I'm still waiting on Alex to produce. He's been given years, and millions of dollars to do so. Maybe he'll fulfill his promise.I'm not going to hold my breath.

Too soon to yank him as #1, for the sake of the team's continuity. He may still surprise us. We are going to have to let the results speak for themselves.

I am all about the team, always have been. But we missed a golden opportunity at home against a team with a losing record.

There will be those who blame the offensive line, but Matt did not give the o-line bad marks. Nolan's in Denver.
The excuses for AS are wearing thin. He has more support on this blog than I hear at the game or at work.

Let's go, Alex. Clock's ticking.

I agree, it's too early to yanK Alex after all the money and time we have invested in him. In addition, this was only his second game but time is running out!!! We will see how he will respond on Thursday!

Hi Matt, This was a tough match-up. A team that was much better than 1-6 coming off a win. Niners let them hang around and paid the price. There is no way you can practice for the speed of Chris Johnson. Young was never pressured and had an easy game. He didn't have to make any critical decisions except for the throw over Roman. Play Alex out and make a final decision. I'm a Singletary guy but the NFL today is about offense, Shanahan would be a great hire.

Now I really hope tn defeats Az and we knock out d bears!

I was happy to see Alex Smith get a second chance once Hill was exposed as having an arm that won't cut it in this offense. Unfortunately, Alex has permanent flaws. He won't get rid of the ball until he feels sure. This slow release has not improved in five years. He still makes slow decisions and is pretty inaccurate. Nothing has changed.

This team has a very good defense capable of taking them into the playoffs, but the lack of a quality NFL QB will prevent that. Let's face it, next season Nate Davis will at the very least compete with Smith for the starting job and those in the know feel that this will be Davis' team.

Why wait? This kid has the quick delivery that Alex only wishes he had; he has a rocket arm and can throw the passes that Alex and Hill only wish they could throw; and he has the poise and confidence to make it all happen.

We will not be a playoff team this season with Alex or Hill at QB. That is fairly obvious. Don't waste time, Mike, move Davis up to #2 and start putting some plays in for him to develop his confidence, much like Walsh did for Montana the year before he started him and Joe took us to the Super Bowl.

Alex is not the answer, MIke. Time for a big decision.

I said in the other blog i need to hear that "...there are inches everywhere..." speech again from "Any Given Sunday". is it a time for healing? This game was clearly a game of inches and the 9rs didn't win enough inches.

but since i am in europe only a couple more weeks i have one last trip to greece. I will be making a special trip to delphi and will be speaking to the oracle. Since ancient greece was a physical based society i am going to assume my questions about the 9rs will be acceptable. If this fails i will just stare at the stone cronus puked up and just draw some corollary conclusion.

....like the niners, for the moment although improved, are a team looking for inches.

The O-Line plays as a unit and they are terrible at pass protection. They did not play well. Coach Raye calls plays based on that limitation. They played a two man tight end set often becaUse that line can't protect. 7 man, 6 man, or 5 line protection makes a huge difference in the play calling.

I have heard excuse after excuse for this O Line yet they gave up another four sacks and now have 26 in 8 games. That is just HORRIBLE! AGAIN! Four years of this! Smith played well for much of the first half, but fell into his old habit of staring down the receiver when he didn't have anytime to make progressions. When he wasn't being sack(4 times) he was hurried. Why few long patterns down the field? NO TIME!

The stats don't lie. Any anomalies work out after enough input. At the mid-point we have enough data points to understand its the same old same old pathetic pass protection. I can accept one year, BUT FOUR YEARS?

Teams play 8 in the box against us. They have for much of the last three years, It is time for Jed to ask why of from a seasoned GM.

Words can't describe the anger I have for this fraud the Niners have at QB. $45M later and they re-signed this guy? Yesterday was the grand return of the 'same old Alex'..

I hope they finally decide to move on with this guy after next year. It's been roughly 5 years and he still telegraphs his passes, won't step up in the pocket when the pass-rush comes from the outside, and certainly throws the ball to the intended target a good half-second later than he should. Thus game is all about instincts at QB and he has the worst instincts at the position. He still tries to do his job by going through a mental checklist on every play. He will never be able to just dropback, see, throw without 'thinking about it' first.

Ironically the very turnovers he tries to avoid by being too careful is what kills him every time.

His college coach was right if you read between the lines. He has no real instinct for this game.

Here comes Nate Davis!

For Smith to play better the O-line has to play better(see A. Rodgers stats against the Bucs), Morgan and Bruce need to be benched, Morgan needs to learn how to catch the ball and it's time for Bruce to retire. If Morgan spent as much time practicing catching the ball as his endzone dance he'd be a lot better than he is now. Those two scare nobody on the "D". Free safety play is bad and Haralson and Lawson are still getting almost no pressure on the QB.

What did Jason Hill do not to be playing before this, try and date the coaches daughter or something??????

The reality of this team has set in; of the 3 wins this year, 2 were against losing teams, and 1 (AZ) was a fluke. The Niners have shown some improvement in defense this season, but the offense is still a joke. Honestly, this season now becomes all about improvement for next season, as the playoffs are out of reach. I don't know if Davis is the answer, but I sure would like to see him get some playing time. Let's hope 2010 turns out better than 2009.

Matt,

Nice summary though I disagree with your take on Alex Smith. To me watching the game live, it looked like Smith hurried when he had time and held the ball too long when he shouldn’t. Yes, he played well few times but so did Hill. But that was watching the game live.

You also forgot to mention something about Jason Hill. After catching the 2nd TD, he started to dance and celebrate. It was in our end zone and I could see it clearly. Celebrating when you are down by 2 TDs and 59 seconds left? What a @#$%^&

Obviously coach Sing's mantra is not working. I could see Mike Homlgren pulling the guy with his helmet to the sideline with that kind of behavior.

Also the teams are starting to out-coach the 49ers (Except against Colts).

Matt,

Rich Gannon was critical of Alex Smith during the broadcast yesterday. He said Alex stares down receivers and then is always late because he doesn't trust what his eyes are telling him. At one point late in the game with the score 27-20 Gannon said, "Now the 9ers are going to see what kind of quarterback Alex Smith really is..." Alex promptly threw an interception which I found to be a bit prophetic on Gannon's part. Will you ask Singletary if the 9er coaching staff agrees with Gannon (and many 9er fans) that these are major issues with Alex Smith? In this game, these issues cost the team the game. I'm sure Sing won't provide a direct answer but the question should be asked. Alex could be a descent QB if he could ever learn to look off safety's and deliver the ball on time.

I believe this season is over. There is too much to overcome in the next 8 games to make it possible for a plyoff run. The offensive staff is still figuring out what works and what doesnt, its week 8? Singletary and his promises that it will get better is a ploy to keep the guys on board, but to me its wavering as the mistakes late in the game are a product of young players not understanding the urgency of put your foot on the throat once you have the opponent down. Lastly, its clear there is a drop off in talent in some key positions. Guys that need to find other careers: Michael Robinson, Adam Snyder, Isacc Bruce, Mark Roman, Takeo Spikes, Michael Lewis.

This is a joke right? Smith has not had 5 years to develop. He was a knock-down-clown his first two years and then was hurt. Newsflash: You don't develop as a QB when you have a shoulder injury.

Alex may not be the answer, but do not kid yourselves into thinking that Nate Davis is ready to play. If the line improves, they can run deeper and longer route combinations and give Alex the opportunity to be successful. No line = no success.

Alex is still very young and has only started what 22 games?

Also, everyone here complaing are the same people who were screaming to 'air it out.' I guess we see why they have been hesitant to do that.

We have to win out all the games (including the AZ game) to have a chance.

We know with Alex Smith as QB, thats not happening. So I agree with you that the season is over.

Boz you are 100% right. Alex is not the problem and anyone who thinks he is does not understand football just like most fans. contrary to popular belief the QB is very rarely the problem on any NFL team. I know sometimes a QB change sparks a team to do better (like the titans) but it is more because the team believes that will help and they start playing with more intensity. Example, Vince Young is a terrible NFL QB yet somehow putting him in has temporarily sparked the titans to play better.The line is the problem Smith has no time and even Gore is mostly ineffective aside from a few big plays.

We don't need to win out. 6- 2 including beating AZ again could win the Division. But I am not getting my hopes up either.

Perhaps, this is why Singletary did not want to do spread offense. Smith actually played decent, but the 4 turnovers could again destroy his confidence. And we could again lose a decent QB. Maybe this is why Sing wants to rely on the running game more, unfortunately, we just couldn't run on anyone.

I'm still hoping for 8-8. Playoffs will be obtained by a late season divisional run. I'm hoping A. Smith can "come into his own" by December when we really need him.

Four straight loses is not acceptable. The 9ers are losing close games. At least a split or 2-2. If we loose to the Bears (Sing's old home) on Thursday which is very possible, our team mentality and all the spirit that was put into them will be nearly exhausted.

A.smith will play better Thursday night....and all this whinnning will be forgotten....

I sure hope so, but is he really the one. Ofter 5 years and millions of dollars. Half a freakin decade, and his mechanics are still poor. He looks frigged in the pocket.

I'm sick of hearing all this, different o coordinator and he is still developing. Either be a star or leave.

With that said, I think he should play out the season unless he continuous to play like he did Sunday. Only bring Davis in when the division is out of reach.

*sigh*... go Niners...

Matt,
Our team may be shaky, but you are soild and professional,
Thank you for the great work!

Agree that Morgan needs to get his hands out in front of him to snatch the ball on turnover #4. Morgan didn't have a good game. However, disagree that your analysis seems to give Smith too much of a free ride on that turnover. Accuracy counts in this league and that ball needs to be thrown low. Morgan is not going to have a chance for RAC when the defender is behind on a curl like that, so the ball needs to be thrown low. Quarterbacking in the NFL isn't simply about making the correct reads, it is also about accuracy. Tim Rattay can make the correct reads, but I presume we should expect more from Smith than that. Other quarterbacks in the NFL put that ball where it needs to be; whereas right now we as 49er fans are lucky/happy when Smith merely makes the correct read. It is unfortunate pressure for Smith because of the expectations, but by year number 5 accuracy can no longer be blamed on revolving coordinators and systems. It's also unfortunate that Smith has such a long delivery (he basically throws from the windup), which you might think/hope would translate into better accuracy. Smith doesn't get a complete free ride on turnover #4. If that ball is thrown at Morgan's waist or knees then the good coverage can't do anything about it and the pass is completed. I don't think that is too much to expect from a 5th year quarterback.

Too many Niner fans are just big whiners and pansies, plain and simple. I've read this thread for the last few weeks and seen all the complaints... Raye sucks, too conservative, we need to open up the offense. This is exactly what happens when you pass the ball 51 times with a beat up, mediocre O-Line, young receivers, and a QB that hasn't played in 2 years. Sacks and turnovers. That's why Singletary and Raye want to run the ball more. The problem was that they couldn't do it when the league discovered that Hill couldn't run or throw the ball 25 yards down field. Just stack 9 in the box and see how well you run the ball. Nate Davis, Nate Davis??? Are you kidding? If you want to see a real disaster, put a rookie with a learning disability in as your QB. He's got size, mobility, and a cannon, no doubt. But, he won't be ready for a couple seasons. 49ers need more balance on offense, last I checked, Gore was running pretty well yesterday and only 15 runs for him??? Bottom line is that the Niners need to stay with Alex, even out the offense more and go through some growing pains this year. Our only hope for the playoffs this year was if AZ was going to stay as dysfunctional as they were in week 1. Clearly that's not the case now. And oh, by the way, didn't Tennessee have a former first round draft pick who also hadn't played in a couple seasons at the helm yesterday? Where was the pressure? It didn't look to me like he had to make too many stressful decisions yesterday. We let him off the hook.

Just go look at the sack count in the NFL and it becomes clear what the problem is on the 49ers. For the most part it always tells the tale on both sides of the line and gives us a good indication of the status of each unit. It determines interceptions ususally. Then look at rushing stats and overall pssing stats from both sides.

It is midway through the season and we now know who we are. 7-9(4-4 the rest of the way), 8-8( going 5-3), or 9-7 at best going (6-2).

The Defense is better, but not a top teir one becuase we don't sack the opposing QB enough. We need a great pass passer whether a DE or most likely an OLB in the 3-4.

Our Offense is at the bottom because we can't run nor pass protect.

We have some talented players at the skill positions but we just don't have the Big Dogs up front.

We lack the Big Dogs and now the attention turns to Management asking why?

That is the team McNolan built. McCloughan needs to go. We must finish off that disasterous reign of McNolan totally. Coach Sing is still my guy.

QB play will follow what the Big Dogs do!

Forget Alex for a minute. How about this DEFENSE for the 3rd week IN A ROW allowing a team to go on a long 4th quarter drive to win the game? If our D steps up in the clutch, we win this game, the Indy game, and the Minnesota game. I'm not sure why you are all wanting to pin this loss on Alex. Our defense has let this team down big time in all of these losses. If Paryse plays the sideline and pushes Johnson out of bounds at the 6 its game over on that 4th down play. I can think of 10 plays in 4 of our last 5 losses where we let a team off the hook.

i agree ...i expected the defense to play better than this...can't believe we let this guy run all over us.....and he didn't even look like he was running that hard...

"Will you ask Singletary if the 9er coaching staff agrees with Gannon (and many 9er fans) that these are major issues with Alex Smith?"

I don't know if that was a rhetorical question but don't hold your breath. It's obvious McC and others want AS to succeed at all costs. I don't blame them so did I until it became apparent that all those months on the bench, watching film and studying amounted to jack shyte.

It's come down to this: Having to justify each and every turnover AS makes while the team pushes this "being effective" agenda.

I don't remember an analysis taking us threw all the picks and fumbles that Hill made in a game...Oh yeah, that's because he didn't.

I'm also more disappointed in the defense than anything else. 4 turnovers were the difference, but there were always going to be some speedbumps. The offense still managed to move the ball and dominate time of possession, so I would've liked to see some more life out of the D in the 4th quarter.

Hopefully both sides of the ball take some positives from this game and make some adjustments for Chicago. Short week, let's hope that they're ready.

Agree with Mike in SF#2.

This game was more about the defense. We gave up 34 POINTS. Please analyze that. It's not like Smith threw an INT and the defensive back scored a TD on the return. There were key drives and moments when the defense didn't come through. There is no way that we are a run-first and defense type of team playing like that. Just horrible.

Blaming Smith for all of the team's problems is so shortsighted and stupid. It's like firing Nolan last year. Sure it might make you feel better in the short term but in the long run the problems are still there.

Everyone has an opinion. Mine is that Alex can go down the road right now. Bring in Hill and we will get a few wins, but he isn't the answer for the future either. Davis isn't ready right now and may not be the answer either. Really need a better quarterback next season. Maybe Hill as number two. Will be more turnovers with Smith. Also, where are all the deep throws that Alex can make and Hill can't? Alex needs to go as he will never get it. Excuses won't win games no matter who is the q.b.

First of all,

LMFAO@OneNiner - AAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

2ndly, I told you so.

Alex Smith doesn't have "It", never will. Time to find out if Nate Davis has "It" so we know what to do with our Draft.

Everyone has an opinion. Mine is that Alex can go down the road right now. Bring in Hill and we will get a few wins, but he isn't the answer for the future either. Davis isn't ready right now and may not be the answer either. Really need a better quarterback next season. Maybe Hill as number two. Will be more turnovers with Smith. Also, where are all the deep throws that Alex can make and Hill can't? Alex needs to go as he will never get it. Excuses won't win games no matter who is the q.b.

Really disapointed in this game. It seemed like a must win, but atleast there's a short turn around to the next game on Thursday.
I went to the game yesterday and for the most part was impressed. Gore was getting some pretty good yards and the offense was spreading it out. Some poor throws by Smith that were high and of course those turnovers were horrible.
I rewatched the offensive snaps when I got home and it looked like another case of "not finishing." The niners looked to have cotnrol of the game and played ok defensively. I don't think they got enough pressure on Young.
One bright spot was Jason Hill. I have been calling to see him play for some time. It was strange how they brought him in, essentially benching Bruce who didn't start, but who cares. He caught two much needed touchdowns.

I again didn't see the game (LA doesn't show the Niners), but I did see game highlights. In the plays that they showed, Smith seemed to have good time in the pocket, even on his interceptions. On his fumbles, he may have been able to move within the pocket more effectively. He also made some fine throws, especially to Hill. It's not Alex's physical skills which are holding him back, it's his slow decision making and poor pocket management. I hope for all of us that he will start improving fast. This is his third season (I don't count the injury years) and time is running out fast. I do agree that we should be preparing N. Davis to appear in a few games for a series or two so we can get a better handle on what we have. But only later in the season when it's clear that we are out of it.

Smith has only played one full season so he is going to have mistakes. This year he is completing almost 64% of his passes, but he still sucks right?

It's not OneNiner and Smith against the rest of the board.
It's about winning games.
I actually think OneNiner might be right that Smith has more upside than the journeyman quarterback who beat him out in training camp. What is indisputable is Hill led the team to wins and Smith is 0-7 in the last seven games he started.

We all have to produce in life. Smith is in his fifth year and has had his chance. This is only his most recent one. He's a nice guy who gives a decent interviews. But I don't think he's a winning NFL quarterback.

I hope I'm wrong.

Oneniner wrote: A.smith will play better Thursday night

Thank you Nostradamus. Now can you tell me which horse win the feature race at Santa Anita next Sunday?

All kidding aside: A. Smith did not play all that badly. The two most glaring weaknesses were once again a total lack of pass rush, and bad O-Line play.

The bottom line is this is a weak team put together by McCloughan. Nothing will improve until Jed comes to his senses and fires McCloughan.

I will be 53 soon and I have been a 49er fan since my dad started taking me to Kezar when I was six or seven. For the first time in my life I wish the Niners would lose every game the rest of the way. That seems to be the only way Jed can be compelled to do the necessary house cleaning. The worst thing to happen now would be a 4-4 finish making Jed bring back these McCloughan / Singletary for another year.

All the Smith lovers were ready to anoint him as the savior when he played well in the loss to Houston. Now all the Smith haters are ready to cut him and write off the season. We've seen good and bad from Smith in his 10 quarters this year. IMHO, the 9ers need to give Smith a few more games before passing judgement. Team management needs to know if he can be the guy or not. This is his chance to prove he is a starter or a backup in the NFL. If he doesn't improve over the next 3-4 games, the team needs to make the decision if they can work in Nate Davis at the end of the year to see what they have in him in preparation for next year.

Rick,

I was at those Kezar games too. Stanyan Street end zone and the old "Christopher Milk" section.

Don't give up. It might not be good now but this is not the Joe Thomas era or Erickson/Donohue either.

Look at Rogers stats all year. With a worse offensive line than we have. Yesterdays game from Rogers was the same as Smiths. But Rogers is one of the best qb's in this league. With the worst offensive line in the league. His talent alone makes him good. So the excuses for your boy Alex are moot. Just face it Alex is a bust. And Hill has outplayed Smith with the same line. Atleast Hill wasnt a turnover machine. Bring on Davis! And stop the excuses. You guys are holding on by a thread with your hope for Alex. Pathetic! I remember winning football. And this aint it.

there is no point getting into a QB debate because there is NO QB DEBATE....

A.Smith is the starter (THANK GOD)--- nothing is going to change that except injury.....

Oh boy - stop commenting on the Qb situation, everyone - Oneniner sayss there is no qb debate.

I wonder if the media and fans are going to take notice of his sage words?

Sorry, One. I wish there was no debate too. But Alex's play invited more controversy and questions. It's not going to go away unless his play improves to the level of a decent starting NFL QB.

Aaron Rogers came in from sitting on the sidelines and became a good qb right off the bat. Alex the brain has had his so-called two years to learn footwork, decision making and things of that nature. Excuses are all used up. This kid doesnt have NFL talent to be great.

Matt, good read as usual!
How many teams get to the playoffs with a weak o-line? They played hard and with heart but with both starting OT's out, it's hard to get continuity. 9ers are missing a few pieces to this puzzle. Don't give up on Smith yet - only his 2nd game. If the 9ers go deep a few times (even if they don't connect), the opponents DB's will not jump on the hooks and short passes. Also need to teach Smith the double pump. Most fans are frustrated but you have to have patience. Do we want to mirror the Redskins and change everything each year?

Very interesting post. Don't agree with everything you say but you are correct in saying the 9ers still have all the same problems as they've had over the past few years. We're now on a patented Mike Nolan 4 game losing streak. What has been consistent over the past few years? In my opinion:

A. GM selecting players that don't fit the philosophy of the coach.
B. Mike Singletary. Asst Head Coach for years and now the head coach.
C. Avg/Poor QB play
D. Poor o-line play
E. Yet another OC this year

How do the 9ers fix it? Fire everyone and start over? Keep the coaches and find a quality QB? Fire the GM? Fire the OC?

I don't know the answer. It seems clear the GM and coaching staff aren't working very well together. If the 9ers continue on this path, changes will be required but those changes will impact the team for many years so Jed needs to get it right this time.

Ha ha ha. How can a defense do any better than just giving up 10 points to a team without turnovers? 24 of those points were because of your boys turnovers period. I can see you two. you and onesmith dont watch football outside of only Smith plays, but this kid is THE fastest rb in the league and a league leader. Now your using the defense excuse. I thought it would be the o-line excuse for you two. But others on here have tried that excuse already. Smith isnt even as good as Hill. Thats sad! Hill might not have the arm strength Smith does, but atleast he doesnt throw int's and HE WINS GAMES! LOL

Matt, Smith looked like Steve Deberg, who can move the team, but is prone to the big turnover, and forced Walsh to change QB's eventually. I don't think Alex is the long term answer, but he is still better than Hill. Why did the team give up Rossum? He was better than Battle and Robinson, and at least he was a threat to break one, now they have guys running backwards and losing yardage on punt retuns, and Robinson is just a straight on runner with no elusiveness on kickoffs.

I can't believe how quickly some of you on this blog are ready to drive the bus over Alex Smith. I can only assume most of you weren't rooting for him in the first place.

****-Please all you out there talking about him being in the league for 5 years...Just stop it! Because nobody is buying that argument as it completely disregards the circumstances of his time in the league. He was in there learning to play NFL QB on a real bad team and for a coach (post Norv) that had no clue how to develop an NFL QB or an O-line and got shelled. With his HC questioning his toughness he makes a big mistake and comes back too early costing him 2 years. Well that coach is long gone. But Alex took a big cut in pay to stay with the team and finish it. Try to give the organization and the fickle fans some of what their paying for. But I guess a lot of you experts have seen enough in 2 games. He should have kept the money and gone to another team that doesn't install a new offense every year and has an O-line that...well shall I say...is a bit more leak resistant.

***- And I have to comment about this idiotic notion of AS not being able to throw the ball before his receivers come out of the break... of course he can! But could we please understand that Alex is only on his second start working with a group of mostly young receivers who are still learning exactly where that BREAK IS??? and he knows that!!! So could we cut him some slack over a couple of games here if he's holding the ball too long while he and his receivers find the right stop... of course he can...I can.. you can so what?

***So some are ready for Nate Davis? Wow! Alex gets 2 games to blow off the dust after a 2 1/2 year layoff rehabbing a badly broken shoulder, because after all he's been in the league for 5 years. He should have just stepped right in regardless of other obvious team deficiency's and while trying to avoid 300lb linemen who run like deer (which he hasn't had to do in 2 1/2 years), he should deliver the west coast version of Payton freekn Manning or he's run out of town after 2 games and we'll just draft another rookie QB and start the process over again, dog-gone-it. Wow!

In the mean time heck we can all go back to pounding the OC so he can get fired and the team can learn a whole new offense next again next year and we'll all be wondering why we're still 6-10. Maybe the team can set a record 10 OC's as many years.

YES this is a game Hill would have won. But we can't play are revolving QB door. Also Hill has been exploited. Smith and the OL and OC need to figure it out... or we are done for the year.

I'm telling you we must win the div to get to the playoffs. If we are 3-4 games out of first place by Dec then all bets are off and we go into rebuilding mode.

SMITH MUST FIGURE IT OUT IN THE NEXT 3 WEEKS. Pump fake, Boot leg, 60 yard bombs regardless of completions. Threaten these defenses.

We need speed out there and time to throw vertical routes. I would like to see Crabtree, Hill, Jones and Morgan on the field rotating in and out. Sprinkle in Bruce.

Here is a play:
2WR
2TE
1RB

Line Hill and Davis on the same side. Offset davis 3 yards from tackle.

Run Davis on a Deep corner and Hill on a deep post. Drag Crabtree across. Read the safety and launch it. If the corner get cute and drops back into the corner route dump off to Crabtree. Hell you can move the pocket if you need. RB chips the end.

Easier said then done, but I don't see much creativity in the pass plays and wee need to go vertical to exploit Alex's arm.

I don't know, I'm just rambling. Thanks for listening if anyone read this far.

g o n i n e r s . . .

I'm very disappointed with the loss and the turnovers.
With that said, Alex is and should remain the QB for the rest of the season. Hill is not going to lead us to a SB so let's see if Alex can.
I think we wait to pass judgement on him until the end of the year, when we have a better sample size to base the assessment of Alex's development. If he still is making the same mistakes we will probably have 3 picks in the first 45 to get a QB, some OL help, and maybe a OLB that can get to the QB consistently or a impact S

Kit,

I cheer for the 49ers and care most about what's best for them.

It's nothing personal against Alex - at least not for me. He might be the best we have, but the alternatives are a 30-year-old journeyman quarterback and a rookie quarterback. That's faint praise.

If you like Alex personally, as well as for his quarterbacking, then you should be glad that he's made a lot of money and appears to have a nice disposition.

Most of the rest of us care more about the team's winning. Nothing personal.

Same old same old. Alex is broadcasting his throws again. Hopefully this is something they can work on during this short week. He isn't 100% to blame for the INTs. The WRs could have helped out by attacking the ball. However, his eyes tell the D too much. For those trying to blame our D for this loss, get off their jocks. It's really hard to be effective when you're suddenly thrown back on the field because of a TO with a short field behind you. Also, someone said something about how it wasn't as if Alex threw a pick 6, look at TO #4 above.

Based on the standings right now the 49ers and Panthers would pick between 9 and 15 in next years draft.

Just stop with the shoulder and oc excuses. Rookies in their first game in the NFL have played better than Smith. ROOKIES! A new QB and OC next year and problem solved. There will be no excuses. Just two guys starting fresh. Teaching and learning with each other from the begining. Bring in Holmgren and let him bring a real OC in that will be here for awhile. I mean. What do we have to lose? Keep shuffling till we get it right. And no it doesnt mean we have to go Redskins crazy. Acouple of pieces on the lines and a good qb and coaches and we are good.

Reading some of these comments is almost as hard as watching my team lose. For the Smith haters he can do no right. For the Smith lovers he can do no wrong. The world isn't so black and white, however.

With few exceptions, you win or lose as a team. This was a team effort.

Some bright spots:

* I thought Raye called a better game. Still his sequencing of plays can be improved, and I thought they were too pass heavy.

* The OL, despite the 4 sacks, actually did pretty well. Smith DID have sufficient time to throw on many of the drop backs. You cannot pin THIS game on the OL.

* Davis, Gore, Hill. Other than staying in bounds stupidly near the end, Davis is truly looking good. Gore played well, made the most of his opps. I hope I see more of Hill, and less of Bruce.

The bad:

* Smith made some good throws, but he made some bad, and it cost us. I do get tired of excuses though -- the bottom line is he has had oportunites to comeback and win games three weeks in a row, and he has not. He seems to make bad throws in pressure situations. Good QB's rise to the occasion.

* Defense. Little to no pressure on Young. Johnson is dangerous for a reason. They were inadequate in stopping him, or stopping the Titans at crucial times in the game.

This team has shown improvement at times, but they truly are a work in progress. I think that all of us fans need to take a deep breath and realize that this is not going to change overnight. We play just well enough to lose. Until that killer instinct is there from the coaching on down, it will continue.

And they need to stay with Smith, possibly for the rest of the season. I have great doubts about his ability to be a good or great NFL QB, despite his improvement over his play pre-injury. But we need to let this play out.

As this season goes through the 2nd half, if he continues to have opportunities to win late in games and is unable to do so, then by game 14-15, I think the 49ers have to get some time for Davis, not because he is a savior, but because they have to know something more about whether he could be their future starter.

A very sobering loss.

P.S. Another for the "bad" side of the ledger, I have to agree that Morgan looks lost out there at times. Not sure why.

You have to fight for every ball. Not to give Smith a pass, but sometimes passes are not on the money, and you have to want it more than the other guy.

I do not see that fire in Morgan.

Why didnt Hill get the same benefit of the doubt? Sing should have never started Smith in the first place. Thats what started the qb revolving door. We didnt lose a game this year because of qb turnovers with Hill. So lets keep revolving the qb door until we find something that works. Give Davis some seasoning before the end of the season. Maybe our last 3 games. Because Alex will probably do well againts the bad teams. And we know now he isnt a winner againts the good ones. And the Smith lovers wont get fooled again. I think Smith will get cut anyways.

Not all Alex's fault, but I can't really pound too much on the Defense here. The offense set-up the Titans twice with a VERY short field in addition to the pick-six. The Niners offense gift-wrapped this game for the Titans.

Dude, we lost again and you are laughing?!?!?! WTF? You, my friend are a fool. Is it about Alex Smith, or the Niners? 53-man roster, loser!

ALEX IS A BUST.. IVE BEEN SAYING IT FOR YEARS. MARK MY WORDS.

Your comments are really showing your ignorance about football.

Have you ever heard of continuity?

Let's start over with a new OC and QB and o-line? Do that and we will be another 3 years out. Get over yourself dude. You are no 9er fan no matter how much money you spend. You are not worthy to be called a 9er fan.

11-Alex Smith: In the above section, we break down Smith's four turnovers. Those plays are the reasons the 49ers lost this game.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ A fan didn't write this. Any questions now?

OH my old freind AlexSmith. You are asking if its about the team or Alex Smith? Whats your screen name again?

In all three of Alex's starts so far, there have been costly INTs. Yesterday is well documented in this article. 1st Qtr against the Colts, while not as devastating, could have been the game changer. 4th Qtr against the Texans, 36 seconds left. No chance to win. Granted, he did well putting us into position to win, but folding under pressure is a bad attribute for an NFL QB. I still think he's a better choice over Hill with the deep threat, but he's not the answer as some of these bloggers seem to believe. Enough heard about spreading it out now?

You are wasting your time giving credence to the negative posters. They just spew and rant, spew and rant. Most of the time they want the team to lose so they can be "right". Go 9ers!

We're not Smith lovers, we're Niner lovers and we clearly don't have a QB, so who really cares? The defense made two great plays on INT's, what do you want from this guy? You want him to rush the passer? You want him to create separation for his WR's? I'm not making any excuses for the guy, but he didn't play that poorly for all of this garbage. It's funny too, cuz after the past two games some of you Smith haters were starting to believe a little bit,(oh, we should open it up, bla bla bla) and now we're right back where we started. He sucks, he's a bust, and HE lost the game for us? Always gotta put it on one person.

I know this, if shaun Hill was still at QB we don't even score 14 points yesterday. Shut-up and let Alex finish out the season and see if he can turn around his minor mental toots.

Alex almost brought us down 21-0.. Does Houston suck? We almost beat Indy AT Indy! Does Indy suck? Wait, let me guess...We lost that game cuz of Alex smith too, right?

Point your stinky little fingers at the scapegoat, but our problems go WAY beyond QB. Your hate for the guy is blinding you ninermd. He's still a kid. He's not a future HOFer, but he can be a good QB in this league. I'm now convinced; however, it won't be with us..

Ive heard of continuity. Lets see ah LOSING SEASON, LOSING SEASON, LOSING SEASON, LOSING SEASON, LOSING SEASON, LOSING SEASON, LOSING SEASON. In a way you can understand; 03-04-05-06-07-08-and now 0-9. Thats the continuity I have seen. Is that IGNORANT enough for you? Do you even get games up there in Oregon, because I need the TV you have been watching. I bet the Niners look great on that Tube. lol You are a funny guy.

My screen name was created to annoy the CRUD out of ignorant people like you!!!

Listen...Smith can't have those turnovers and expect this team to come out with a win but he is a solid QB and though he is the QB and should take personal responsibility for how this team plays because he is at the most important position on the field..you have to admit they are not all his fault. We are missing Joe Show on the weakest part of the team and desperately need to rid ourselves of our aging mercenaries and continue building this team through the draft. M. Lewis, N. Clements, T. Spikes, and I. Bruce are showing thier age and oft-injured...M. Roman..don't even need to say it....and the only Merc we have that is playing lights out is A. Franklin who looks like a dominant NT but will be 30 next year and looking for a new contract...

..am on the positives...

At the Tennessee 20-yard line, Smith broke free of a would-be tackler, sprinted to his right and just as he was about to run out of bounds, threw across his body to a wide-open Hill in the back of the end zone. Smith also found Hill with a three-yard touchdown pass late in the game.

Another bright spot? Vernon Davis, who reached the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career. Davis led all receivers with 10 catches for 102 yards.

I know this, if shaun Hill was still at QB we don't even score 14 points yesterday. $$$$$$$$$$$$$ You know this huh? When did Hill throw 3 int's that cost us the game. How many Int's has Hill thrown in 5 1/2 games? And how many has Your boy thrown in 6 quarters? You dont know crap. Unless its about Smith. You were wrong about your boy. You were cocky before. And now you have to eat it. Be a man and step up and take the critisism. Because your credability is shot!!! HA HA HA TOLD YOU SO.

Classic classic classic post!!! Thank you!!

Alex Smith hasn't heard of it, or at least he hasn't seen it since he's been in this league. 5 years 5 coordinators, no? He can throw, he can make plays, and he can correct his stupid mental errors...I think. Either way, we are screwed and it's very depressing!! I was at the game yesterday, and I have never been so quiet before, ever!! Watching our season go down the toilet after such a promising start... Dang you, Alex! It's all your fault!

How many INT's to TD's does Jay Cutler have in his career? Is this guy a bust too??? He looks great one minute and like garbage the next.. He's still young and learning.

HA HA HA HA O.K I get it now. You guys got me. Pulled the wool over my eyes. That was a good one. Oneniner and Alex Smith. You guys have been backing up Smith with such fury to get under our skin. Man by golly you guys have fooled me for awhile now. Man look at me with egg on my face. How could I fall for this one? I mean nobody in their right mind would defend a horrible qb like Smith. WOW You guys got me. And all of the other guys you had to back your joke. You guys are the masters of pranking. Hats off to you guys.

That's cuz Hill wouldn't have attempted those throws..... I'm not worried about my credibility (that's how you spell it BTW) with you ninermd... I can really care less. Are you really putting the last INT on Alex?? That was also one hell of a diving catch by the FS on the other ball to Morgan. What can you do?

What exactly am I eating ninermd? I never said the guy was great or that he was our savior. I said I hope he succeeds, because it would not set us back another 3 years if he could not figure it out.

Are the Niners 3-5 or is Alex Smith 3-5?

Ok, Alex Smith threw 3 INT's and lost a fumble.. I also know that we had NO INT's or even a frkn SACK..

What's funny after a loss ninermd??? seriously, what is funny? other than the fact you can't spell, what is funny? WE LOST!! sadly, I get the feeling you are glad Alex didn't play well, so you could come in and rip him again, since you have no life.

and what criticism? (that's how u spell it btw)

I was rooting for a guy who has been through a lot of adversity since being drafted. Therefore, by rooting for him to do well, our team does well and our QB future looks brighter.. Now not so much...and you're laughing!!! You my man, ARE A JOKE!!!!!

Whatever man, obviously we agree to disagree...bottom line, we're 3-5 and it SUCKS!!!

hahaha i told you so is not a quote of a 9erfaithful, so I have to question your credibility as a niner fan. You're just confrontational, so go join the Raider Nation, I think you're a better fit over there.

This is a bad year for bay area sports.
49ers: Bad instincts for both the QB and Coaching staff.

this train wreck needs to have some people get off the train at the next stop: McCloughan needs to concentrate on scounting, not GM material. A true GM needs to set the direction on who to draft, how to run the offense and defense. in some games, they should run more, and pass less. in some games, pass more and run less. the coaching staff right now has no clue.

Its funny because I said the season was over when Alex took over. And I was ridicueled and called a fairweather fan. Now you want to change your tune. Every post I have seen you on here. You only talked about Smith not the team. You changed your name to say "I told you so". You also didnt root for Hill you called him out so your boy can come in and make your prediction right. I told you then go ahead be cocky because your boys true colors would come out. How convient your all about the team now. Ill be at the game on thursday are you. A true fan would still drive 2 hours to see their losing team. What are you going to do when Alex gets the boot? Change your name to a more team based name? I knew the season was over. Im used to the season being over with by now. And thats what Im sick of. Time for another change till we get it right. And you did say that he was the future and is going to be a great qb. And when people disagreed you blew your top. There is no question who the real niner fan is in here......... HMMMM The guy with the name Alex Smith that only talks about his boy or ninermd the guy that talks about a variety of topics on here. Your a joke and most know it. Quit trying to say its a team thing now. Stay with the tune you have been playing the whole year. Be a real Smith fan and stick with him win or lose. We already know your'e not a niners team fan.. Dont make me call you out for being a fairweather Smith fan. See you at the Bears game. Im done with you. You are not going to fool me again with your pranks buddy. lol

Matt - During the tv broadcast Rich Gannon kept saying that Alex was not believing what he was seeing and would not throw it until he was sure the pass was there. He was not anticipating the throws at all. Would you agree with his opinion?

jibberish.... What section do you sit in ninermd?

And for all of the Optimists in here. You complain about negative comments on here from the Realists. WHAT HAS THIS TEAM DONE FOR THE LAST 4 WEEKS FOR US TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT? I see some of you Optimists complaining about the O-line and defense. Is that positive? Its only good if you agree. Right? lol

Most of Smith's issues are mental. They need to tell the kid we trust you and not to worry about being perfect. I remember Steve Young trying to be perfect playing in the shadow of Montana. Initially, Young played like garbage until he just went for it and didn't worry about being perfect. After 2 games, clearly the fans want him to be perfect. What other QB is under the microscope? I've see other teams blogs and their fans aren't as cruel.

I'd agree with that. One of my professors from graduate school used to teach at the University of Miami (Ohio) when Big Ben played there. Her daughter dated him and, according to my teacher, he may be the dumbest person she has ever met. However, the man can play quarterback quite well. I just don't know how Alex (who, apparenlty, is extremely intelligent) goes about dumbing himself down.

This whole thing is just a big mix up. Sing said we are going to win enough games to make it to the playoffs and he was right. He said Alex looks like a QB who could be special and again he was right. He said that this team needs to realize they could win any game as long as they don't beat themselves and yet again he is right on all accounts. Only mistake he made was saying that about this year. Next year we will win the West with no problem with our only competition comin from Fitz and Co. As for this year...chances are looking slim to turn this thing around and I have a feeling we will end up being one of those last teams out in Wk 17 type of teams and we can all look back to a couple moments in this season that could have been different...

Section 33. You want to come down and say hi? Ill gladly have this discussion face to face. Holla!

Stanvan... thanks for you perspective and I agree with most of it. Unlike what you and others might feel I think team too, but I was specifically responding to those who feel we should bench Alex after 2 starts in favor of Nate.
Contrary to what you might think Alex is not my son. But it's the not at all logical at this point of the season after 2 games to bench Smith. It's just Alex haters talking out their ear hole.

***Now that said... if over the next 3 games Alex is not showing progress enough that he is the clear QB going into next year I would be calling for Nate to see what he's got before the season ends.
Fair enough?

Thought Alex played well but those throws are good. the receivers should own those passes and claim it. we are all hurting and feel very frustrated but that's part of football. Coach sing should promote Jason Hill, use Crabtree all the time, use Brandon Jones and off the bench is Josh Morgan. think Morgan is slow for a wide receiver and cant jump that high. I will bring in another tall big tight end say Joe John Finley, well VD is good already and Dwalker should get some passes too. let's give Alex Smith one more game.one more game Alex.

OK, coach said Alex was the guy, I joined in, give him a chance. My fear now is that he will improve just enough to where we don't consider taking a top-tier QB in the draft.

Coach doesn't think Hill is the answer. OK, but I'd love to see him finish the season and let Smith sit.

Davis, if he truely has the potential, is probably more of a project at this point.

No way I ever FULLY get behind Smith again. If he's a niner I'll HOPE he does well, but he's not the long term answer. I'll never be able to BELIEVE in him. What's that old line? Fool me 16 times, shame on me?

With having to take time off work it's really going to tick me off if we lose Thursday in such fashion.

Oh yeah, Matt, I like the changes to the blog.

Oh yeah, Matt, I like the changes to the blog.

Alex Smith haters, get lost!

liar...this guy has never stepped out of maryland

can someone plz just teabag him.....he his trying so hard to get some one to argue with him

Let's do this.. I'll even man up and buy you a beer! I'm just as frustrated as you are man. I take losses personally and haven't learned to to not let it affect my moods.

Anyone remember what Steve young went through in Tampa Bay when he got beat to Sh--? I agree with most of you posters...Nate Davis can't help this year, but if Alex can't pull his head out in the next few games, then we need to see what he has. He has to go through this.. He's a former#1 making a lot of cash, so it makes sense to let him try and work through his mental lapses.. This team is not a QB away from a super bowl, or I would be singing a different tune. Bust?? maybe!! probably!!! late bloomer?? very possible!! The jury is still out in my opinion...Do we really want to HAVE to draft a QB next year? I want pass-rushers and pass-blockers because nothing will change if we can't drastically improve in those areas..nothing.

I take losses personally and haven't learned to to not let it affect my moods.

Well, be comforted -- misery loves company.

Hey! Mr. GURU of the Blog for 2 weeks! It took you long enough to show up on the Blog!
Give me some of your WORTHLESS FACTS of what, why, when and where? LOL!
Your facts should show what we all knew! Yea! Many who were put down by you for giving our opinions! And that's all they were despite your selfish attacks on us!
Now we all know we really don't have the QB necessary yet!
Admit it! It's NOT Smith! He'll be gone by next year and hopefully you'll go with him!

Despite oneniner and the rest wh are under his spell, it comes down to wins and losses! The INT's go in the QB's column despite the woulda, shoulda, coulda's! Those are the only facts that count!

Despite oneniner and the rest wh are under his spell, it comes down to wins and losses! The INT's go in the QB's column despite the woulda, shoulda, coulda's! Those are the only facts that count!

dude ...u have sum serious issues...

Admit what ? - that you are a two faced loser = Hell yea...

I thought you came to your senses a couple of weeks ago praising A.Smith, trying to get a seat on the band wagon ..

..now cuz you see a few un-informed fans yelling fire!!! on the blog, you feel like screaming louder...

Dude - you just don't get....A.Smith is the best QB on the roster TODAY...

.if you took your time to read my previous comments, you will know i wasn't that impressed with his play...

but still....if your question is - do i still support my QB (A dot Smith)...YES

see you at the playoffs...

Your lying as usual! The things you've written about Smith made him look like the Montana and Young combined! You've been crying about him being beaten out by Hill for months! Now you say "you weren't impressed with his play?"
Everybody on this Blog knows you comment 50 times on every story about nothing but Smith this and Smith that! I think you've played a large part on this Blog of creating negative feelings towards Smith!
So you can change your story and continue to lie like you always do! But everyone knows the source! And your eating crow now!

Your lying as usual! The things you've written about Smith made him look like the Montana and Young combined! You've been crying about him being beaten out by Hill for months! Now you say "you weren't impressed with his play?"
Everybody on this Blog knows you comment 50 times on every story about nothing but Smith this and Smith that! I think you've played a large part on this Blog of creating negative feelings towards Smith!
So you can change your story and continue to lie like you always do! But everyone knows the source! And your eating crow now!

Alex smith you have the nerve to ask what section I'm in. Like your going to do something. Then you ask someone else to do your work. I don't want your beer. And blog threats arent scarry. That's my section. If you want to come down. By all means bring it. Talk is cheap. And threats are cheaper. Iam not the one to play with. That's all I'm going to say. You know where I'm at. Oh and for the record. Md are my initials.

I'm glad the coaching staff isn't as dumb as most of you. If they were they would bench Smith and put in Davis. Smith has only played ONE full season so everyone stop acting like he has had so much time to adjust to the NFL. Ninermd Rogers only gets sacked because he holds the ball too long not because his line sucks. Either way we have Smith not Rogers and Smith has shown potential he has a high completion % and is nowhere near terrible as you (ninermd) deemed him to be. So shut up and support the TEAM (including Alex Smith) if you can't do that find a new team. He had a bad game, get over it.

I'm a newbie, but I think I have a pretty fair assessment of the situation. I know we all can't agree, but I feel everyone should just be fair and not point fingers at everyone. The best thing we can do as a fan is support our team and criticize them in a fair and intelligent manner. Abandoning them or even making points after-the-fact doesn't really help. If you ever played any kind of sport, you'll know little critiques don't help as much as solving the root of the problem. Having said that, here's my best guess to the problems on the team as a WHOLE!

0. Coach Singletary is motivating, but needs to get his best players together and stick to them. We don't have consistency throughout the seasons and now we don't have it from week to week. Pick your guys and let them play. For every positive change you make, the side effects of learning to play together will take you more steps back.
1. QB - I believe Alex should continue the whole entire season and we'll judge him after that. Give the guy a fair chance and that fair chance is after this season. He's the best we got right now! His main consistent flaw is how he's easy to read.
2. WR - Singletary stands behind Morgan way too much. I've seen him consistently drop balls. I'm sure he has potential, but we need playmakers now, not potentials. Only reason to keep him in is if Hill drop balls too.
3. The O-Line isn't where it could be, but I think they are doing the best with what they got. We have to accept this.
4. Defense and injuries. We can't help this, but we have to be understanding that the replacement for the starters isn't suppose to play better. Injuries are killing us. Our top guys aren't even in the game. Of course we'll lose.
5. OC - After they decide on their best players and their positives, Raye needs to make a balanced game plan and stick to it. Forget what the fans are saying. We are selfish and don't have anything to lose. Spread, no spread... Just play great football consistently with what you got!

Thanks for reading. =)

OK, smith is telegraphing with his eyes....put a dark shield over his eyes and paint the stripe on his helmet crooked...ok that problem solved
next

ya, this sucks!! If we had beaten TEN we'd be talking about the Bears right now, but instead we're back to this crap. If you want to blame the loss on Alex, then so be it, but what about the other 4 losses? The Niners can't finish, injuries are now piling up and we have a coach who just spews out BS.. talk about don't tell me, show me!

Letting Rossum go was RIDICULOUS! It cost us the Houston game, and now Nate Clements is out. Coffee has a head injury and Kory Sheets is gone..

And was it just me, or did it look like PATRICK WILLIS is the only one who showed up on defense yesterday?

NINERMD YOU'RE A DOUCHE!! GO BACK TO YOUR PACKERS BLOG WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND AARON ROGERS.

Kit,

I want you to be right about AS. I want to be wrong.

If you're right, the team moves forward.

If I'm right, the team might be in big trouble.

It's not personal with me. Whatever it takes for the 49ers to win - cheating aside - I endorse.

secondly, even lott in his commentary is begging the defense to show up....

yes smith is a big contributor to this loss
but other things could of would of should of happened as well....i would consider what haralson failed to do to knock johnson out of bounds at the 4 equivalent to a defensive fumble or interception.

Oneniner, please give it a rest. I was hoping to enjoy a break in your ranting due to you having to remove your foot from your mouth, but it appears you've found a way to spew stupidity nonetheless.

"[U]ninformed fans yelling fire!!!"

Were you describing yourself?

Wasn't that you early in the season while we were winning w/ Hill at QB??

I get that you have a super man crush on Alex Smith, but that's no reason to be a jerk on the blog. You talk too much trash to fellow 49ers fans, and your football knowledge is average at best.

Way to lobby for the losing QB! Thanks for that. Maybe we can spend the next decade still trying to figure out that Alex Smith isn't a franchise NFL quarterback. These past 5 years don't provide enough data, I guess. Smith's had 5 coordinators because he's sucked under all of them! He has a losing record because, as he keeps proving time and again, he is a poor NFL quarterback (too many turnovers and stupid penalties, and no ability in the short passing game).

Smith's Career Stats:
25 tds, 36 ints, 65.7 rating, 11-21 as a starter

Hill's Career Stats:
23 tds, 11 ints, 87.3 rating, 10-6 as a starter

Neither of these guys has played with a strong offensive line or substantially different pass catchers. How do you support the argument that Smith is the best QB on the roster? Arm strength is only one component of being a QB...

It's not just that you're wrong, Oneniner, it's that you're wrong and you're a jerk. We're all 49ers fans here, and it's clear that there is nothing special about your football IQ, so just take it easy, will ya?

Also, and this is a criticism of the coaching, what's the use of a big arm if we never throw down the field? Why haven't we tried Crabtree deep yet?

LOL! Ask someone else to do my work? Did I miss something? You said, "I'll see you at the Bears game." I'm done with you on this blog..you wanna talk niner football? cool, let's do it... If you wanna laugh after a loss and say "I told you so." then find a new blog, cuz you don't represent very well.

Agreed...somebody with some knowledge and a level-head!

oneniner replied to comment from ninermd | November 9, 2009 1:26 PM | Reply
liar...this guy has never stepped out of maryland

can someone plz just teabag him.....he his trying so hard to get some one to argue with him
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Dude you are a joke. Leave the threats at home and stick to what you know.. Alex Smith. You got shut down with the Alex talk. Then the team talk, And now I call you out on your oohhhhh scary threat. And your asking someone else to do what you couldn't. lol You are a waste of time. BE GONE!

I'm not going anywhere and I never threatened you... You're loonie

Who am I asking to do what I couldn't?? straight thugish rugish

I must be getting too old for this, you folks are taking this blog to new lows, You make oneniner look rational (sorry dude, I needed it to make a point).

I think I understand why those that I respected here post seldomly, if at all.

It looked to me as if A. Smith was hesitating on his throws a little bit, maybe because he still learning the trust of his WRs and the gameplan which takes time. It seemed as if the gameplan on D didnt work so well although the Titans had a pretty good gameplan and i dont know how the Titans D stepped up all of a sudden. But from here on out its showtime for the 49ers motto or no motto. Now they have to rely on AZ losing but that doesnt matter if the 9ers cant win games. It reminds me of the rabbit losing to the turtle, how the heck can a rabbit lose to a turtle? If the really need a motto heres my families "Dont think just do" you can think after your done, but its just gonna slow you down while your doing something.

As I watch Alex Smith, I see a big improvement in the basic mechanics. Remember when there were so many comments about his odd throwing motion and his happy feet? We don't see those any more. I get the impression that Mike Johnson must be pretty effective to overcome those problems. Alex does look like he's locking in on his intended receiver. That's an easier problem to fix than the mechanical problems.

My impression of the game is that without the turnovers, this would have been a pretty lopsided win for the Niners, even with a mediocre defensive performance. I like what I'm seeing from the quarterback coach and I have to say that Raye's play calling seemed much better this game.

A loss is still a loss. But I think we're watching the team build the foundation for an exciting offense that we can enjoy watching over the next several years. I don't like the won loss record, but this looks like the best offense talent we've had in more than a decade. Compare the skill positions player for player and you have to go back a long time till you can find a comparable collection of talent. (Can't say that yet about the O-Line. There's some drafting and free agent signing work to be done this next off season, to address that.) But I'm impressed with the offensive foundation Sing and Raye are building.

Sing says this game was one of the best he has seen of his offense, but TO's are killing us. Seems like Deja Vu from last year with JTO. That dude could really move the team down the field, but man, as soon as we needed a big play, you could always count on him to throw a pick, or fumble the ball. We have given up the ball 6x and taken it a big whoppin 0x in the last 2 games. No team can win with a minus 6 unless your QB is named Brees, Brady, or Manning (Peyton version). Yeah, the defense couldda wouldda shouldda kept the lowly titans out of the EZ, but fact remains, give the other team a short field too many times and it will bite ya. We MUST do better protecting the ball.

And MM, can you give us an update on Morgan? It seems like he is either not giving it 100% or he just can't get used to game speed, or he just isn't what we thought he was. Any rumblings about him possibly being replaced along with Bruce?

What a great sight to watch an NFL game the sidelines. The BRUTALITY is beyond anything TV can deliver. I'll never watch a game the same way.
Patrick Willis is the BEST LINEBACKER IN THE NFL.
Vernon Davis is HUGE.
Caught a pass right in front of me and was takckled by 2 Titans.
It sounded like an explosion of flesh and muscle. All 3 just popped up.
INCREDIBLE!
Vince Young is a big guy. The TROJAN killer had a nice game.
Chris Johnson is a stud FAST. He ran right past me on his overturned 81 yarder. I heard a whoosh.
Gore ran out of bounds on the goal line RIGHT in front of me. Frank is a ball of MUSCLE.

On Alex:
Smith locks onto his primary receiver and is late releasing the ball when his WR are open.
I will never watch game the same way.
On TV or even in the yard
Field level with the team on the sidelines is the best.
There is a LOT of banter and chatter down there.

Fans YELL some of the DUMBEST CRAP ..

I love all of you who thought I was a Titans fan and told me to go back to Tennessee.

Yeah after 4 freaking years.. thats a HUGE improvement.. Alex Smith is a stud! Hahahahaha.. please what are you smoking? HES A BUST.

Insightful comment, 5Rings. Thanks for contributing.

I agree that AS is our best hope. The deep threat is there, but he has to take better care of the ball. I'm not going to call for his head, but I definitely need to see improvement in his play before he gets support from me. Gotta take care of the ball in this game. I hated the JTO Show.

Matt, If you are still following this thread, I have questions maybe you have some insight:
It seems that in Raye's offense the QB has no ability to audible. This also appears to be the same under Martz's offense. Is this correct?
Also, It seems that Raye does not call for many play action passes. I see other teams using this call several times on one drive, and the niners maybe twice a game. Is this beneficial to the niner;s offense?
IMHO, Raye's play calling is too predictable, and the QB does not seem to have the ability to audible out of a play the opposing 'D' has diagnosed. Couple this with no play actions and I think the offense is suffering as a result. What are your thoughts?

Jay Cutler has 68 TDs and 49 ints..
Alex Smith has 25 TD's and 36 ints..