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November 13, 2007

No changes in store for woebegone Niners

Mike Nolan will not shake up his coaching staff nor will he give Alex Smith the hook after the quarterback's third straight middling effort Monday in Seattle. "Right now we are taking them one at a time ... And that goes for everybody," Nolan said when asked how much leeway Smith will receive from here on out. Smith, he said, will be the quarterback when the team hosts St. Louis on Sunday. Lose that game, by the way, and the 49ers will fall into a tie with the Rams for last place in what everyone can agree is the absolute worst division in football.
Nolan's staff will remain the same, too. Nolan said there are "no quick fixes" and said the preparation and the game plans have been to his satisfaaction. He did agree, however, with tight end Vernon Davis' mid-game contention Monday night that he wasn't being used enough in the passing game.
Davis, who had been a big part of the passing game the previous two weeks, did not have a pass thrown in his direction until the fourth quarter. During the third, he approached Nolan on the sideline and asked the coach why he wasn't getting more opportunities. Nolan agreed and at that point asked offensive coordinator Jim Hostler over the headset how many touches Davis had gotten so far. The answer, of course, was zero. Hostler got the hint and Smith threw two passes to the tight end in the fourth quarter, one of which was caught for four yards.
Oh, I forgot -- there might be one change in store for the 49ers. Jason Hill just might see a little more action at receiver. Hold onto your hats ...
-- Matt Barrows

Posted by Matthew Barrows at 1:03 PM | Comments |