Alex Smith Injury: How Does This Affect the San Francisco 49ers?

The San Francisco 49ers' season is going down the dumps and after losing to the Carolina Panthers they stand at 1-6 overall.  The Panthers, who had not won a game this year, came away with a 23-20 victory.

In a game the 49ers easily should have won, starting quarterback Alex Smith injured his left, non-throwing shoulder.  The injury occurred as Charles Johnson slammed him down to the turf on that left shoulder. 

It remains to be seen how bad Smith's shoulder is and if he will be out for any extended period of time.  Smith's left arm was placed in a sling and he finished the game watching his backup David Carr.

Carolina Panther Defensive End Charles Johnson Knocks Alex Smith Out Of The Game

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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 19: Charles Johnson #95 of the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 19, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Although the Carolina Panthers only got two sacks, there were plenty of hits and hurries on Alex Smith.  Smith was pressured on virtually every pass play and the 49er offensive line was simply unable to protect the quarterback.

Charles Johnson burst past rookie right tackle Anthony Davis and hammered Alex Smith into the turf.  Smith was unable to continue and was replaced by David Carr.  

David Carr May Be Starting in the Next Game Against Denver

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 12: Quarterback David Carr #5 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the NFL season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on September 12, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

When Alex Smith was initially injured, I must admit that I was not horribly upset.  I had, for a few brief moments, some hope that David Carr would come in and energize the 49ers offense. 

Those thoughts evaporated after watching Carr in the first couple of series'.  As bad as Alex Smith has been on occasion, I am now convinced that David Carr is not the answer.

If Alex Smith is out for any extended period of time, the 49ers will be lucky to win.  Mike Singletary has repeatedly said that Alex Smith gives the 49ers the best chance to win.  I now see that, after watching David Carr in action.

David Carr missed open receivers and threw the ball into coverage way too often.  Some of this is due to inactivity and his lack of repetitions in practice.  I understand this and actually can excuse him for those off target throws.

However, the other more glaring issue is the lack of arm strength David Carr seems to possess.  I was surprised to see how his passes lacked zip and were just slow to get to the intended receiver. 

This lack of arm strength is something that cannot be fixed with practice repetitions.  You either have enough arm strength or you don't.  David Carr does not.

You do not need a superior arm to be a decent NFL quarterback.  In fact, the 49ers have had three quarterbacks in recent memory who did not possess great arm strength do just fine.  Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jeff Garcia all were accurate passers, but did not have the big arm.

Nevertheless, each of these quarterbacks had enough arm strength to make the throws they needed to make.  After watching David Carr, I do not believe he does.

Carr's inability to get the ball down the field will mean an increased reliance on the run and short passes, which will hamper an already struggling offense.  As we have seen with Jimmy Raye's conservative offensive game plans, this approach will not win ball games consistently.

New offensive coordinator Mike Johnson was beginning to throw some new wrinkles into the 49er offense.  The offense was starting to show some signs of improvement, but I fear that will now be lost, if Alex Smith is out for any extended period of time.

The eight men in the box defense will be something the 49ers can look forward to on virtually every down, unless David Carr proves he can hurt a defense deep.  This will also hinder the productivity of Frank Gore, the Niners' only consistent offensive threat. 

The 49ers Offensive Line Is to Blame For Their Offensive Woes

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SAN FRANCISCO - AUGUST 22: Anthony Davis #76 of the San Francisco 49ers in action against the Minnesota Vikings at Candlestick Park on August 22, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

By this, the seventh game of the season, I'm sure head coach Mike Singletary had expected his offensive line to be jelling and coming together as a cohesive unit.  The 49ers are starting two rookies and also a new center, who had not played the position until this year.  One would expect growing pains, but also would expect to see significant improvement by this time of the season.

The weak link on the offensive line is right tackle Anthony Davis.  He has a world of potential but is just not ready to play every down of every series.  His inconsistency and mistakes are hurting the 49ers and it was Davis who was directly responsible for the Alex Smith injury.

Charles Johnson blew by Davis like he was a turn style.  If this was a rare happening, it would not be so bad.  Unfortunately Davis is being beaten badly on a routine basis multiple times in almost every game.

I have suggested on many occasions that the 49ers take Davis out for a series here and there and allow the coaching staff to work with him to correct his mistakes.  When Davis is getting beaten, he is also prone to false start penalties, as he tries to get a jump on the pass rusher.

David Baas, the center, and rookie left guard Mike Iupati have been decent.  The same cannot be said for left tackle Joe Staley and right guard Chilo Rachal.  Staley is supposed to be the 49ers' best lineman, but he too is getting beat too frequently and also hurting the team with penalties.

Rachal has been inadequate and I believe should also be replaced for a series periodically, so he can get more in game coaching.  Adam Snyder has the ability to play the guard or tackle position, so continuing to play Davis and Rachal on every series does not make sense. 

In the Carolina game, Rachal was injured and there was no drop off with Snyder.  In fact, the line may have been better.  If Snyder is in for Rachal, I would use veteran Barry Sims to spell Davis.

The bottom line is no matter who plays quarterback, if the offensive line continues to play poorly, the 49er offense is doomed to failure. 

Alex Smith's Injury Has Additional Ramifications For the 49ers

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CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 24: Head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers watches on against the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Imag

If Alex Smith is out for any significant period of time, there will be major ramifications.  As much as I am not at all sold on Alex Smith as an NFL quarterback, he is miles ahead of David Carr.  If Smith is unable to play, the 49ers will likely continue to lose.

The trust the 49er coaching staff has in David Carr is non existent.  After watching Carr throw the ball today, I would agree.  He simply cannot make enough of the throws necessary to win in the NFL on a consistent basis.

With the 49ers off to a dismal 1-6 start, the rumblings for head coach Mike Singletary's job will continue to get louder with each successive loss.  If Alex Smith is unable to play and the 49ers continue to lose, which is likely, I believe that Mike Singletary will also lose his job at the end of the season, if not sooner.

The 49ers Need A Franchise Quarterback

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CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Washington Redskins throws a pass against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The San Francisco 49ers have a solid nucleus of players on both the offense and defense.  There is no way they should be 1-6.  The coaching has not measured up to expectations and the play at the most important position on the field, quarterback, has let them down.

In this past off season, the 49ers had a chance to potentially acquire Donovan McNabb. They were unwilling to surrender a second or even a third round pick for McNabb and he ultimately went to the Redskins. 

Can you imagine if the 49ers had Donovan McNabb as our quarterback?  They could be 5-2 or  4-3 at this point with decent and consistent quarterback play.

The McNabb ship has sailed, so this off season, the number one priority must be in finding a franchise type quarterback.  My gut feel also tells me that whoever plays quarterback for the 49ers will be playing for a new head coach that is offensive minded.

There are potential candidates out there; Kevin Kolb comes to mind for the Eagles.  If the 49ers elect to draft a potential top flight quarterback, there are also some outstanding candidates.  Andrew Luck, Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker are some potential options.

Whatever the 49ers decide to do, they will likely be moving forward in 2011 with a new quarterback and a new head coach.  The Alex Smith-Mike Singletary direction has simply not panned out.