Niners offensive coordinator Mike Johnson will have to spend more time putting together a game plan this week here in England.
Several extra hours are required when the new starting quarterback is about as mysterious as Yorkshire Pudding.
Most San Francisco fans will be getting their extensive look at Troy Smith when the former Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State plays against the Broncos on Sunday. And they won’t be alone — Johnson conceded today that he’s been watching old game tape of Smith to figure out exactly what his new starter is capable of doing.
Beyond preseason footage, tape of the four-year NFL backup isn’t too
extensive. Smith hasn’t started a game since Dec. 30, 2007, has thrown
13 regular-season passes since 2008 and has been with the 49ers for 52
days.
Mike Johnson, meet Troy Smith.
“I’m still trying to figure out some of the things that he does well,”
Johnson said. “Watching him practice and now that I have a chance to see
what he can do (I can) put a game plan together … I get three days to
kind of see what he does well.”
In his seven-plus weeks with the 49ers, Smith has spent most of his practice
time running the scout-team offense while Johnson has been huddling with
Alex Smith.
Johnson did get a look at Troy Smith three years ago when he was a
receivers coach with the Ravens. Smith, then a rookie, started
Baltimore’s final two games of the season — completing 32 of 60 passes
for 370 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
At that time, Johnson said Smith needed to polish his footwork, his drops and his reading of defenses.
He’s noted Smith’s improvement in those areas since he arrived in Santa
Clara. And he thought Smith was at his best when taking first-team snaps
for the first time Wednesday.
“I thought he was different yesterday than he was in what I had seen in
practice,” Johnson said. “I think he kind of turned it up a little
yesterday knowing that he’s going to be the starter this week.”
Johnson said he wouldn’t “hide” Smith — meaning, presumably, that Frank
Gore won’t get 42 carries Sunday – but acknowledged the playbook will
have to be pared back.
“He’s a going in there and doing everything he needs to do,” left tackle
Joe Staley said. “We’re just trying to make it as simple as possible
for him.”
• Despite the recent shuffling at quarterback, Nate Davis hasn’t budged.
The second-year quarterback remains on the practice squad — not
promoted to serve as an emergency signal-caller Sunday.
Singletary publicly criticized Davis’ less-than-stellar work habits
during the preseason when Davis was creating a buzz due to his arm
strength. Johnson said Davis has since developed as a student of the
game, but he’s not yet ready for NFL action.
“He’s on the practice roster so he’s not getting a lot of reps, so you
won’t see the improvement that you probably would need to see for him to
be in this discussion,” Johnson said. “… But he’s definitely better
focused and he’s working hard.”
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