Alex Smith Named 49ers' Week 14 Starter vs. Seahawks: What Are Niners Thinking?

Mike Singletary confirmed on local Bay Area sports radio show KNBR that Alex Smith would get the nod over Troy Smith.

He cited Alex Smith's experience as a reason why they felt he "gave (them) the best chance to win at this particular time."

The 49ers have consistently tried to pull something out of Smith that is simply not there. Alex Smith has been benched for backup Shaun Hill in the past, and despite Hill's wins, they seemed to always revert to Alex Smith.

The same can be said now for the Troy Smith situation. Troy Smith struggled during one game in the red zone this season. The bottom line is that Troy Smith is 3-2 as a starter this season and Alex Smith is 1-6.

Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson may feel more comfortable with Alex Smith, as the two worked together all through the offseason and Alex Smith leaves more of the playbook open. That being said, Alex Smith simply cannot execute or finish.

Alex Smith is 0-4 this season in games decided by three points or less. The fact that the 49ers were in a number of games and Smith could not pull through in the clutch speaks volumes about his presence.

The last drive against Philadelphia stands out as a perfect example. Alex Smith and the 49ers had the ball with 1:28 in the fourth quarter. The announcer challenged Smith, saying that these were the situations where 49er fans were looking at Smith. It was his chance to prove he could be a Joe Montana or a Steve Young and lead his team to victory, being the difference. On cue, Smith threw an interception five plays later.

Enough bagging on Alex Smith. I will say that at times, he looks like the real deal. He succeeds on opening drives and does considerably well when the game is seemingly out of reach. It is the two or three drives when teams are going back and forth that he struggles.

A look into the numbers shows that Troy Smith has struggled in his last three games. Even in their blowout victory against the Cardinals, he went 11-of-23 with one touchdown and one interception. After posting two games with a QB rating of over 115, Troy Smith failed to break 65 in his final three games as a starter. That stretch has resulted in a 1-2 record.

So the 49ers are in between a rock and a hard place. They have three quarterbacks on the roster. Third quarterback David Carr is out of the question, but it is odd that the 49ers have decided to make the switch now, with 49er fans so enraged over the predicament Alex Smith has thrown them into.

The 49ers are going with Alex Smith because it is Mike Singletary's last shot at maintaining his coaching job. The 49ers need to not only go to the playoffs, but also make noise in the playoffs for Singletary to keep his job.

A major reason the 49ers are struggling to crack .500 is because they took all competition away from the quarterback position, fired the offensive coordinator weeks into the season and continue to give the nod to Alex Smith, regardless of how he performs.

Singletary's reluctance to pursue a viable quarterback in free agency or even in the late rounds of the draft let Alex Smith know that he was the guy. That vote of confidence might have cost Singletary his job.

He placed all of his eggs into the Alex Smith basket, and if the 49ers have to choose between a struggling quarterback who limped onto the roster and a quarterback who their head coach on the hot seat deemed their franchise quarterback before the season started, they are going with the franchise quarterback.

Singletary has nothing to lose by making the change. If Alex Smith succeeds, he builds back some of the credibility he lost. Playoffs are a long shot, but drastic times call for drastic measures. If Singletary is going to prove he can be knowledgeable at analyzing personnel, Alex Smith is going to have to succeed.

Smith has the weapons to succeed. Despite having a banged-up offensive line and their best offensive weapon in Frank Gore on the IR, the 49ers still have dangerous playmakers on offense.

The 49ers still have three division games left. The Seahawks are just as flawed as the 49ers and Cardinals are. If Smith can hold down the fort at Candlestick, the 49ers will gain a game on the Seahawks.

While the far-fetched playoff scenarios have worn out their welcome, it is worth noting that the Rams still have to face the Saints, Chiefs, 49ers and Seahawks. If the Rams lose in New Orleans and to Kansas City, Alex Smith can lead the 49ers to victories over their three division opponents to grab hold of the NFC West.

It is highly unlikely that the chips will fall into place for the 49ers. To be honest, it might even set the franchise back if they go to the playoffs. Singletary needs a miracle, and by leaving a struggling Troy Smith in the game, he is admitting he made a terrible mistake by giving Alex Smith such a bode of confidence.

It's time for Alex Smith to prove his worth. He doesn't have the support of most of the 49er fanbase, but his teammates have been nothing but supportive, even pleading with Singletary to leave him in the game on one occasion when Singletary wanted to go with Carr.

Singletary means well, but he has certainly invested too much stock in Alex Smith. He will do so, once again, in a must win home game in Week 14 against the Seahawks. If Alex Smith succeeds, there is a minuscule chance that Singletary will have a place in the 49er franchise going forward. If he doesn't, well, everyone expected the chips to fall that way anyway.