Johnson to Carr: Hold up, dude

Seemingly moments away from taking his first regular-season snap since January on Sunday night, David Carr heard Mike Johnson’s voice in his headset. As Carr stepped onto the field, the Niners offensive coordinator told him, “Hold up, dude.” With that, Alex Smith came back on the field and Carr retreated back to the bench.

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Alex Smith: I know that I play too cautious

On Sunday night, Alex Smith told Mike Singletary he wanted to stay in the game. Today, Smith, perhaps chastened by his near-benching and postgame meeting with his coach, bared his signal-caller soul to a media throng around his locker. Asked what changes he needs to make, Smith, the quarterback of an 0-5 team who has thrown an NFL-high nine interceptions, confessed to something many have suspected, but had never heard…

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Fans want Carr, Niners want Smith

The fans made their opinion heard, loud and clear, here tonight. They want Carr! Many of the Niners, though, remain solidly behind Alex Smith. Vernon Davis said he went to counsel Smith after Mike Singletary lit into the 49ers quarterback in the fourth quarter. Davis said Smith initially didn’t handle the tongue lashing very well and Davis wanted to make sure he stayed in the game. “I pretty much told…

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Niners-Eagles pregame notes

After attending the UCLA-Cal game Saturday, I’ve arrived at Candlestick. Two days. Two games. And two brittle and decaying stadiums — at least Memorial Stadium is due for a high-end facelift. I’ll post some pregame notes here, which I’ll be updating leading up until kickoff. I won’t have a live blog tonight due to newspaper deadlines.

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Westbrook: ‘It’s definitely frustrating’

Maybe he’s just reached his breaking point after four weeks of molding on the bench. And perhaps he’s just desperate for a chance to play against his former team. Whatever the reason, backup running back Brian Westbrook, a week after saying he wasn’t frustrated with his minimal playing time, conceded today that it’s been tough to play just four snaps in the season’s first four games.

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Safe bet: As Alex goes, so will go the Niners

“I think the quarterback is very important. Do I think he’s the most important? No, I don’t. I think the rules of the NFL, I think there’s certain things that have made the quarterback the most important thing, but once again the thing that I feel is this: If the only way that you could win football games is that you have to have a good quarterback or a great…

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Westbrook could emerge from hiding vs. Eagles

Several members of the media were hoping to speak with running back Brian Westbrook today, but he didn’t appear. He was in the exercise room and training room for about 40 minutes while us media hacks loitered in the locker room. Of course, there is an obvious punchline here — something about it being possible that Westbrook, based on the season’s first four games, was, again, really in his undisclosed…

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Mays has answered many of Niners’ questions

Last week, Michael Lewis was a 49er. This week, the veteran strong safety is an afterthought, compliments of rookie Taylor Mays. Mays, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound second-round pick, scored a touchdown on a recovered blocked punt in the end zone and had a team-high 11 tackles in his first career start Sunday. On Monday, the Niners granted Lewis his release.

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Great start, poor finish and weird press conference

You want the good news first? Sure. Let’s start this blog the way the game started for the Niners offense. The 49ers hadn’t scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game in 19 straight contests dating back to a 27-24 win over the Redskins on Dec. 28, 2008. But that streak ended with a 10-play, 88-yard march in which Mike Johnson showed some nice play-calling chops, dialing up…

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Smoke signals: Latest drama adds fuel to fire

As I’m sure you’re aware, Michael Lewis isn’t happy. (Click here and here). This is the NFL’s natural order of things – the old and slowing give way to the young and up-and coming. But Lewis is apparently in no mood to assume the role of Yoda to Taylor Mays and Reggie Smith. The biggest news to come out of today’s developments isn’t what Lewis’ likely departure could mean to…

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Lewis misses practice, status uncertain for Sunday

Another day, another bit of drama for the 49ers. Safety Michael Lewis was not at practice this morning due to what Mike Singletary termed “personal reasons.” Lewis’ absence comes four days after the NFL Network reported that Lewis and linebacker Takeo Spikes would be benched for Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Singletary, who said Wednesday there would be no changes to the starting lineup, said he wasn’t sure if Lewis…

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Smith + Crabtree = 6.6

Who would have thought Michael Crabtree’s strained neck would cause Alex Smith so much pain? After Crabtree missed most of training camp with his injury, his connection with his quarterback has been crippled in the season’s first three games. In fact, the numbers are stunning. On Smith’s 19 passes targeted at Crabtree, he has six completions for 81 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions. Quarterback rating: 6.6.

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Johnson aims to improve unsightly numbers

There are so many ways to say the Niners offense has been ugly this season. There’s this: Andy Lee’s punt total (17) tops their first-half scoring total (16). Or this: Alex Smith’s interception total (5) tops their touchdown total (4). Or, you might prefer: Opposing defenses have scored as many third-quarter points (7) against the Niners as the Niners offense has scored against them.

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Bell cow might get a break under Johnson

Mike Singletary said today he never considered firing Jimmy Raye until after Sunday’s game. It’s probably safe to say some of his players might have harbored such thoughts long before their head coach. In fact, after listening to some of the Niners today, it’s not absurd to wonder if a mutiny might have occurred if Raye had remained on staff much longer.

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Hints of optimism surround Johnson’s promotion

Don’t get me wrong, none of the 49ers were publicly celebrating the firing of offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye today. But it didn’t take a super sleuth to read between the lines and sense some optimism with a new man in charge. Mike Johnson, 43, the former quarterbacks coach who will assume Raye’s duties, is a 10-year NFL assistant, serving as a wide receivers or QB coach with the Chargers, Falcons,…

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