Every 49ers fan pining for rookie Nate Davis to be the 49ers' regular-season starter should have watched Davis during the midpoint of the afternoon practice. It would have cured you. During one team session, his snaps went like this:
- Pass intended for Josh Morgan is picked off by Shawntae Spencer
- Pass intended for Josh Morgan is nearly picked off by Dashon Goldson
- A quick pass to Joe Jon Finley turns into a fumble when Finley is stripped by Dre Bly
- Quick completion to Bear Pascoe
- Davis can't get a pass away and the play is called dead.
- Short pass to Michael Robinson is at his feet and incomplete.
Damon Huard, the only other healthy quarterback on the team, didn't fare any better. In fact, at one point Mike Singletary had to halt practice, gather the offensive players around him and tell them - forcefully - to get on the same page. Huard led the first-string offense this afternoon, a tipoff that he likely would be the starter Saturday if Shaun Hill (back) can't play. Huard's first two plays: an incompletion and a flubbed snap.
To be fair, both players had decent 2-minute drives. They started on their own 30 yard line with 1:56 to play. Huard went 7 of 11, hitting Vernon Davis three straight times before lofting the final, last-second pass into the end zone where it was picked off by Patrick Willis. Nate Davis' two-minute drive lasted 10 seconds. He zipped the ball down the middle to Delanie Walker. Rookie safety Curtis Taylor looked like he would easily swat the ball away but somehow he missed it, the ball landed in Walker's hands and he raced to a 70-yard touchdown. Now that's how you end a practice.
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As for Hill, he didn't dress for the afternoon practice but still hung out with the quarterbacks throughout. If his back injury were serious, he wouldn't have been on his feet for two hours. .... Barry Sims was the starter at right tackle in the afternoon. Remember, Marvel Smith practices only once a day, and he practiced in the morning. ... Bly continues to play ahead of Tarell Brown at right cornerback ... Justin Smith, Takeo Spikes and Isaac Bruce had the afternoon off ...
-- Matt Barrows
