http://www.yardbarker.com/rss/player/3470 Recent articles about Alex Smith en-us If history has taught us anything, it's that when Singletary said he is considering making a change, it usually means the change is made. Bly has been a starter throughout his career. He's been the team's third defensive back the entire season. Brown is coming off a shaky performance against the Packers and he's nursing a knee contusion. Bly said he's ready to start, and Brown said he'll do whatever's best for the team. If Bly starts, he'll see a... Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:24:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Singletary_considers_Bly_over_Brown_for_cornerback_spot/1631790 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Singletary_considers_Bly_over_Brown_for_cornerback_spot/1631790 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Singletary_considers_Bly_over_Brown_for_cornerback_spot/1631790 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/8/8/889696508c27c278226b5ffe7947e3bc696b5689/small/GettyImageProxy.ashx_requestUrl_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f81967621.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d17A4AD9FDB9CF193B7AACB11502DBF33AC6C53F91CA717B0.jpg Jimmy Raye and the offensive line have probably been the two biggest punching bags to date for the 49ers offensive woes.  The quarterback position gets plenty of criticism, but I think Raye and the o-line have surpassed that.  Even Coach Singletary, in his press conference yesterday, praised Alex Smith's performance to date, indicating that he felt Smith was turning into a complete quarterback. Fooch's Note: Viliphied has a fantastic FanPost looking at the team's ... Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Jimmy_Raye_Approval_Rating_Week_11/1630930 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Jimmy_Raye_Approval_Rating_Week_11/1630930 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Jimmy_Raye_Approval_Rating_Week_11/1630930 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/a/3/a3ef089fdc0db3a9e0a11d5f0ca2ac35aeb9c9e7/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f93020964.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0B34BFC9D4513194DCE72F9D70AD2331A3072E5E4EF7524B9.jpg I'm sitting here in Seattle at Sea-Tac International Airport waiting for my shuttle bus and I thought I'd roll out a random post for you.  Well first, normally I'm a fan of San Francisco International Airport.  It's nice looking, easy to get to on BART, and all around an ok experience.  My problem with them is their lack of Internet, or more specifically, FREE Internet.  I don't travel a ton, but SFO is on a short list of airports without free wifi.&n... Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:33:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Random_49ers_Roster_Facts_and_Figures/1627567 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Random_49ers_Roster_Facts_and_Figures/1627567 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Random_49ers_Roster_Facts_and_Figures/1627567 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/6/a/6aed6de79b810fcb7b95da210ed30b7693eaf19b/small/Cincinnati_Bengals_v_3066.jpg AUTHOR'S NOTE: I totally forgot to mention when I laid out the new schedule last week that I'll be posting a matchup review article every Tuesday. So, basically, my posting schedule will have you getting sick of me in no time. Just wanted to warn you. Welcome to the first installment of my weekly matchup review articles in 2009. As I said last week, the format of these posts should be familiar to you if you were around last season. If not, the basic idea of this post is to look b... Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Week_11_Statistical_Matchup_Review_49ers_Packers/1626258 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Week_11_Statistical_Matchup_Review_49ers_Packers/1626258 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Week_11_Statistical_Matchup_Review_49ers_Packers/1626258 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/3/b/3b8312dcec6dc605ada29ea5c0951a6fe254b331/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f93031528.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D073D314F3CB55BC304FA1F72349366A31958C3025687E8C84.jpg But Singletary made a big enough impact in his nine games as coach, the 49ers felt they had no other choice - for the job he did and the job they thought he would do in the future - to sign him to a four-year contract. Oh, sure, the defense has some issues, too. But the biggest question marks with the 49ers remain on offense. Today, I wrote about how critical the final six games are for quarterback Alex Smith and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye. It should be noted that Singletary ... Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:05:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/49ers_need_continuity_on_offense/1624017 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/49ers_need_continuity_on_offense/1624017 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/49ers_need_continuity_on_offense/1624017 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/8/9/892c5c5cc7ae5fb9128f2ffae0e90f4229d69085/small/PicImg_St_Louis_Rams_2b49.jpg Folks were wondering when we'd get another great pearl from Mike Singletary and today we got one.  Coach Singletary was talking about the need for a team to think like a champion and be able to overcome adversity.  He indicated he didn't feel the team had enough guys who were there yet in that mentality.  That was followed by this: Normal 0 0 1 132 753 6 1 924 11.1280 0 0 0 On why the team didn't think like that after starting 3-1:... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:53:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Mike_Singletary_lunch_money_transcript/1620488 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Mike_Singletary_lunch_money_transcript/1620488 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Mike_Singletary_lunch_money_transcript/1620488 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/b/6/b60d43aba7f9976d24ddd312f592076dac2e2550/small/GettyImageProxy.ashx_requestUrl_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f89770141.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0431067D6CAFE2D4D02ED07DD14FF4582EAEB7CC02AB00D62.jpg (AP Photo/Jim Prisching) Alex Smith is 1-8 in his last nine starts and his recent inconsistent play have fans grumbling. Even though the offense has looked good at times, the end result isn't what the 49ers want.Head coach Mike Singletary is optimist... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:04:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Singletary_optimistic_on_Smith_aposs_development_as_a_quarterback/1620200 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Singletary_optimistic_on_Smith_aposs_development_as_a_quarterback/1620200 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Singletary_optimistic_on_Smith_aposs_development_as_a_quarterback/1620200 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/3/b/3b8312dcec6dc605ada29ea5c0951a6fe254b331/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f93031528.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D073D314F3CB55BC304FA1F72349366A31958C3025687E8C84.jpg The questions are getting more persistent about going with the spread offense for 49ers coach Mike Singletary. After another productive performance by Alex Smith in the second half Sunday in Green Bay and with two of his players (Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis) admitting the team does function... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:00:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Would_you_like_a_litte_spread/1620177 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Would_you_like_a_litte_spread/1620177 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Would_you_like_a_litte_spread/1620177 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/d/0d117c23f343492746a9394f48892dfc311a0592/small/GettyImageProxy.ashx_requestUrl_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f90348521.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D048E27F817337A239EB225C839BCEAF4544EA23834E5D531C.jpg Is Alex Smith the answer at quarterback? (AP Photo/Jim Prisching) At the beginning of the season, the 49ers were a smashmouth football team. Even Mike Singletary said he wasn't going to be a heavily run-oriented team, he knew that getting the ball in... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:32:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/At_4_6_the_49ers_still_have_no_offensive_identity/1618195 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/At_4_6_the_49ers_still_have_no_offensive_identity/1618195 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/At_4_6_the_49ers_still_have_no_offensive_identity/1618195 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/f/cf595021d43665e75197976f2d3344c1d82bd376/small/Chicago_Bears_v_9e3d.jpg More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP Browse more photos » Ok maybe that's a cheesy headline, but it's actually kind of true.  Whether you're for or against 49ers QB Nate Davis (as opposed to those of us in the middle), the young man has inspired an inordinate amount of debate.  I suppose this isn't surprising given the struggles of 49ers quarterbacks since the departure of Jeff Garcia. Whatev... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:15:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Theres_something_about_Nate_Davis/1617057 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Theres_something_about_Nate_Davis/1617057 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Theres_something_about_Nate_Davis/1617057 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/1/1195324c69a9592f2d0ca5cebaac77c962627ccd/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f93020780.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D0534C85A51652C7D9CE72F9D70AD2331AE0A5A9A94755F43C.jpg And in listening to coach Mike Singletary, it seems as if it can go either way. "I still don't think his play is where we want it to be, but I think he's getting there," Singletary said after the 49ers' loss to the Green Bay Packers. After 4 ½ games, Smith has attempted the same number of passes as Shaun Hill did in 5 ½ games. The main reason, of course, is that the 49ers have generally been behind in the Smith games - and forced to play catch-up. Here is a co... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:25:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/No_1_goal_for_49ers_in_final_six_games/1616590 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/No_1_goal_for_49ers_in_final_six_games/1616590 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/No_1_goal_for_49ers_in_final_six_games/1616590 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/d/7da473c96e8b4114d109a99ce776faa1b3b15f71/small/GettyImage.ashx_url_http_3a_2f_2fcache.gettyimages.com_2fxc_2f92599437.jpg_3fv_3d1_26c_3dEWSAsset_26k_3d2_26d_3d77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D01F96E6BED55CAA688C1F4683A8FB563A71D3E85DA3F9C1C0.jpg More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP Browse more photos » That headline could very easily include a whole lot of cursing.  This game was SO incredibly frustrating.  The 49ers offense was absolutely abysmal for about three-quarters of the game.  Then, when the team had fallen far behind, the offense opened up and suddenly was moving the ball with ease.  This led to another big game from Vernon Davis, M... Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:36:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Packers_30_49ers_24_A_tale_of_two_offenses/1613170 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Packers_30_49ers_24_A_tale_of_two_offenses/1613170 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Packers_30_49ers_24_A_tale_of_two_offenses/1613170 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/5/451b2415567c405eceb074fedf4d1e4db1f83723/small/Tennessee_Titans_v_eab5.jpg I guess this is now Approval Rating Tuesday.  We haven't done the Jimmy Raye Approval Rating since week 4, but now is as good a time as any to bring it back.  The masses called for it, so here you go (I'm thinking we'll roll out Manusky tomorrow).  Back in week 4, Jimmy Raye had a 61% approval rating as the 49ers were showing some serious signs of life.  Much has changed since then, most notably the 49ers have a new starting QB in Alex Smith. Over the la... Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:17:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Jimmy_Raye_Approval_Rating_Week_10/1582145 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Jimmy_Raye_Approval_Rating_Week_10/1582145 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Jimmy_Raye_Approval_Rating_Week_10/1582145 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/4/149752599d39de3932843716bb649ba95ad002d5/small/San_Francisco_49ers_663b.jpg Now I can see why it took Mike Singletary so long to make a decision in training camp about the 49ers starting quarterback. Singletary named long forgotten and former number one draft pick Alex Smith as the starter against the Colts on Sunday. In the back of his mind he probably had Smith as the [...] Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:03:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Alex_Smith_Named_Starter_Against_the_Colts/1444607 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Alex_Smith_Named_Starter_Against_the_Colts/1444607 http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/Alex_Smith_Named_Starter_Against_the_Colts/1444607 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/2/e/2ec68ab0f8c752898ded7bab3e06f35787788ed7/small/Picture_2.png