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Victory over the Lions offers no answers to the Alex Smith question
By Morris Phillips December 27, 2009 |
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The questions are obvious, questions that every 49er fan familiar with the team’s history and the career progressions of Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Joe Montana and Steve Young, feels obligated to ponder: How effective can Alex Smith ultimately be, and should the 49ers hand him the football in 2010 and beyond? One thing’s for sure, if you were sitting in the stands, watching the game, having a couple of beers at Candlestick on Sunday or peering intensely from the perch in General Manager Scott McCloughan’s suite, you’re probably not any closer to reaching a conclusion based on the 49ers lackluster 20-6 win over the hapless Lions. Looking for a hint as to what direction the 49ers might choose? If so, you didn’t get much help from Coach Mike Singletary’s post-game assessment. “I thought he was pretty consistent—nothing great, but consistent,” Singletary said in his customary blunt blandness. Smith’s numbers on Sunday offer even more inconclusiveness. Smith finished 20 for 31 for 230 yards and one poorly executed touchdown pass. After the touchdown, Smith was compelled to ask for some love and understanding from Singletary, who like everyone else, was surprised at Smith’s decision to throw a pass when the end zone was accessible enough for the fifth-year quarterback to just run it in. “Coach, be nice, be nice,” Smith pleaded upon reaching Singletary. “Alex came to the sideline, and I was scratching my head and he knew what I was going to say,” Singletary confided. Eight times the 49ers started drives on Sunday near midfield, six times the bumbling Lions coughed up the football, and Frank Gore did his thing, racking up 152 yards in rushing and receiving, becoming the first 49er to rush for 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons. However you slice it or stack it, that doesn’t add up to just 20 points. Montana would have put up 35 points through three quarters and sat out the fourth, Young would have done just about the same, without having to risk running the ball and possibly getting hurt, and Jeff Garcia would have lit up the scoreboard too. But before you conclude that Smith won’t cut it, remember this. A core of solid playmakers is developing around Smith because he’s proven that he can get them the ball. Josh Morgan has a career-high 50 catches on the season, Michael Crabtree has shown that he can be a No. 1 receiver, possibly as soon as next year, and Vernon Davis is going to the Pro Bowl with 12 touchdown catches. And the 49ers are probably going to make a strong run at Delanie Walker, making sure that he doesn’t bolt to someplace where he wouldn’t be in Davis’ shadow. So far this year, Smith has made nine starts with four wins and five losses. The wins against the Lions, Jaguars, Cardinals and Bears don’t outweigh opportunities missed against the Colts, Titans, Eagles and Texans, a game that Smith didn’t start but had a chance to win with a career-defining comeback. Again, the ten appearances thus far this year for Smith leave you unable to conclude. And when you throw in the loss to the Seahawks, a game in which Smith excelled, but the team as a whole was awful, leading to a devastating loss, you get even further from answering the questions. You do know this: the 49ers, with five Super Bowl victories, are trying to win championships. Young, Montana and even Garcia progressed a far faster rate than Smith, who hasn’t enjoyed the number of advantages that those three had with dominant players around them. With Young and Montana, the 49ers won championships. With Smith, the 49ers may or may not be able to win a playoff game. Then there’s the issue of the two first round draft picks the 49ers have this spring that could allow them to fill holes on the offensive line as well as the defensive line, or maybe even add a potentially-dominant safety like USC’s Taylor Mayes. Those players, even upgrades on defense, would make Smith more effective. If that’s not the direction, do the 49ers start over with a Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford? It’s a lot to ponder. And you can bet the season-finale at St. Louis won’t offer any more significant clues, so get ready for an interesting off-season, without receiving any more hints as to what might transpire. Good luck figuring this one out. |
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