. . . or does he? Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Every time Alex Smith comes up with a nice satisfying win, the pundits, fans, and anyone with an interest in the team says, there it is. This is what we bargained for when the 49ers made him the #1 pick back in April 2005. Is this the new beginning? Can Alex rise above the myriad obstacles that have been thrown in his direction? Can he finally gain redemption as the starting QB of the 49ers and lead them to the playoffs? Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do you?
Everyone knows the story. The chicken-egg thing with Smith has been going on since he was thrown into the starting job back in 2005. He had Nolan as HC, Mike McCarthy (yes, THAT Mike McCarthy) as his OC, and little talent minus the rook from the U, Frank Gore. Next year it was Norv Turner as the OC, and a big dose of Gore, and incremental inprovement. 2007 was the Hostler/shoulder/Smith-run-over-by-his-head-coach deal. 2008 was a season on the IR, Nolan tossed midseason, and Martz as the OC. 2009, Martz was out for the peripatetic Jimmy-Hat Raye. He of his head coach’s like-minded 1975 offense. Smith started the season as Shaun Hill’s backup. After replacing Hill in week 6, Smith showed signs of life and nearly pulled off some nice comebacks. 2010 was the heralded continuity theme under Jimmy-Hat. Unfortunately, the team started 0-5, Jimmy-Hat got fired, and Mike Johnson was supposed to come in and start implementing a more aggressive offense. No such luck. Smith got hurt, lost his job to Troy Smith, and the QB merry-go-round was on. The high point being the big win over Seattle last December, and the season-ending win with Tomsula as the head coach.
So, the question is, what can Smith do with an offensive minded head coach? Or even what can he do with any kind of coaching at all? Harbaugh has said on more than one occasion that he has had to deconstruct Smith and get him to work on his footwork and his mechanics. If early indications are to be believed, the prognosis is good.
Smith is now the 8th ranked QB in the league with a 97.7 rating. He’s only got 4 TD passes, but more importantly, he only has one pick. Yes, it’s early, but even from game one this offense is growing. There are more 3-4 WR sets. Runs from these sets as well. The early play-calling concerns I had were dispelled in the 2nd half yesterday. My hope is they continue with this style of offense, as it finally opened up the run game in the finest Bill Walsh tradition. Once they started hitting their passes, the run game magically opened up. Plus, it’s time for Smith to put 2 great games together. This Tampa Bay game (normally the Pigs Of Bay (C) ) becomes the all-important reality-check game. Can they continue with their success on the road in their friendly confines? We will see.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Huh. Alex Smith is 2 spots above Tony Romo . . .
This transcript is from KNBR and a chat that Gary Radnich had with Philly reporter Howard Eskin:
Eskin, 60, provided that he doesn’t back out, has a nice little bike ride ahead of him. Call it the Tour de Dream Team. Here’s the transcript of the guarantee:
Eskin: “I will tell you right now, there is no chance the 49ers win. Zero. This is a stone cold mortal lock.”
San Francisco Radio Guys: “What will you do if the Niners beat the Eagles? Would you walk from Philly to San Francisco? We gotta come up with something for you to do, Howard.”
Eskin: “I’ll take a bike. I’ll take a bike from Philadelphia to San Francisco.”
San Francisco Radio Guys: “If the Niners beat the Eagles.”
Eskin: “Yes, if the Niners beat the Eagles.”
San Francisco Radio Guys: “You’re that confident?”
Eskin: “Yes. There’s no way the Eagles go 1-3. None. Absolutely none.”
We haven’t heard anything about Eskin’s plans since the Eagles collapsed, but I don’t think there’s any shame in it if the guy backs out. He’s 60 years old and has a job as a sideline reporter on Eagles broadcasts. He doesn’t need this. Make a donation to charity, send a fruit basket to San Francisco and call it a day. We’ll let it slide.
Updates are forthcoming if Eskin addresses it.”
—————————
Too funny. Up there with someone who still has to eat his hat.
Chuck, as a confirmed Alex basher, I have to say that I couldn’t be happier right now. I would like nothing better than for him to pull a Terry Bradshaw and become a great QB. It’s gonna take a few more games than this for me to turn the corner on him, but I’ll tell you that I thought he played his heart out in the 2nd half. This was obviously a team win and those are the best kind because of unity and attitude, something we have lacked for quite awhile now. Anyway, this win was very good to the team and the long-suffering fan.
Team win? How did that suddenly come to be? All we’ve heard is that it”s *Smith’s* record when they’re losing. Now there’s a great comeback win and it’s not on Smith, the TEAM did it. Alex Smith is 3-1, Winder. Screw this team shit all of a sudden..
Lol, so u think Alex won it on his own? I have never totally blamed Alex for our loses, i usually said he was a major part, and I still belive that.
No, I’ve never believed that the W-L record is only on the QB, it’s the Alex detractors who say he’s 22-32 or whatever.What I’m saying is if the 32 losses are *his* record, damn straight yesterday was his win…
Harbaugh had better watch the film of Of the 3rd and 4th quarter and call those plays early and often. Especially the passing plays
Actually, there has rarely been any positive reaction when Alex has had a good ballgame- in fact, the commmon reaction is that he really didn’t play well- the receivers saved him, it was a weak team, he was lucky, the QB rating was misleading… I have NEVER seen this groundswell of expectation for Smith. Never happened. There’s a ittle bit of it now, as only resolute haters could possibly not acknowledge this great win. But the prevailing sentiment is the same as it’s been since at least 2007- he’s blamed for global warming, the San Bruno disaster, and the next earthquake…
most interesting is that virtually everyone acknowledges the terrible coaching in recent years- it’s been a hindrance to the whole team.. except Smith,who was the coach killer… when the reverse was true- or at least attempted. He’ll go to his grave with the tire tracks on his back.
Wow, You forgot commuter gridlock, he’s responsible for that too isn’t he? Ya know, there’s only a few that really want him crucified, most just want him to leave.
Well, tough shit, then. Maybe he’s your punishment for stepping on ant. Live with it.
.
OOOOH ! i think i might be having a real positive reaction right now because alex smith had a good ballgame !
ummm or is it just me ???!!!
I think it’s a positive reaction to VD and Crabs.
You know I had that once…
Hey, like everyone says, if he reinvents himself, there’s very few people who will bemoan the fact. fans are a fickle lot. I’ve been all over the pace regarding Smith. As much as his career has been a roller coaster.
I’ve never accused Smith of being a coach killer. The past 3 coaches have had more than enough ability to do that on their own.
It was pretty telling though that NoFear suddenly disappeared when Smith came on in the 2nd half . . .
I will say, I’ve ALWAYS been a proponent of giving Smith an offense more suited to what he’s good at. It has barely happened. Even now. It’s really only one half, but the hope is they go forward with what they saw in the 2nd half. The Cincy game saw some roll outs. Got him in space to slow down the rushes and to find WRs. A few 3-4 WR sets. I saw some in the 2nd half, but I’m not sure about the 1st half.
I suddenly disappeared from what? Your blog?
I said Smith had a good half of a game. I don’t manufacture criticism just to bash some players I’ve pronounced good or bad like some talking donkey.
You’ve managed to change your position enough to suit Twinfan and now you’re coming after me you sycophantic piece of shit?
Who the fuck do you self-important assholes think you are to tell everybody what to think and how to be a ‘proper’ fan? Try to learn how to observe, learn about what the fuck it is your commenting about, and try to form your own opinion without regard to who’s going to approve.
The TEAM managed a good comeback on-the-road win against a team nobody gave them a chance to beat. That’s great and should be celebrated. It’s no time for nit-picking analysis.
Smith played his usual coach-killer self in the first half. Even Kevin Lynch, Smith’s biggest fan this side of Twinfan, truthfully stated.
Having a blogful of mealy mouthed invective launched at anybody falling short of blind unqualified worship for the guy is just your style.
Is this the new and improved blog with respect for others’ opinions and no more of twinfan’s personal attacks? I meant spitblood’s. Because it looks a lot like the old one still.
Could be it was the guy at the top all along, shithead.
Well, you did disappear once Smith started playing better. And look how fast you responded to this. Just an observation. I didn’t know you had me on speed dial.
Hyuk!
You guys make this shit SO much fun.
I’d rather get my teeth pulled w/o anesthetic.
Arnold the Pig was the shit. He out-acted that hack Eva Gabor. She was “Love Boat” quality at best.
Nailed it Chuck, Del’s okay!
So is that stoopid mook from Philly gonna ride his bike to SF or what? I’ve make some dumb bets in my life, but none that would force me to exercise.
Smith isn’t a coach killer. At worse it was assisted suicide
Doctor Kevorkian, is it, then?
lol. u guys are too funny.
Post of the day, Ted! Funny . . .
I should start that back up.
It’s a great day to be a 49er fan, player, coach! Great Fucking Day!
Thanks for lightening this shit up, guys.
It IS a great day. 2 game lead, a home game coming up, there’s actual buzz surrounding the team, and shit is looking up. Brief flash, or the start of something greater, yesterday’s game was the best in a long time.
Just as I would never assign a loss to a single player I’d also never *give a win* to a single player. Alex was instrumental in yesterday’s victory and they couldn’t have won it without his great play. But the fact is, if Justin Smith doesn’t knock that ball out, Philly likely would have driven for a game winning td. And Gore’s stud running in that last sequence was critical to them not getting the ball back.
There’s too much that goes on over the course of a football game to assign blame or give credit for the win to a single player.
Hell, that dumb kicker for Philly should get a game ball for his 2 stupid ass misses that allowed us to stay in the game……..
He’d need to split it with Mister Lateral at the Two Yard Line.
Let’s face it, it was not the Eagles’ finest moment.
Akers missed two. Wash.
Yeah, I was pretty clear that I thought that the two Smiths and Gore were the keys to the victory. Actually, all three Smiths had good games, We need more Smiths, I’d say..is the other Alex still in the league? That would be totally cool.
And I don’t believe for a second that *Phil Fan* is that dipshit *Spit*. For staters, the guy exudes positivity and you can’t fake that for as long as he’s been here. He reminds me of “PaulinAsia” from my blog. Spit’s writing is easy to spot, he’ll be back soon under an assumed name and Chuck can ban his ass again…….
The fucking point is the Smith detractors have always assigned the team’s record to Smith. If they’re going to that when it’s negative, they’d better do it now..
*I* know it’s a team game, and Harbaugh pointed out to those fucking idiots that it was a team game when one of the writers assigned the team’s record to Smith..
Naw I’m not Spit, never was. I honestly thought he had come a long ways and I actually enjoyed reading his recent posts here and Del’s too. I do remember as a lurker reading some of the harsh shit and was glad to see that go. He knows a hell of a lot more about football than I ever will and proved it by cleaning my clock in the FF league couple weeks ago! Guess sometimes it’s better to be dumb and mellow though. This IS supposed to be fun right?
Thanks Flavor. That’s the best since Del said I was a ‘Mook’. Naw, kidding…
What did I say to Fear to get his ass so fired up? He was yukking it up with what a tough job I’d have defending Smith, now he’s postal. Settle down, Alex probably won’t be here past 2020. Yes it is a great day, astounding that Smith could actually be getting shit today. He’s 3-1, you know 😉
No Fear has a trigger finger so who knows? But ya gotta respect his football knowledge right? Actually think he was pissed at our esteemed host huh?
I never really gave it much thought but it is odd to compare NFL quarterbacks to, say, MLB pitchers. Even official stats don’t show W-L. They *do* show “team record” of a particular QBs starts which can be telling in itself I suppose but W-L is never assigned to a QB.
No Ted, officially W-L is not assigned to the QB. Only by Smith’s detractors. I think Harbaugh cleared that up.
Today’s stat-guys, and even regular fans in general, understand that W/L record for pitchers is bullshit. Baseball needs to change how they assign wins and losses. It should be the discretion of the official scorer. It’s absurd that a guy can pitch 1/3 of an inning after the SP pitches 7 and 2/3 and somehow get the win. Makes no sense………
At the speed in which change is effected in baseball, it’ll be on the books in 2028.
Well, you look at points given away, Philly left 13, the Niners 6. Whatever that’s worth.
QB wins and losses in football are not a stat, but success is sure ascribed to the QB in football. Overly so? Sure. There are a few QBs that were pedestrian who won it all and came close, but for the most part, you have to be pretty damn good to win even one Supwr Bowl. There are a million variables that can change a given game. Like Flav said, if Philly doesn’t fumble, they likely win by just running out the clock and kicking a FG. Although I think Reid was leery of using Henery in that spot, if it came to be. He likely would have pushed for the TD. So you never know. But the last 5 years have been littered with close games. If Nate Clements doesn’t fumble last year vs Atlanta, do the Niners win and then make the playoffs? Thus saving Mike Singletary’s job? I shudder to think that.
Indy is just getting decimated by injury this year. Almost as bad as the baseball Giants.
Horrible sack by Freeman there. He’s GOT to throw that ball away.
Cost ’em 3.
Well, Singletary might well have saved his job if he’d started the coach killer against St. Louis last year. We’l never know but when has that ever stopped speculation?
Hah! They just showed the 1980 game where the Niners came back from 28 to beat the Aints.
Yeah, yesterday was their biggest comeback in a regular season game since that Saints game. As per Maiocco.
Well, if the ” fans” really could assign the Niner’s record to the QB- Alex would have been 0-33, the team 22-0. 😉
Chuck felt differently, but I thought I noticed the offense spread out more in the 2nd half of that game. THAT is where that dude thrives, it’s not fucking rocket science. Sing had all 11 guys fucking each other in a 20 by 20 foot Caligula formation……….
They were showing 3-4 WR sets in the Cincy game as well. They do it from time to time. I’m just not sure if they did it more. It’s probably true, but I’m just not sure. I want to see what they were doing in the 1st half as well.
I talked to a lot of guys at the Niner/Seattle game last year, and it was about 70-30 he sucks and there’s no hope for him. Even some of the old-timer types were down on the guy. Some talked about his travails as a QB, coaching, injuries and his dogged determination to stay here and make things right somehow. Once he started throwing TDs, though, the boos stopped. He threw 2 incompletions to start the game, and the boos were relentless. Even though the 2nd incompletion was done on purpose on a busted screen play. His 3rd pass went for 40 yards to VD. After that, no more boos.
As Grump has nopted on a few occasions, Brodie was enemy #1 on the Niners for years as he toiled on shitty teams after Tittle left and the million dollar backfield dispersed/retired. They finally got a good team around him, and his fortunes changed.
Still a lot of people wearing Smith jerseys, though. . . . a bit surprising.
Then,after that Seattle game, word in the blogosphere was that he was lucky that the receivers had all those YAC..you know, like the 5 yard passes that Rice and Taylor turned into TDs..
I’ve used Billick’s thoughts on this many times, because he nailed it about Singletary and Smith:
“”Can Mike [Singletary] give himself over to the so-called dark side?” Billick said. “Can he say, ‘I saw a style of play that can suit my quarterback, and we may have the complementary players to make that offense work,’ and then embrace it? Or do they shove him in the I-formation and ask him to play that style? Because I’m not sure Alex Smith can prosper in that system any more than Warner did in New York, where you limit his options and ask him to make the big throw. I don’t know that’s who this guy [Smith] is, and he hasn’t been to date.”
One thing that should be totally clear: Singletary starting Troy Smith against St. Louis last year and losing that game might be the greatest gift to Niner fans since Walsh was hired.
Astute observation! I believe he started Troy on purpose, so he would get fired. Anybody who thinks Troy Smith is a better QB than Alex Smith is not very bright. I’ve got to think Sing knew so. He has less responsibility these days with head coach pay. Word was out he hadn’t talked to management in a month. Things that make one go hmmmm!
Yep that was a great gift starting TS in that Rams game especially the way things turned out for us. Prolly the best thing since Walsh came on board, agree. We certainly can’t blame it on the so-called ‘coach killer’ or say it was assisted suicide, haha. Unless it was an assist from T Smith. I think Berger has it somewhat right that Singletary saw the writing on the wall and gave one more underdog his day. Kind of a death wish, yeah. Seems MS thought being an NFL coach was in part about giving the needy a shot. Like his nephew what’s his name or Jimmah Raye and the other OC what’s his name?
Well shit how did that social outreach philosophy work out? Not so good last year but pretty sweet at the moment. High point of that approach was our guys walking out of the tunnel in Seattle tough guys arm in arm. Period, full stop… and having their pants yanked down (perish the thought) by Pete’s boys. Then he thanks Pete for the ass whipping and screams at his men after the game. End of team, end of season, end of Singletary. Clueless. TS just was the final sad act of the tough guy turns social worker drama of our previous regime.
Hey but look at us now! This is fun again.
I really don’t remember, maybe Chuckles does- how was Joe doing when they were behind 35-7? Pretty good? We know he had a decent second half..
meow . . .
Well, TS came in and immediately got a win on a prayer pass. That was good enough for Singletary. He, like Nolan, got in way over his head and completely lost his shit. No one wins in the NFL by switching QBs every 2 weeks. Especially whan you are nominally in the playoff hunt.
Nolan and Sing follow in a long line of assistants that get a shot at coaching and then quietly go back behind the scenes. The Joe Bugel syndrome.
This game is brutal. No one wants to win. TB just logged 25 yards in penalties after Indy missed a FG. In a play that would warm Sing;s heart, they run up the middle on 1st and 33.
Not very well. I don’t remember why shit wasn’t working, but the ony 1st half score was a punt return by Freddie . . .
Archie Manning was on fire in the 1st half. As hot as he was, Montana responded in the 2nd half, and Manning started getting hit. The Niners finally got pressure on Manning, and got a pick at some point in the 2nd half.
Freeman looks pretty good, but TB must have 20 penalties for 250 yards. Blount looks OK as well. He can be tough late in games.
Most of the rushing yards came in the 2nd half as well. Elliott had one of his biggest games as a Niner IIRC.
Holy shit. they are showin game 7 of the NBA west finals in 1975 on the NBA channel. . The Warriors year. I was at game 5 of the west finals and game 3 of the finals.
The Chicago center was Bullwinkle?
Good night, Chuckie. We’ll see how it goes but I ike the names that give Alex company in the top ten..but I especially like the names below him- Romo, Vick, Rivers, Big Ben…
“If Nate Clements doesn’t fumble last year vs Atlanta, do the Niners win and then make the playoffs? Thus saving Mike Singletary’s job? I shudder to think that.”
I went beyond shuddering and threw up in my mouth a little. And Flavor at 5:35 pm — spot on. It is a freaking team game, and contrary to our vomit inducing previous HC, the qb IS the most important position. I have ragged on AS ad nauseum. And Singletary. And Nolan. York. Rachal. Our Drafts. Blah blah blah. Alex was absolutely instrumental in bringing us back for the victory. But it wasn’t on an island — just as when he, and we, have sucked in the past. Team effort. The real question I have grown so fricking tired of asking is, is he TRULY capable of being “The Man” — even with all the pieces around him? I have always thought, no. I cannot even possibly express how much, if we are on the verge, of myself being proven completely, and utterly, wrong.
May it be the case. Please.
Alex is proving he is capable. Harbaugh is making a great case for putting his faith in Alex.
If they turn into the next coming of Vermeil and Warner and win us a Super Bowl, True Fans like me will be extremely happy. We beat Philly on their turf. Let’s savor the moment.
Can we all stop with the Alex debates and relish a couple of Road Victories in the Eastern Time Zone?
Yes we can
The scary thing is, NJ, in the NFL these days, parity being what it is, the fricking Niners COULD run the table this year. Pittsburgh is all of a sudden old and slow. Indy is 0-4 and on their death-bed. NE isn’t nearly as scary as they used to be. Balt looks tough as hell still. And Deeeetroit is all of a sudden the next greatest thing. GB is still the biggest obstacle. And even they are beatable with their non-existent run game. The Rams are still without anyone for Bradford to throw to, and the hits are starting to wear on him. And there are a lot of teams in the middle of the pack.
At the time the team announced that they were staying in Youngstown for the break between the 2 road games, I thought, this is the smartest thing I’ve heard from the team in a long time.
Barley, any reasonable person knows that one player alone is not responsible for a win or a loss.But Smith’s detractors have never understood that. This sudden rush to call Sunday’s victory a “team” win is fucking hilarious- of COURSE it was, just as the losses during Smith’s tenure have been team losses, not Smith losses. Again, Harbaugh had to point that out to one of the dimmer bulbs in the press corps when the moron said Smith’s record was 19-31.
The point I had made that Flavor was evidently responding to, was that if it’s Smith’s record when the team is losing, it damn well is when they’re winning.
NJ: there isn’t any Alex debate for now. I’ll let Denny lead a debate on why Romo is a choking dog, far more relevant..
Team wins, team losses, sure. I get it. There ARE times that shit happens by the QB that tips the scales. Like, say, throwing 2 pick 6’s in a row. Funny thing for Promo was that still shouldn’t have been enough to lose the game for Dallas. They still had a big lead after those fuckups. He had to fuck up more later to seal the deal. Football is just such a conglomeration of turning points, opportunities, and chances that ANY one play can determin the outcome of a season. Take SB XXIII. The play before the catch by John Taylor, Montana threw a pass right at a Cincy DB (Crowder?), and he dropped it. RIGHT to him. On the goal line. Game over if he holds on. He makes that catch? History is rewritten. Walsh loses and Sam Wyche wins the big game from his mentor. How does the rest of the career paths for all involved change? It’s nuts to think about.
The thing with Smith, being on the losing end of SO many close games, was the fact that any mistake by him gets magnified to the extreme in the loss. I fall prey to this at times. It’s hard not to when the outcome is a loss. You look back and say, shit, that pick 6 for a TD was the killer. Or the Eagles fans saying that Maclin’s fumble was the killer. Or the missed FGs. Or the Ronnie Brown lateral. Or Vick getting tackle 3 yard short of the 1st down. Or 50 other plays that directly affected the outcome. I’m good and goddamn sure that there are people in Philly bemoaning the fact that Vick somehow lost that game for them. Despite his nearly putting up 500 yard of offfense BY HIMSELF.
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