Trailing 21-0 at the half, Smith led San Francisco on a furious rally. Although the Texans were able to hold on for a 24-21 victory, the Niners now have a full-blown quarterback controversy after Smith played so well.

In the second half, Smith was 15-for-22 for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 16 rushing yards, while all three of his touchdown passes went to tight end Vernon Davis.

Next week, the 49ers go to Indianapolis to face the undefeated Colts. Facing Peyton Manning, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, it’ll be interesting to see who Singletary decides to counter with. Will he give Hill another shot or will he go with Smith?

Stay tuned for the answer to the Niners quarterback controversy.

Shaun Hill out as QB of the San Francisco 49ers? (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Alex Smith Replaces Shaun Hill

This has to be a disappointing setback for Gore, who started the season playing very well. After scoring two touchdowns in Week 1, Gore had 207 yards rushing, 39 yards receiving in Week 2. However, Gore only lasted one carry in Week 3 before injury his right ankle.

Gore will have to miss the next two games and then should be able to return after the Week 6 bye. While his sidelined, the 49ers will turn to Glen Coffee as the team’s starting running back. Coffee is a 6-foot-0, 209 rookie out of Alabama.

Overall, the Niners have to be happy with their early season play. They are a Brett Favre miracle away from being undefeated. As it stands, this weekend against the St. Louis Rams, San Francisco has a good chance to improve their record to 3-1.

Frank Gore (Image: Flickr)

Post from: EveryJoe

Frank Gore Injury Update – Ankle Strain

Willis said that he sat out for precautionary reasons.

Said Willis: “If it was up to me, I would try to go the next day I hurt it. But I didn’t want to let my pride and ego hurt the team.”

In his return to practice, Willis only took part in individual drills. The Niners are taking it slowly because they can’t afford to lose arguably the best player on their team.

The 24-year-old has been very good in his two seasons in the NFL. As a rookie, he totaled 174 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles. Last year, he had 141 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble as offenses paid more attention to him.

If the Niners are going to have any sort of success this season, they will need Willis to be more dominant than ever.

Patrick Willis - San Francisco 49ers (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Patrick Willis Returns to Practice

Alex Smith - Is He Ready? (Image: Zuma Press)

Head coach Mike Singletary says that Hill getting the starting nod isn’t an indication of who is ahead. The Niners begin preseason against the Denver Broncos on Friday.

Over the last few years, Hill has plaed decently well when called upon. Last season, he started nine games and completed 62.8% of his passes for 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In his career, the 29-year-old has 18 touchdowns to go with only nine interceptions.

Smith, the former number one overall pick, has had it rough in his NFL career. He missed all of last season due to injury. Even when he’s been healthy, he’s mostly been horrible. In his career, he has 19 touchdowns to go with 31 intercetptions and a quarterback rating of less than 64.

That said, Smith has reportedly looked strong during the offseason and at 25 he might be able to finally live up to his promise. Keep an eye on this situation to see which of the two comes out on top.

Post from: EveryJoe

Niners’ QB – Shaun Hill or Alex Smith?

The loss of Jones especially hurts San Francisco due to the holdout by rookie wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Now their already thin wide receiving corps is even thinner.

Last year with the Titans, Jones had his best season. He finished with 41 receptions and 449 yards. The 26-year-old played his college football at Oklahoma.

The injury to Jones could open the door for someone like Arnaz Battle or Dominique Zeigler to get more snaps in training camp and have a better chance of making the opening day roster. If Crabtree isn’t signed soon, the Niners may go out on the free agent market to sign a veteran receiver such as Marvin Harrison or Matt Jones.

Brandon Jones - Tennessee Titans (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Brandon Jones Fractures Right Shoulder

Obviously the Niners could really use Crabtree’s help this forthcoming season. Their offense is weak and without Crabtree’s playmaking, they appear to be destined for a difficult season.

At Texas Tech, Crabtree was one of the most explosive players in the nation. In his last season, he had 19 touchdowns and 1,165 receiving yards and 97 receptions. His play ended up being good enough for the Niners to draft him tenth overall.

What may be making these negotiations more difficult is the fact that Crabtree was expected by many to go higher in the draft. If his reps want him paid as a top five pick, this could become an ugly situation.

Stay tuned.

Michael Crabtree - San Francisco 49ers (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Michael Crabtree to Skip 2009 NFL Season?

Now, the 49ers kind of wish they would have passed on Crabtree as well. The rookie, who hasn’t even played in an NFL game yet, is demanding a larger contract since he should have went higher in the draft. In fact, the Crabtree camp says that this college star is prepared to sit out 2009 and enter the 2010 draft, rather than sign the current offered contract.

The Raiders have offered Heyward-Bey a $23.5 million contract. Crabtree wants more. This is an innovative idea – to challenge the rookie salary tradition based on what he deems as a mistake another team made by picking another draftee.

Whether or not Crabtree is better than Heyward-Bey, or at least, was better in college, is a moot point. The fact of the matter is that the Raiders thought he was better for their team. And the 49ers shouldn’t be forced to pay for that decision. Crabtree is already getting tens of millions of dollars, and there’s no guarantee that he’ll succeed in the professional world. Many college players go bust in the NFL.

In my opinion, rookies shouldn’t get the salaries they do. The entire salary system benefits rookies, leaving less money to reward the players who have put in years of hard work and have proven their talent and skill. I guess this is an argument for another day.

You know what, though? I hope they let Crabtree sit out. If he’s really worth more money, they’ll give him more money after they see him play. He’s being a whiny jerk right now, and he needs to be knocked down a few notches. So yeah, I hope they deny him the extra money, that he enters the 2010 draft, and that he doesn’t go until much later than the top ten.

Image via WikiCommons.

Post from: EveryJoe

Michael Crabtree Makes Demands

Dre Bly, San Francisco 49ers (Image: Newscom)

Bly became a fit in San Francisco after Walt Harris tore his right ACL earlier in the week. Suddenly short at cornerback, Bly has a chance to step in and start right away for the Niners.

The 5-foot-10, 188-pound Bly played his college football at North Carolina. He played in first four seasons for the St. Louis Rams before moving on to the Detroit Lions for four years. His last two seasons were with the Broncos.

In his career, the speedy cornerback has never missed more than four games in a season due to injury. He has 40 interceptions and five touchdowns in 151 career games. Bly also has experience as a punt returner and returning kicks.

Specifics of Bly’s contract weren’t immediately available, however the deal is reportedly one-year in length.

Post from: EveryJoe

Dre Bly Signs with San Francisco

What are the top destinations for Michael Vick? Here is our top five:

1) San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers need a quarterback and head coach Mike Singletary should be able to handle the Vick distractions.

2) Seattle Seahawks
Matt Hasselbeck isn’t getting any younger and Vick could take his time in getting ready to return to the field.

3) St. Louis Rams
The Rams seem to be going nowhere. Marc Bulger is seemingly always hurt and Vick would be able to add some excitement in St. Louis.

4) Dallas Cowboys
If there’s a big name available, the Cowboys have to be in the conversation. Vick could be a suitable insurance policy in case Tony Romo gets hurt or folds under pressure.

5) New England Patriots
Bill Belichick loves multi-purpose players. If Vick wants to return as a utility-type role, he could find room on the Patriots as a running back, wide receiver, returner and possible some snaps at QB.

Michael Vick Destinations (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Possible NFL Destinations for Michael Vick

Apparently “throwback” means lip hair to the San Francisco 49ers. In their upcoming game against the Redskins this weekend, they will not only wear the old 49er uniforms, but they will also grow mustaches for the game.

A little Ron Burgundy action perhaps?

Personally I love the idea of growing mustaches for a throwback uniform day. If you can’t get into the playoffs the least you can do is get publicity for your team by growing facial hair.

Post from: EveryJoe

49ers Will All Grow Mustaches for This Sunday’s Game