SANTA CLARA – Here’s the transcript of Alex Smith’s Wednesday press conference, courtesy of the 49ers.
It’s become one of the better rivalries in the history of football. Are you looking for the same kind of game coming up?
“Big game, no question. The history last year, we played them twice, the NFC Championship Game, all that. New year though, I think both teams realize that. Obviously it’s going to get turned into more than that, but both of us, I think, just continuing to get better and obviously try to get a W. Whatever it takes. As far as redemption or anything like that, for me they’re the Giants, they’re a really good team. They’re the defending Super Bowl Champions. That more than anything is out there and a chance for us to get a big win.”
Like after last week too, all of the sudden they were looking at film and saying, wow, we’ve got a lot more to defend than we had earlier in the season with you guys.
“Yeah, I mean both teams are different. Even looking at last year’s tape of us, a lot of faces have changed here and there and that’s the nature of this game. Can’t get caught up too much in last year and what was going on. I think both of us are different.”
But head coach Jim Harbaugh had said that even last week offensively exceeded his expectations, does that come at a really good time, coming into to this week against the Giants, to see what that passing game was able to do?
“Yeah, it was great to have out there, see us execute like that. It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely a good day. But that week’s over, this is a new week. It’s a new team, new opponent, new matchups, different defense. So, a new challenge for us.”
Because you guys have changed so much offensively, personnel wise and some of the additions of other aspects, that maybe the game film of what the Giants tried defensively is kind of irrelevant at this point?
“You use it. Who knows, we’ll see Sunday, how much, if they play us like last year or not. Like I said, a lot of those matchups and things like that all of the sudden change because their personnel changed some, our personnel changed some. Taking a look at both, obviously the film from all this year and then when they played us last year as well.”
Today is the two year anniversary of the Eagles game where everyone was chanting for QB David Carr, does that seem like longer?
“Seems like a long time ago, longer than two years ago for sure. Yeah, a long time ago it seems like.”
And here you stand, the top-rated passer in the league.
“I guess so. Fifth game of the season, I said this earlier, it’s great for now but I want to keep it going. It’s really about how you finish in this game. Still early on and just looking to get better and better and continue to play our best ball as the season goes on.”
For those of us that don’t see you week-to-week though, going back two years, what the big difference with you from two years ago? How do you explain the difference?
“There’s a lot of changes, from the coaches to a lot of the players around here, to myself. This is a team game. This isn’t just all of a sudden something changed in me. A lot things going into being successful on the field, a lot of things It’d be tough to even try to touch them all.”
What do you think’s different for you? How have you changed?
“Played a lot of football in between here and then, and you grow from all of it and you learn. Credit to a lot of the teammates around me right now, making me look good.”
One of the personnel changes from last year is WR Mario Manningham and it seems like your chemistry with him is getting better game-by-game. Is that true and what is it about him that makes him a good target on game days?
“I think he’s getting better with everybody. That’s the nature of passing game, just the more reps you have, I think the more comfortable you’re going to get. Especially Mario, just getting a better feel of seeing things together, when you’re a quarterback and a receiver of seeing the same things and reacting the same way to them. For me, it’s being able to anticipate when he gets different looks, what he’s going to be able to do. And then I can play faster and I can throw a better ball and get it to him quicker. So, a lot of things like that kind of play into it that we’re seeing the same things and reacting to it the same way.”
Carlos Rogers and some of the other cornerbacks were talking how they would pick Mario’s brain on how to attack the Giants. Can you do the same thing with him?
“As far as the defense?”
Yeah.
“I mean, definitely personnel-wise, him and [RB] Brandon [Jacobs] obviously know these guys well, the guys that were there with him. So, no question in that sense that really talked to them as far as the guys they had, things they’re good at, things they’re not, things like that.”
It’s obviously early, but in some of the darker times, could you have envisioned that there would be a day like this where things would be clicking like this?
“I mean, I’m certainly playing for it. I wasn’t playing to continue to lose. You continue to put the work in and to fight and play because you’re trying to win games. No question, thought it could get better, didn’t know when or how.”
You said Sunday you didn’t know how many yards you guys had piled up, but did you know, could you sense it was one of the best games by this offense in a long time?
“No, definitely not in the first half. I felt like, a lot of us were pretty frustrated just by the self-inflicted mistakes. The penalties and the yards we lost in the first half. Obviously, there after the 3rd quarter, I mean, a pretty successful third quarter, second half. Then when someone told me early in the 4th quarter, I guess it made sense, thinking back, yeah, we had been pretty productive and had done some good things. But no idea it was record setting.”
Did you meet President Barack Obama?
“I did. Yeah. Very cool. Huge honor, I mean the President of the United States. It’s one of those things when you’re a kid, yeah, maybe meet the president, and very cool.”
What was he like?
“Talked ball the whole time. Yeah, talked ball most of the time. It was cool, seemed very down to earth, knew what was going on with us, talked a lot about us, the game on Sunday, our schedule, knew we were playing the [Chicago] Bears. So, it was cool.”
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Wait!! AS can’t possibly be the top-rated QB, he doesn’t have 1500 yds passing after 5 games – win, lose, or draw. Come on man!!
All this Hof with the assistance of a diaper changer, inaccuracy, not able to throw deep and my personal favorite, checking down! Wow, pretty amazing stuff.
I think accuracy picks n tds are more important than yards…inaccurate??lol AS is around 70%so do the math…
Are you guys still bashing Alex? Really?
Wow!!
Gene, fire up your sarcasm-meter to detect the meaning behind the comments in the thread so far :)
Good to see AS get some recognition on the positive side. Well deserved for sure. I still dont feel we have seen the best of what this team can do.
Absolutely agree Under.
Just wait till ya see the movie! This could turn into one of the greatest sports stories of all time. Who else has gotten the snot beat out of him for seven years by coaches, opposing players, and “fans”, only to come back like this?
I know it’s still waaayyyy early to think about it, but give Alex a couple more years to continue to develop and show what he’s got when he’s got great coaching and good protection up front, and this will be a feel-good movie on a par with Oher’s. ya read it here first!
Like the rest of. the team, Alex Smith has come a long way. Here’s rooting that the way leads to many Super Bowl. Champion rings.
You almost have to feel sorry for the haters, they will have no place to go.
Come-on Alex!! I’ve bashed you for years, now prove me wrong! Please proof me wrong. Put 3 good games together, and against a good team. I watch with some trepidation.
Still trying to justify your hate by sneaking in the back door?
My mother used to tell me, “Say it the right way, or say nothing.” Sorry to admit I failed to follow her advice too many times.
All I know is we’re not talking about defense for a full week. What does that tell ya? If you haven’t been paying attention things are shifting. A year ago we were talking about how we were winning but….Now we’re winning and there really isn’t a but…. The offense is playing well, and the QB is part of that. Really pretty much end of story.
Success, like Luck, happens when Preparation Meets Opportunity. The 49ers, their Defense, Alex and JH are certainly prepared (and have been), now they have the Opportunity. I look forward to both luck and success against NY.
Speaking of “Luck”, guess who has the same number of career 300 yard passing games as Alex? Andrew Luck! They both have three 300+ yard passing games!
I love that Alex has morphed into a serious field general, but clearly he’s operating the right system for his skill set.
As did Joe Montana.
Montana? Seriously?
I’ll give you the Harbaugh team/system is more akin to Walsh, especially since Alex hasn’t had anything close to it prior to now, but you might think he could have stumbled upon a 300 yard game here or there out of his last 100 games or so.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hater, but I’m not a Smither either. I love what he’s doing now…he’s easily one of the top smartest QBs in the league and clearly comfortable in the offense. I just thought it was funny he and Luck have the same number of 300 yard games…don’t you?
EB
The system that Luck is in sure seemed to work well for the guy who preceeded him what was his name (no not dan orlowsky who also had a 300 yd passing game vs the jv pats defense). Having perennial probowler Wayne doesnt hurt either.
Systems should magnify the QB performance that is their sole purpose for existing
He operated the spread passing offense quite well in College. He did pretty well as a second year player in Norv Turner’s offense. He will function fine in any system if he’s given a chance to learn it and work with the same people for more than a year.
Exactly how many years in a row has Luck operated under the same NFL system again?
You said Smith is operating the right system for his skill set. What does that have to do with Luck?
Smith operated just fine in different systems previously in his career, provided he was given good Coaching and a chance to learn the system.
Nice attempt to cover yourself, but you are suggesting Alex w/do better w/time in a system to do well.
What is has to do w/Luck is exactly what I said. Luck has had one off-season and 5 games of regular season play and they both have three 300 yard career passing games.
I suppose your argument relies on Alex getting the “right” coaching and to some degree I’ll agree w/that, but after 7+ years (granted not on the field all the time) it’s just plain funny that he has the same amount of 300 yard passing games as a rookie 5 games in.
This tells me, he’s in the right system because even though all the other coaches were afraid to have Alex throw down field too, they didn’t know how to give him confidence in what he can do.
Don’t get me wrong though. I don’t really care. He can have zero more 300 games this year if we are winning as far as I’m concerned.
EB,
I’ve said for months that Smith was a system fit and a game manager in this offense. The main problem I’ve had with Smith in any system is and has always been his level of consistency. He has never shown the ability to operate with any consistency.
Yes, he had a good game last week. The whole team did. Buffalo was atrocious. I noticed that a lot of Smiths longer passes got to the target, but not in very good condition. That spiral didn’t look too great. Hell, but they were completions. That pass to VD was pure. The Giants offer a different test. They also seem to know how to play Smith. Can he conquer this hurdle? Can he play decent against this team. He’s not going to have the stats he had last week against the Bills. Will his numbers be satisfactory?
If the pattern of Dmith holds true, he will struggle against the giants. Can we win despite his struggles? I think we can if our o/ line contines to run block like they have and Kap comes in to change the pace and help us in the red zone.
True. A good O-line will help anyone look good. I think it will be just as important, perhaps more so, that the o-line give good pass protection.
AS won’t have to curl into a ball in order prevent a turnover if he has some time.
He was so conservative in the championship game that there was absolutely no progress down the field. He didn’t make the mistakes, but he didn’t make the plays either.
If he gets the time, he’ll make some plays against the Giants…just enough to help Niners win.
And 300+ yard games are indicative of what again?
There is only 1 stat that matters. That’s rings. This team looks poised to make another run for one.