San Francisco finally played a complete game, where both the offense and the defense were in sync for 60 minutes. The 49ers beat Denver 24-16.
Smith had a solid if not spectacular game at QB. Uh, that would be TROY Smith. And, yes, we officially have a quarterback controversy.
Where Troy Smith really distinguished himself over Alex Smith was in the area of dealing with defensive pressure. Troy Smith successfully bought time with his feet and kept plays alive. This was particularly true on his spectacular scramble-and-pass to Delaney Walker in the 3rd quarter that essentially changed the momentum of the game. Alex Smith has amazing physical tools. But Alex Smith doesn't make that play, because Alex Smith panics.
At 2-6, why WOULDN'T the Niners give Troy Smith a chance as the starter to see if he is the guy who can get it done?
I never understood why Troy Smith was so disrespected as an NFL QB prospect. Oh, wait, yes I DO understand it -- it's that league-wide prejudice. "Because he's black?" Hell no! It's because he's SHORT. If a QB is under 6'1" (Smith is listed as 6'0", but, trust me, he's standing on tip-toe to register that), he's summarily dismissed by the NFL "brains".
Short QBs get no respect. As a short person, I personally resent that a great deal.
Marc Wilson was 6'6". He couldn't have sucked more. Dan McGwire was 6'8". He couldn't have sucked more. Derick Anderson is 6'6". You get the idea.
Joe Theissman was listed at 6'0" (meaning he was maybe 5'10"), and he was the starting QB in 2 Super Bowls.
Other QB's listed at 6'0" (meaning they're maybe 5'10"): Drew Brees, Jeff Garcia, Mike Vick, Fran Tarkenton, Sonny Jorgenson.
Joe Montana was listed at 6'2". Someone who knew him at Notre Dame told me that he wasn't anywhere near that tall. Steve Young was listed at 6'1", and there were insinuations that he was definitely shy of that height.
C'mon, Niners! Give a Shorty a chance!
The first half of the season is, mercifully, over. Here's hoping for something to build on in the second half.
