Matt Maiocco
CSNBayArea.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- Alex Smith and Mike Singletary met again after the 49ers' fifth consecutive loss to start a season. It's a season that began with such high expectations, and now ranks as the franchise's worst start since 1979.
Presumably, the Singletary-Smith meeting was a little more civil than the one that took place on the sideline at Candlestick Park more than an hour earlier.
"It's kind of a blur," Smith said. "We weren't seeing eye-to-eye the whole time. But it's kind of between us."
Singletary, the coach, benched his struggling quarterback. Then, shortly after backup quarterback David Carr took the field while a national TV audience was watching commercials, Smith replaced Carr in the 49ers' huddle.
In between, there was a shouting match on the sideline in which Smith convinced Singletary he deserved another chance.
"I wanted to see what his response would be," Singletary said of his decision to inform Smith he was being benched.
"A quarterback that has anything in him is going to have something to say about that."
Smith led the 49ers down the field for consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. But he was hit while throwing in the closing minute, and his fluttering pass was intercepted.
And that's the way it ended: Philadelphia Eagles 27, 49ers 24.
And, now, anything can happen.
The head coach's job status is tenuous, as is the 49ers' starting quarterback. The offensive coordinator, Jimmy Raye, was fired after a third consecutive loss.
Are more changes needed?
"Who knows?" Smith said. "Right now, obviously, we're 0-5. What we're doing is not working."
The 49ers are three games behind the Arizona Cardinals, who have won the NFC West two straight seasons. When asked if he might make a change at quarterback before the 49ers' game Sunday against the Raiders, Singletary said, "It's possible."
But after meeting with Singletary -- and "going through the game" -- Smith said he expected to remain as the 49ers' starter.
"Until they tell me I'm not," Smith said, "absolutely."
Smith completed completed 25 of 39 passes for 309 yards with three touchdowns -- two after he returned from his benching -- and two interceptions.
He also had a fumble in which he lost control of the ball before he could throw it away to avoid a sack. Safety Quintin Mikell returned the fumble 52 yards for a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 24-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.
After a three-and-out, the boos rained down on Smith unlike anything he has ever experienced from the home fans since he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2005.
"They're sports fans," Smith said. "We're 0-5. I'd be pretty frustrated, I'd be pretty pissed off, too. I was. I was frustrated myself. I don't think you can boo yourself, though. We're better than that. We're all better than that."
And that certainly includes running back Frank Gore, who lost two fumbles in the game and rushed for just 52 yards on 18 carries.
"I didn't really want David (Carr) to come in," Gore said, "not for any reason but I wanted Alex to stick it out. I knew he would keep fighting. I feel like I didn't give him (Smith) any help."
Read more: Maiocco: Meeting Follows Singletary-Smith Shouting Match
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