49ers Team Report

INSIDE SLANT

The 49ers have seen their chances of a spot in the NFC playoffs slip away with six losses in eight games, but the club might feel more secure in knowing it has its quarterback for the future.

Alex Smith has experienced a rebirth this season after missing most of the previous two seasons with shoulder injuries. Smith continued to show this promise Sunday with his first career 300-yard passing game in a 20-17 loss to the Seahawks.

Smith might have also led the 49ers on the game-winning drive if tight end Vernon Davis(notes) had not dropped a potential touchdown pass with three minutes remaining.

Before Smith headed onto the field with the 49ers trailing by three points, coach Mike Singletary had some words for him.

“I said, ‘Here it is. It’s your time,’” Singletary said. “He went out there and he was doing what we asked him to do in a crucial situation. He managed the ball. He got it around to different guys.”

Smith generally played very well. He completed 27 of 45 passes for 310 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. But the 49ers struggled on third downs, converting just one of their 13 attempts.

In a game with systematic failures across the board, Smith’s play might have been the brightest spot in an otherwise dreary loss, which dropped the 49ers to 5-7 and in a second-place tie with the Seahawks in the NFC West.

“We just found a way to screw it up,” Singletary said. “It’s as simple as that. Every situation, we just found a way to screw it up. Championship teams can’t do that. Teams that talk about going to the playoffs cannot do that. We did.”

Said Smith, “I thought we had a lot of opportunities to win the game. We got to make those plays, and it changes the game. I know we’re capable of making them. Good teams have offenses that do that. I think we’re capable of it. The expectation level is higher.”

NOTES, QUOTES

—Coach Mike Singletary was displeased with referee Alberto Riveron and his crew. The 49ers felt like several obvious calls went against them Sunday against the Seahawks.

Singletary pointed out the 32-yard pass to Deon Butler(notes) that set up the Seahawks’ game-winning field goal on the final play of regulation. Singletary said 49ers cornerback Keith Smith(notes) received a push that helped Butler create separation.

But there were other calls, too.

“I could go there, but I’m not because the referees did not fumble. The referees didn’t miss tackles. So I’m not going to go there,” Singletary said. “That really wasn’t the game because I thought we could’ve overcome some of the calls.”

• Brandon Jones(notes) took the blame after he and Arnaz Battle(notes) misconnected on an attempted reverse on a punt return in the first quarter. Up to that point, the 49ers were dominating the game, holding a 77 to minus-6 yard advantage in total offense.

“It was my fault,” Jones said. “I should’ve given him a better pocket (for the handoff), and I should’ve dove on (the fumble). … I screwed it up.”

The Seahawks recovered the loose ball at the San Francisco 13-yard line and three plays later scored a touchdown to pull even with the 49ers at 7-7.

• Singletary said there was miscommunication that resulted in the reverse being called by special teams coordinator Al Everest. Singletary said just because the play was practiced during the week, he should’ve let Everest know that the 49ers did not have to call the play during the game.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Player Notes  

• QB Alex Smith is the league’s 17th-ranked passer with a rating of 86.7. He has 13 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. When he started all 16 games in 2006, Smith threw 16 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions.

• RB Frank Gore(notes) ranks 17th in the league in rushing, as his production has taken a significant downturn after the 49ers started to feature more of a passing attack. Gore has gained 668 yards and six touchdowns on 137 rushing attempts for a 4.9-yard average.

• WR Brandon Jones, the 49ers’ highest-priced free agent pickup, caught his first pass with the club when he went up high to haul in an 18-yard pass in the fourth quarter. But Jones also fumbled an exchange with Arnaz Battle on an attempted reverse on a punt return, leading to a quick touchdown for the Seahawks.

• LT Joe Staley(notes) is recovering well from a knee injury sustained on Nov. 1 against the Colts. The 49ers believe there’s a strong chance Staley will be available to start Monday night against the Cardinals.

• CB Nate Clements(notes), who has been out of action since Nov. 1 with a broken shoulder blade, might be available for the final two regular-season games. However, the 49ers might have to make a decision whether to play him if they are mathematically eliminated in the playoff race.

Report Card Vs  . SEAHAWKS

Passing Offense:   B-plus—Alex Smith threw for a career-high 310 yards with two touchdowns, and he was sacked just once while completing 27 of 45 attempts. But the 49ers converted only one of 13 third-down attempts. Although TE Vernon Davis caught a 33-yard touchdown for the first points of the game, he dropped a potential 16-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter that would’ve given the 49ers the lead.

Rushing Offense:   F—The 49ers had such little faith in the run game that Frank Gore carried just nine times for 25 yards. He also had a back-breaking fumble in the fourth quarter after the 49ers had driven to the Seattle 22-yard line. It was a horrendous day for the run game, as the 49ers decided to just stick with the passing attack.

Pass Defense:   B—All in all, the pass defense was very good, as Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck(notes) averaged a lowly 4.6 yards per passing attempt. The 49ers sacked him five times in the game. But when the 49ers needed to make a play, they could not. Hasselbeck’s 32-yard pass to Deon Butler in the final seconds set up the game-ending field goal.

Rush Defense:   B—The defensive line did a nice job of tying up the Seahawks’ offensive linemen and allowing Patrick Willis(notes) to run free and make a game-high 16 tackles. Julius Jones(notes) and Justin Forsett(notes) combined for just 76 yards on 25 rushing attempts for a 3.0 average.

Special Teams:   D-minus—Joe Nedney(notes) hit his only field-goal attempt, and Andy Lee(notes) had another solid game. But this game turned when the 49ers fumbled a reverse on a punt return, as Arnaz Battle and Brandon Jones botched the connection. That led to a 13-yard touchdown drive for the Seahawks for their first points of the game.

Coaching:   F—There was so much to second-guess from this game. The 49ers gave the appearance of being unprepared for the game when they had to burn a timeout before first play from scrimmage because of confusion about which personnel group should be in the game. The decision to try a gimmick play on a punt return when the 49ers were dominating the game was inexcusable. The run-pass selection, and the decision to throw deep on a third-and-3 late in the game also backfired, as it left the Seahawks just enough time to win the game in regulation.