Given Troy Smith’s inexperience and rust, the 49ers can’t be faulted for easing him into Sunday’s game, particularly after he fired a few early throws to Greenwich.
Still, they went a little crazy with that easing-in stuff.
Mike Singletary deserves praise for starting Smith over David Carr. But given the way the Niners kept their quarterback in shackles for three quarters, it gave the impression Singletary based his decision on Smith’s ability to execute a proper handoff.
Smith handed off on 29 of San Francisco’s first 42 offensive plays. He
handed off on third-and-7 near midfield in the first quarter. And he
handed off on third-and-7 near midfield in third quarter. He handed off
so much that, at halftime, Frank Gore was on pace for 140 yards and his
team was on pace for six points. He handed off to the point that,
according to Gore, a few wide receivers had a message for “our coaches”
during the game: “You know, let’s play. We can’t try to hold stuff
back.”
Trailing 10-3 with 14 minutes left, the 49ers had no choice but to honor the request.
Singletary on the decision to try the forward pass after the Broncos took the lead, “You realize you can’t sit on three points.”
Agreed. Particularly true if the other team has 10.
Anyway, Smith, as you know, took advantage of his six fourth-quarter passes, completing five for 110 yards and a touchdown.
He
finished with a 115.2 quarterback rating, a figure Alex Smith has
topped twice In 50 career games, and didn’t have a turnover, a feat Alex
Smith has managed in six of his past 17 games.
It would
surprise no one if Singletary stuck with Sunday’s starter even if Alex
Smith is healthy enough to play against the visiting Rams on Nov. 14.
Bottom line: 1-0 vs. 1-6. Hard to ignore.
Smith, who was expected to
be the Ravens starter in 2008 until a tonsil infection sidelined him
during training camp and allowed Joe Flacco to assume the spot, entered
Sunday’s game with a career passer rating of 79.7 (89 career passes).
Alex Smith’s: 70.2. Something else: Troy Smith has now thrown 108 career
passes and had one interception.
It’s a ridiculously small
sample size, but it at least hints that the 6-foot Smith, whose height
is likely his biggest drawback, could be something more than a modest
upgrade for the Niners if he’s given his first real NFL shot.
On
Sunday, he flashed a strong arm, pocket presence, scrambling ability
and, in Singletary’s estimation, impressive poise and leadership when
the malfunctioning radio in his helmet didn’t allow him to hear the play
calls during part of the third quarter. Gore and Delanie Walker praised
his command of the huddle and, after the game, Smith displayed his
charisma during his meeting with the media.
Asked if he was
unnerved by the start in front of more than 80,000 fans, he
good-naturedly reminded his questioner that he routinely played before
100,000 at Ohio State. And when asked if he’s always seen himself as an
NFL quarterback, he drew laughs when he replied, “There is no doubt
about it. You can check any video game that I play, I’m the starting
quarterback.” Finally, asked if he thought he should be the Niners’
starter, he didn’t hesitate to offer the appropriate response, “I would
like to say that, but I’m not going to go down that road … We’re going
to play it by week and they’ll let me know what’s going on.”
He was confident, polished and in command.
It
was a reminder that, as a former Heisman Trophy winner from a college
football behemoth, he’s not your ordinary third-string NFL quarterback.
On
Sunday, he handled an ultra-conservative game plan, a malfunctioning
helmet and a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit with aplomb while
making his first start in three years for a team he joined eight weeks
ago.
And based on what happened when he was finally unshackled,
it will be intriguing to see what happens if the 49ers ask him to handle
even more.
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