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49ers, Smith rally in Houston, come up short
By Morris Phillips October 25, 2009 |
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All week you heard about the 49er that just showed up, got a bushel of money, and found his way from the practice field to the starting lineup overnight. You didn’t hear about the guy that’s been around all year, took a pay cut, worked hard, finally got his body healthy, and hasn’t said a peep about his status. You didn’t hear about that guy until the second half of the 49ers 24-21 loss to the Texans when Alex Smith relieved an ineffective Shaun Hill and rallied the 49ers with three touchdown passes—all to Vernon Davis. “I was like ’11?’ It’s been so long since he’s had any game time we didn’t even scout him last week,” said Texans linebacker Zach Diles. And what you saw was an accurate, energizing Smith that rescued an offense from the doldrums. In the first half, with Hill struggling and Frank Gore, appearing for the first time in a month and unable to find running room, the offense was awful. The 49ers managed just 50 yards and three first downs in the first half, while falling behind 21-0. And Hill wasn’t really the culprit. The offensive line continues to struggle at both guards spots, and then at right tackle, where Tony Pashos got hurt and couldn’t finish the game. Consequently, the run game got stuffed, and when Hill looked to throw, he was distracted by pass rushers. “I felt our offense was kind of in a rut,” coach Mike Singletary said. “We’ve got playmakers on the field, and if we can get the ball to them, we’ve got a chance to do some good things. So I felt that we needed a change, we needed a spark. And I just felt that if Alex had that opportunity to come in and let’s see what he can do in an adverse situation.” From three first downs to three touchdowns, the difference in the 49ers offense was dramatic. But it was the quality of Smith’s play that everyone talking. From his timing, arm strength and accuracy to his ability to run, Smith looked much improved nearly two years after his last official snap. On the second play of the half, Smith hooked up with Michael Crabtree, the guy everyone was originally talking about, for a 17-yard pass play down the middle. Four plays later, Davis streaked to the post and Hill delivered for a 29-yard touchdown pass. On the 49ers drive spanning the third and fourth quarters, Smith had a critical 11-yard run for a first down, then completed six of seven passes, the last a 14-yard hookup with Davis that brought the 49ers to within 21-14. Once again, Smith provided accurate throws ahead of the rush, giving the 49ers the vertical presence they desperately need. “They just kind of shoved the ball right up on us, and we couldn’t … it seemed we couldn’t make a play to get off the field,” said Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans. In trying to contain the Texans and quarterback Matt Schaub, who came in with an NFL-best 14 touchdown passes, the 49ers opted to double his main threat, Andre Johnson, which worked for three plus quarters. But on the first play after the 49ers pulled within a touchdown, Johnson got free for 44-yard gain into 49ers territory. From there, the Texans moved close enough to get a critical 50-yard field goal to go up ten points, 24-14. But Smith and the 49ers answered again. This time Smith completed five of seven, the last a 23-yard touchdown to Davis. The 49ers closed to within three points, 24-21, with just under four minutes remaining. But when the 49ers regained possession, they did so at their own six-yard line with 98 seconds remaining and only one timeout. A big gainer to Isaac Bruce got the 49ers near midfield, but that was there last gasp. Four plays later, Smith was picked off by Houston’s Eugene Wilson as he tried to complete a pass that would have put the 49ers in field goal range. Now the 49ers must ready for the undefeated Colts next week as injuries continue to mount. Along with Pashos, who suffered a shoulder contusion, Aubrayo Franklin, Takeo Spikes, Justin Smith and Marques Daniels suffered injuries during the game and all five are questionable for Sunday’s game at Indianapolis. Crabtree finished with five catches for 56 yards in his pro debut, and he played all but four snaps. The rookie looked good catching and running, although he blew a blocking assignment on the first offensive snap that allowed Houston’s Mario Williams to sack Hill. “Going into the game our thought process was 20 or 30 plays. But at the same time if he could handle it, let’s let him go,” Singletary said. |
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