Of the 45 throws Alex Smith made yesterday, the one he wants back is the last. Smith said today that the Seahawks began in a zone defense on the 49ers' final offensive drive. But on third and three, Seattle suddenly switched to man-to-man coverage, surprising the 49ers. Instead of rushing three defenders, the Seahawks brought five. Smith tried for a long pass down the sideline to Josh Morgan, but it fell incomplete and nearly was intercepted. The 49ers punted with enough time for the Seahawks to drive for the game-winning field goal. "That's the one ball I'd really like to have over again," Smith said.
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Asked whether he was still on board with offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, Singletary said "Absolutely. Absolutely. "Anything I've asked him to do he's more than willing to do," Singletary said. "I think Alex has adjusted to him well. He and Alex are on the same page. Mike Johnson - all the guys are on the same page."
When the 49ers hired Raye in January, they also hired Johnson as quarterbacks coach. The thinking then was that Johnson eventually would replace Raye as offensive coordinator. Asked if that were still the long-term plan, Singletary said, "You know, I want to talk about the short-term plan right now and stay focused on that before I talk about long term."
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Singletary blamed himself for the botched punt-return reverse in the first quarter that led to a field goal. He said that the special teams practiced the play all week but that Singletary wasn't necessarily expecting it to be run in the game. He said he didn't communicate that properly. Reading between the lines: Singletary isn't all that happy special teams coordinator Al Everest called the reverse when he did.
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Every week the 49ers send the league a letter outlining specific plays and penalties in that week's game. This week's letter, Singletary said, will be a lot heftier than usual. He said every football game had bad calls. "Yesterday there were a few more that I witnessed maybe since I've been in the league," Singletary said. For the record, Singletary first entered the league in 1981.
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Left tackle Joe Staley will have a final MRI of his knee today. Staley and the 49ers feel he will return for the 49ers' game against Arizona a week from today. Staley said he is eager to return to action but said he would be careful not to rush back too quickly. Staley will wear a knee brace when he returns ... Meanwhile, cornerback Nate Clements (shoulder) is out of a sling and is working on cardio training. He said he will work on recovering his range of motion before returning to the weight room. The 49ers have circled Jan. 3 for Clements' return ...
-- Matt Barrows
