49ers Blog and Q&A: Smith or Leinart -- Sacramento Bee

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November 22, 2006

Smith or Leinart

Question: At this time of the season, how do you rate Alex Smith with Matt Leinart of Arizona?

- Norm Bills, Fairfield

Answer: That's a question that will come up several times next month when Leinart and Smith go head-to-head in San Francisco. Leinart looks like the more natural passer, but Smith is doing a better job at managing games. It's hard to make comparisons, though, because they play for such different offenses. The 49ers are a ball-control team that would run every down if they could. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have one of the best receiving corps in the league but not much running game. Apples and oranges, I'm afraid.

- Matthew Barrows

Posted by Bob Rudy at 7:00 PM | Comments |

MATTHEW BARROWS

Matt was born in Blacksburg, Va., and attended the University of Virginia. He graduated in 1995, went to Northwestern for a journalism degree a year later, and got his first job at a South Carolina daily in 1997. He joined The Bee as a Metro reporter in 1999 and started covering the 49ers in 2003. His favorite player of all time is Darrell Green.