FSH: ON THE COVER

October 26th, 2009 11:00pm PST

This Week on the Cover….

A Second Chance

Another Shot for Smith….

The Niners did not find a way to overcome the 21 point deficit they were facing to start the second half on Sunday, but they did find their new starting quarterback. As the second half opened and the team trailed by a 21-0 score, head coach Mike Singletary decided a change was in order.

Trailing huge to start the second half against the Texans, 5th year quarterback Alex Smith would get the call. This was to be in all likelihood his last shot at starting at quarterback, at least for this team.

Smith was the overall number one draft pick in the 2005 draft and since his arrival to San Francisco his tenure has been less than impressive. Smith did have his shot starting the final five games of the 2005 season, before taking over the top spot to open 2006. His up and down sporadic play landed him on the bench in 2007 and unable to win the job in 2008, Smith spent all of last season watching from the sidelines.

This looked to be a new start for a lot of players in San Francisco, but for Smith another year on the bench would only reaffirm his total bust at the next level. Well all of that changed this past Sunday as Smith seized the opportunity and earned himself a chance to start again.

The Niners made a big push in the second half scoring three times on Smith passes to tight end Vernon Davis, but the comeback fell just short. Smith however looked very sharp and poised in the pocket and already seems to have good chemistry with the team’s future; Davis, Morgan, and Crabtree.

Smith does not look quite primed to start on any fantasy rosters, but his play on Sunday seems to give the Niner’s passing game an immediate upgrade. Davis is playing like a solid TE2 and could be valued higher if Smith remains consistent. It’s too early to make any bold predictions about Morgan and Crabtree, but with Smith both are looking much more promising.

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