playoffs, we build confidence, we attract better free agents, etc.

AZ looked awfully good against the Giants. At this point, and with their schedule, I would say they have a very good track toward the best record outright in the division.

No you are wrong alex,I said that unless Hill was injured or unless Hill sucks,that Alex would never become the starter. Well hill sucked.
So where was I wrong. Come on man, get off it guys,you look foolish ! (and I look foolish for answering your trash and silly little hatefull posts full of nonsense).

As Terry said,calm down and talk football and get off my back with your silly nonsense. I have been fair aleways in my comments about smith etc. If you don't think so then you are simply wrong and can ignorantly keep thinking what you want .
Make yourselves happy and blame me for 911 and the war in Afganistan too,lol. Silly children !

We certainly should want the Cards to lose! I want to win the Division and if we lose to the Colts and the Cards win ,we will be 2 games back and in real trouble.

Fair enough TOP_CAT.. I know you weren't the only one..Props for manning up!

So, lets answer this question?!?!?

If the Colts get behind and start teeing off on Alex, and he plays poorly, then what? Are wew calling for Hill again? This is my biggest concern. I wish he was starting the TEN game instead of this one; however, it will be a true test.

Go NINERS!!

Sorry, if the NINERS get behind are WE calling for Hill again?

Alex: I would hope that the line will protect better .since they have been working on that all year.They hopefully will finally have it click and they will start working together better. I doubt that many fans would be calling for Hill if alex sucks.Maybe for Davis. But Sing and the offensive coaches will never change QB's again this year unless Smith is hurt of really sucks. They probably would put hill back in but if the season is lost because we go in the tank,I would hope that Davis would get all the playing time,so he could learn and get ready faster.
But since I am an optimist,I will hope that Smith shines and we win our division and smith goes into next TC as the starter (but will need to compete with Davis).

!!!MATT QUESTION!!!
If the 49ers move to Santa Clara will they still be called the San Francisco 49ers? Would they have to be the Santa Clara 49ers and have to change the logo and everything???

Hey Matt (Maiocco),

You know, before I ever saw an actual picture of you, I assumed you were Japanese. Like every time I would be driving listening to KNBR and they'd bring on Matt Maiocco, I just thought that sounded like a Japanese. Like Mayoko or somthing maybe. lol.

I think unless Smith plays like JaMarcus he'll be starting the rest of the season.. unless of course he gets hurt

Sorry, if the NINERS get behind are WE calling for Hill again?

The yorks have said they will keep the name San Francisco Forty Niners and keep the same logo.

But then the Aneheim angels,or is that the California Angels or is that the Los Angelas Angels of aneheim,also said they would keep the name,lol.
It could become the Santa Clara Forty Niners one day,but not for quite some time and probably never.

My bad for the bad spelling and missing words.

I meant to say Japanese name.

And something. not somthing. lol

?????!!!MATT QUESTION!!!????

If the 49ers move to Santa Clara will they still be called the San Francisco 49ers? Would they have to be the Santa Clara 49ers and have to change the logo and everything???

I think the bigger concern with Alex isn't if he's good enough, because we all thought he was the franchise after his second season, but if he's durable enough, lets not forget he made the decision easy for Sing by getting hurt in pre-season, All this debate back and forth will be a mute point if he gets hurt again.

I'm pretty confident that Alex will get the job done. He will help the running game, as defense will have to respect the deep ball. I really hope they take AT LEAST 3-4 shots downfield a game. and I stress AT LEAST!

Move the offense, keep the defense off the field and things are looking better. GO Niners, GO Alex!

I'm so geeked with Crabtree, it truly is amazing the way this guy came in and made an impact in just two weeks. LOVE IT

You better ask the hairbrain coaches. Our o-line is switching so much. Why wouldn't the qb posistion do the same? Oh and kick returners to. I'm not sold on Alex. But he deserves at least 6-7 games. Unless like seine else said "if he plays like Russel"

IMO (which I am sure Sing cares about), if Smith sucks in Indy, he should stay on as QB. You can't pull him after one game. He will get most if not all of the rest of the season.

If he sucks on Sunday, and continues to, week in and week out, and the 9ers also lose a bevy of games in the process, then the season is a loss, and they should find a way to give Davis some time in games 15 or 16. For if it comes to that, we need to get a better idea if Davis really has a future before next year's draft.

Here's hoping it doesn't come to that. And frankly, I don't think it will.

doubting he plays like Russel, he has never been or ever will be that bad!! The timing of it is unfortunate, but it is what it is. Sure would be a great story if this kid makes a comeback and we don't even have to sniff a QB for next yr. Smith/Davis and a boat load of O/D linemen.. Paaaleeeeeeeaase

Just got home from work. Turned on the tube, and heard mr young asked if he thought Alex was ready now. He felt the system fit him well and he looked healthy, and he thought Alex would be alright in the future. Now when mr young speaks I listen. I will surely take his opinion over some loveblind h and egger wanna be journalists. You fools on here know who you are. Steve young is the man and I hope he's right for the NINERS sake. Not se phsyco fans.

Very nice! I concur! When Steve Young talks, I listen as well. In fact I can't wait for the car ride home from work. %pm sharp...Steve Young show, oh ya

Alex...Seems to me like the college QB's, especially the so called big boys, are going down like flys! There may not be any left to draft!

BTW Miami Head Coach Tony Sparano likes Sheets and thinks he can block?

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/sfl-miami-dolphins-sign-sheets-101409,0,1931682.story

Hey guys? Don't jump on the Cards bandwagon too soon! First, we're not even half way through the season! Second, we have injuries, but they have and will have injuries, too! Third, who will get injured may play a big part in the outcome of the division! Fourth, so they seem to be playing well right now! So what! They could be on a loosing streak starting on any given weekend! Fifth, they beat the Giants! So what! The Giants are having problems this year and their rearing their ugly head right now, including when the Cards played them! Sixth, Kurt Warner is as brittle as brittle can get! The guy hates pressure (remember our first game?) and folds like an accordian when sacked and hit a few times! The guy looked 50 years old during our game! Finally, we've got the best record in the division and they're the ones hanging on and hoping we fold! They've got being in the playoffs and the SB last year to protect and prove they belonged! Nobody thought the 49ers would have to have their highlights shown on Sunday Night!
These are just some thoughts too throw out to those ready to throw in the towel! And those who bet! I don't bet....of course (LOL!)

First and foremost (I learned that from Sing) I think Alex did a great job. He looked calm and was quickly going through his reads. He also had a quick release as well. He still needs to get the ball up higher for short passes over top of the line. I've been a Hill supporter and Smith bencher all year. What it comes down to is Hill wouldn't pull the trigger and go downfield because he does not have the arm strength. Not that he can't throw it that far but he can't get it there as fast. Will Alex stay calm I don't know, but he is throwing it around. I'll give ONENINER his credit for ranting uncontrollbly that Smith is better. Let's hope we can just win a game before the playoffs disappear!

oddly i got alot more negatives from this article about sheets than i got positives.

not to argue semantics, but "and is not afraid to block you" and being a good blocker are not necessarily the same thing. it doesn't matter if you are willing to block if you miss WHO you need to block.

Also, the report makes it seem like he was gassed the whole practice. If he's out of shape, that's just one more reason for the niners to not promote him off the practice squad. if you'r eon the practice squad you need to not only stay in shape, but IMPROVE your conditioning. You're getting paid 5200 a week, you don't bag groceries on the side when you're making that kind of money.

First and foremost (I learned that from Sing) I think Alex did a great job. He looked calm and was quickly going through his reads. He also had a quick release as well. He still needs to get the ball up higher for short passes over top of the line. I've been a Hill supporter and Smith bencher all year. What it comes down to is Hill wouldn't pull the trigger and go downfield because he does not have the arm strength. Not that he can't throw it that far but he can't get it there as fast. Will Alex stay calm I don't know, but he is throwing it around. I'll give ONENINER his credit for ranting uncontrollbly that Smith is better. Let's hope we can just win a game before the playoffs disappear!

TopCat, thanks for the clarification on the coverages, i appreciate it, i'm sure some of the other guys on this site follow the niners from outside the bay area but its tough for me back in nyc.

Matt, thanks for stepping in...i just want a place to go to learn about and follow the niners, the trading of jabs on this site reminds me of work, except without all the pay.

the last few years have really bummed me out - the picks on smith, vernon davis, Crabtree, and some reasonably high level picks on the line just didnt seem to work out, but maybe, just maybe we had a solid qb, a true all around threat at tight end, and a stud wide receiver. go Niners!

The 49ers diversified their offensive personnel use once Alex Smith replaced Shaun Hill at quarterback against the Texans in Week 7.

San Francisco was trailing by three touchdowns when Smith took over, a factor that surely led San Francisco to become more aggressive. But the team also made changes that might have had less to do with situations.
Before I continue, feel free to download this file breaking down the 49ers' personnel use by quarterback, across downs, for the game overall and for the regular season to date.
The 49ers used two tight ends on first down far more frequently once Smith took over after halftime. Smith averaged 12.1 yards per pass attempt with two touchdowns on seven plays featuring one back and two tight ends. Hill averaged 2.7 yards per attempt on three passes from this group.

49ers Personnel Group vs. Texans in Week 7 (1st Down Only)
Shaun Hill at QB
Alex Smith at QB

Base 62.5% 20.0%
1RB-2TE 25.0% 46.7%
2RB-2TE -- 13.3%
1RB-1TE 12.5% 13.3%
3TE -- 6.7%
Totals 100% 100%

The matchup against the Texans marked the second consecutive game the 49ers trailed by at least 20 points at halftime. With Hill at quarterback against the Falcons, the 49ers used one back with one tight end more than 60 percent of the time in the second half. With Smith at quarterback against Houston, the 49ers used that group only 31 percent of the time in the second half.

Smith was most effective in the second half using two tight ends. Sometimes the tight ends lined up as wide receivers. The 49ers even lined up fullback Moran Norris wide to the right on the play featuring Smith's first touchdown pass, a 29-yarder to Vernon Davis. The team used two backs, two tight ends and only one wide receiver -- Josh Morgan -- on that play and the next two they ran.

Overall, I think the 49ers were less predictable from a personnel standpoint once Smith entered the game, almost as though offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye had more confidence in Smith than he had in Hill. Whatever the confidence level was starting out -- note that the 49ers actually opened the game with three consecutive three-receiver plays for Hill -- Raye's confidence in Smith surely grew as the 49ers enjoyed success.

Week 8 will present a whole new level of challenges because the Colts will have significant personnel advantages against the 49ers' offensive line, particularly at the guard and right tackle spots. The 49ers will have to account for those mismatches and that will affect how the offense looks.

I'm rooting for the Panthers. They probably won't win more than 5 games anyway, which still makes the pick pretty good.

But first things first, win the west.

Its your world MR Maiocco. You wont see another from me. "I hope". lol

Good to know B.Jones will be in the line up, sounds like the Niners finally want to "stretch the field." I'm excited to see what pop's off this Sunday. Hopefully it won't be as long a day as I'm anticipating.

Nice hope. But the niners right now are looking like they do every year. Start fast and then hit that middle of the year losing streak. Its not to late to stop it ,but its going to be tough. The niners have 8 toughys this year. I was thinking if they went 4-4 in those we would win the division. So far they are 1-4 should be 2-2 if not for a horrable taunting call that gave the Vikes 3 and a hailmary. With Indy Geen bay, Philly and the Cards again. I left out DA Bears because I think they are Mediocre. {I will be at that game and got money on it} Anyways It will be an uphill climb to win the west. The 9ers have one on the Cards, but the Cards have already taken their but whoopin from the Colts and they won their NFC East game last week. They have a one game lead and it will more than likely be two after this week. I dont see the 9ers beating Indy or Philly. And thats what its probably going to take. The loss last week compiled by a tough Cards win pretty much put an end to any NFC West title hopes. If Warner gets injured we have a chance. But the Cards are a streaky team and that win was huge for their confidence. With a basic new qb running the show now, and a tougher schedule through-out I just cant say the 9ers are going to pull this off. I would be happy with a winning season to salvage my playoff hopes. Good to be back on the laptop. My damn I Phone is a bi*** when it comes to typing.

Wow...a post that from you that doesn't end in wisdom like "Smith is as weak or weaker than Hill."? Ok, I'll take a guess.
Call me an idiot next week after the game, when my OPINION of how this game might go ends up being shredded.

Smith: 18/33, 313 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int

Indy's defense is superior, (at least statistically), than Houston's. We all know stats can be skewed because Indy scores 100/per game so a lot of things need to be considered. Sometimes rankings and stats are just representative of how competetive the games have been.
I pushed yardage over 300 because Smith will have a full 4 quarters and I don't think SF will go back to trying to run the old "dive, screen right, off tackle right, punt" offense. However, I'm sure Indy will throw a lot of different looks his way which could take another half-second or more away from the time he enjoyed in the pocket last week. I can't imagine his completion percentage being close to last week.
I have a weird feeling that Crabs gets his first TD of his pro career. One of those catches with huge YAC that makes everybody just say "whoah..that dude's good". I just hope it's not during garbage time and it really means something.
I am hoping Smith gets at least another TD after that but I can't expect a full game without an INT already after missing almost 2 years of regular-season action. Hope I'm wrong there...
If SF can convert 3rd downs, consistently, for all four quarters, this might be a pretty good game.
Did I mention the two Bly INT's for touchdowns (because he learned to leave the back of his helmet alone on the returns) and Franklin's 99-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a thrilling 49er win?
Sorry, got carried away.

Fathead, Thank you for the insightful post instead of attacking people for their opinions. It is much appreciated.

Do you see our running game looking good at all? Indy's Run defense is shady in my opinion. It seems they have a few good games every year but for the most part they cant stop the run. So I think it would be wise to take advantage of that. If successful it will also help Smith get into more of a grove than putting too much on his shoulders in a tough match up early in the game. I think that would help build confidence which I think is very important in this stage of his return.

The last thing I want to see happen is for Smith to be asked to do too much too soon and not succeed in doing that. I fear it could get into his head.

Sure, AZ looked good against Giants but I think it is setting up for a huge upset. I am kinda glad that DelHomme will remain as qb for Panthers because he is a good qb, he is just playing bad. Also, this might be payback time for last years playoff. If Panthers show up for revenge, they have the ingredients to do it. They need to be motivated and coached properly for this game. Go Panthers...

I've been on a few tirades lately with others, don't take things personally. Just tired of people stating opinions as facts and you're probably tired of the same too. In the end, your question was just too much fun to pass up.

Glad that you bring that whole running game up. I can't see anything working right without the running game getting back on track. Just my opinion, but I think that simply the threat of the long ball backs a defender or two out of the box and Gore gets a score. We'll see on Sunday.
I don't think they can win this one without all facets of the offense working. Third downs converted by rush or pass, who cares. Just convert over half of those and maybe this can be a pretty damn fun game to watch.
Looking at stats for Indy's run defense is almost pointless, I mean, how many games have they won before the 3rd quarter even started? I didn't get NFL RedZone until last week so I haven't seen squat of those guys so I have no opinion.
I'm hoping they don't ask too much of Smith...he's weeks away from being able to take the team on his shoulders and carry them to a win. Let Gore do that, but somehow get that 8th and 9th man out of the box so he can run loose.
We'll see...

" He sucked on the field most of the time,I hated that"

The problem I see with your statement is that it should have been "they" instead of "he" just like this year with Hill. The other thing is you based your judgement on the 05-06 seasons which which are 3 & 4 years ago. "07" was only 3 healthy games and under Hostler so it shouldn't even count. All you anti Smith people wanted to get rid of him before we even found out how much or if he has progressed. After Indy we can start to accurately evaluate his play. If he lives up to his potential that will mean one more draft pick that can be used on another area of need -DL, OL pass rush LB. Let's hope it happens!!!!

My PC is freaking out so I'll try again...I posted a couple of eloquent replies but now I can't trust squat so here's the reader's digest version:

1) I have no problem with people's opinions. As long as they're stated as opinions. When they're stated as facts I start getting weird. I know you're next question...therapy much?

2) I can't imagine anything happening the way I'm hoping unless the 9ers can get one or two men out of the box so that the running game can get back on track. Hopefully the threat of the deep pass can get Gore back on track.

My PC started going whacky when I tried looking up Indy's run D stats, but again, it probably doesn't mean much when you consider the types of games they've been playing.

So, forgetting all that, I think THIS GAME is the perfect time for Sing's "physical with an F" to come out. From years past, I think Indy was most vulnerable when teams ran right up the gut. The Steelers always seemed to push the right buttons. The 9ers might be able to pull that off, but the line is so weak right now it's not likely. It sucks that half the 9er starting O-line is out, but if they can find a way to establish something with the running game again, this could be one of those games you want to save on your DVR.

MM a question for you...just curious

On away games when the team flys home, during the flight to they watch the game TV broadcast tape, or a special tape taken by the Niner Staff?

?????!!!MATT QUESTION!!!????

If the 49ers move to Santa Clara will they still be called the San Francisco 49ers? Would they have to be the Santa Clara 49ers and have to change the logo and everything???

Question: If the 49ers move to Santa Clara will they still be called the San Francisco 49ers?

My response: Yes. The same as the Giants and Jets are not called New Jersey, as well as Buffalo (Orchard Park), Dallas (Arlington), et al. --Matt M.

Question: just curious On away games when the team flys home, during the flight to they watch the game TV broadcast tape, or a special tape taken by the Niner Staff?

My response: They'd watch the coaches' film, not the TV version. The TV version is useless to them. --Matt M.

2khoo, I live in Santa Clara ( for decades) and the stadium deal faces an UPHILL battle for approval.

There is the Enviro Imapct report that could sink it all.

The cost to the people of Santa Clara is paramount however. If it costs ANY in tax hikes for the city of Santa Clara it won't be popular. If it hikes utilites at all it won't be popular.

Football stadiums are hardly used , unlike for instance The HP pavilion which is used almost 180 days a year.

I am open minded but will not vote yes if it means any type of tax hikes or costs to me.

If they had proposed a new yard a few years back I would say it would have passed EASY but the economy tanking and unemplyment high a subsidy for billionaires is not likely.

frankly I say the team belongs in San Francisco.

Our 2TE formation is a practically a spread formation, because VD and Delanie are great receivers. They can block and run routes - both above average so we should use that more.

Hope you are well, thanks for all your infos!