Alex Smith Shows Improved Poise And Command for San Francisco 49ers

As preseason football games go, Sunday's San Francisco 49ers tilt with the Minnesota Vikings was an interesting one.  Brett Favre made his return to the Vikings and started.  I'm sure Minnesota head coach Brad Childress held his breath when 49er linebacker Patrick Willis leveled Favre, sacking him for a 10-yard loss. Favre was in for only four plays, before being replaced by Tarvaris Jackson.

For the 49ers, Alex Smith made positive strides and showed significant improvement over his first outing against the Indianapolis Colts. Smith had very good pocket presence and did a good job moving around when he needed to buy time. 

After forcing a punt, the 49ers took over on their own 30 yard line. The Niners marched the length of the field in a 12 play drive, with Smith converting three third downs with passes.  Rookie running back Anthony Dixon scored for the 49ers on a four-yard touchdown run.

Smith was decisive and threw the ball with authority and accuracy, two things that have eluded him on many occasions in the past. Of particular note was the fact that Smith led the 49ers to a score on their opening drive. Getting off to a fast start is an area of focus for the offense, so it was good to see such a crisp drive on their first possession.

The pass protection from the 49er offensive line was a little better against the Vikings than in the previous week against Indy. Smith did have to elude pressure on several plays, but he did so effectively and also maintained his poise, surveying the field to find open receivers. 

I saw two key areas of concern. First was the fact that the 49ers rushed 31 times for only 80 yards. For a team that wants to control the game with the run, the offensive line will need to do a much better job opening running lanes for the backs. The second issue was that although the 49er offense scored on their opening drive, they could only muster two Joe Nedney field goals the rest of the way.

Smith played the entire first half and finished 9-for-13 with 88 yards. His QB rating was 88.0, a major improvement over last week's dismal 7.4. Most importantly, Smith played with confidence and leadership, two qualities that the Niners need from him on a consistent basis. 

Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree all sat out the Minnesota game. Over the next couple of weeks, these three play makers will need to develop a good chemistry with their quarterback. If Smith can continue to build on this performance and we see strong contributions from Gore, Davis and Crabtree, the 49er offense has the ability to be very productive.