Alex Smith understands more of the 49ers playbook than Troy Smith.
But he had a more difficult time grasping why coach Mike Singletary told him Monday that he — and not Troy Smith — would be the starting quarterback Sunday against Seattle.
“It was definitely my first question, ‘What’s changed?'” Smith said. “That was definitely something that was on my mind.”
Singletary told Smith that he was making the move because he thought
Smith gave the Niners the “best chance to win.” But in response to Smith’s
question — what’s changed? — Singletary told the media that something
has indeed changed: Defenses have caught up with Troy Smith, who has
completed 48 percent of his passes and compiled a 55.7 passer rating in
leading the Niners to one win in his past three starts.
“Troy playing those five games that he’s been able to play there are
more teams that understand that ‘This is really what he does,'”
Singletary said. “So you kind of pigeon-hole him there, and kind of hold
our offense hostage, which is a situation that you really don’t want to
be in. Troy, it’s not fair to him, it’s not fair to our offense. I just
feel that right now, Alex, he knows it, he can do it, he’s done it, and
I want to give him the opportunity to do it right now.”
Alex Smith knows the playbook, that is. And Singletary said his grasp of
the offense gives the Niners more options. He said Frank Gore’s injury
played only a “very small part” in the decision to change quarterbacks.
“At this time of the year, with the games that we have left, it’s a
matter of being able to use the entire playbook,” Singletary said. “You
know, Troy has been working his tail off, and spends all the time that
he possibly could to get everything in, but it’s just not enough time in
the day. And I think right now we need everything that we can possibly
have, everything that we’ve learned in the off-season, training camp, we
need that. So, Alex Smith will give us the opportunity to do that.”
Of course, Alex Smith is also 1-6 as a starter this season and 17-30 in his career in San Francisco.
This season, he committed 10 turnovers in the first five games, many of
those game-deciding mistakes as the Niners began 0-5. In his final six
quarters — leading up to his injury against Carolina — he didn’t
commit a turnover, but his mistake-free play came with a price: He
completed 48 percent of his passes.
This is obviously Smith’s final chance to prove he can be a successful quarterback in San Francisco.
Is he a good quarterback, he was asked. He responded by saying he has
the necessary qualities, but acknowledged he’s lacked consistency.
“I believe I have the ability to make all the throws on the field; (I’m)
athletic enough that I can make plays with my feet when I have to,” he
said. “I can handle any playbook out there, adjustments you have to
make, calls, different things, protections, adjustments; I think I can.
Have I done that consistently? I’ll be honest with you, no. You know,
and I think that’s what I need to do.”
