The 2005 NFL Draft featured clearly two intriguing college quarterbacks for which the San Francisco 49ers had the first pick of. California's West Coast Icon in Aaron Rodgers and or Urban Meyer's shotgun extraordinaire Alex Smith out of the University of Utah who had no real experience taking snaps from underneath the center. Of course the San Francisco 49ers under then head coach Mike Nolan and Vice President of Personnel Scot McCloughan picked Alex Smith. It was and still is in my calculations and so many others around me the worst decision ever made by this organization in any given draft ever.
Now following a devastating and humiliating loss in Green Bay at the very hands of the complete quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who was superior in every way throwing for three touchdown passes with his arm, 39 rushing yards with his legs and was able to convince the 49er defensive line to jump off-sides six times with all but one declined. Aaron Rodgers looked and executed all his plays like a true field general out there on the field completing 21-of-30 passes for 298 total yards with a bomb completion of 61 total yards and a quarterback rating of 135.1.
Now following our 34-16 defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Mike Singletary have decided to go back to the so called experienced Alex Smith as their starting quarterback because they feel that Troy Smith's limited knowledge of the overall playbook is a growing liability for the remainder of the season and jeopardizes their chances to win anymore games. Let's not forget that Alex Smith as the starting quarterback this year has won 1-of-6 games this year while Troy Smith has won 3-of-5 with one of those games coming right down to the wire.
I am now an official member of the campaign to rid this franchise of what is our entire coaching staff with a greater emphasis on Mike Singeltary who has turned this franchise upside down and then right side up again in eliminating the very roots that made this team successful in the first place under our legendary master and creator in Bill Walsh. There is no West Coast Offense in San Francisco anymore. To find remnants of it you have to go to Philadelphia, Minnesota, Green Bay and Washington where those that coach have roots from the Walsh dynasty tree. Mike Nolan and now Mike Singletary have effectively destroyed that definitive success we all know was an absolute marker on our prestigious history as a franchise.
Aaron Rodgers is that complete quarterback that is a true and inspirational leader that leads on the field as well as off from it. He commands respect and he enjoys the fruit of his bonding with his players by having them execute right before his very eyes as he and they anticipate each other and make plays happen up and down the field with great accuracy and precision like you wouldn't ever believe. I was soundly impressed with what I saw in this young individual that could've been ours had we remained on course as a true West Coast Offense team and an ideological coach that believed in the Walsh principles of this great game. We passed on the obvious quarterback we can all see now that would've been able to take us to the top of our division sooner rather than ever as we are now.
Troy Smith is undeniably a better quarterback then Alex Smith who in my opinion is the closest thing I've ever seen next to the greatest quarterback bust of all time in former San Diego Charger great Ryan Leaf. We are throwing away the rest of this season banking on the erratic and blatantly inconsistent enigma we have in Alex Smith. Out of clear desperation our belittled and embattled head coach in Mike Singletary is grasping at any straw he can to salvage his position in returning us to the losing column of this division and improving our status in the lineup for next year's draft.
We lost this game not because we had no Frank Gore, but because the coaching staff didn't have the guts to play to win. We played a game of chess with one of the highest scoring teams inside the league by believing we could hold them to a close score and fall back on the heels of our defense to contain them. The ultra-conservative play calling on this team has got to be eliminated. I was sickened to this fact as we trailed by only one point with 46 seconds left to go in the first half as we had a first down on our own 28-yard line and one timeout.
We were within 40-yards of field goal range and a chance to go ahead at the half. But instead of being aggressive Mike Singletary played the passive stance of running the ball with Brain Westbrook who gained but four yards on two carries and then we trotted back into the locker room. It was at that moment that I knew we were going to lose this game because of the handcuffs we were placing on the hands of Troy Smith and the fact we have not utilized Brian Westbrook's obvious expertise of catching the ball as he is lined up on either flank in conjunction with getting the ball downfield with our array of offensive weapons that have been heavily underutilized.
The self-destruction of this team begins and ends with Mike Singletary. I am sick of it and I am tired of what I see each and every Sunday. We are (4-8) this season because of his philosophies and inability to redirect this team to where they need to be. Staring (0-5) should've sent a startling message to everyone in this organization that something very grave was wrong starting with the head coach and the fact that we had a quarterback that was simply not identifiable as a clear leader out there on the field with his lack of continuity and consistency in his execution and ability to draw the team closer together in times of challenges.
Clearly we need radical change on this team starting with a new head coach and a new quarterback that must have roots in the West Coast style of offense we are coveted and successful with. Fox analyst and former head coach Brian Billick had great words to say about Troy Smith and believes that someday this charismatic quarterback can be a success in the right system and grow from more formal training such as a full training camp. He simply needs work on his accuracy, knowledge of the play book and improve his abilities in getting rid of the ball quickly and not take the sack or risk a turnover.
The offensive line has crumbled before our eyes with Troy Smith being suddenly exposed, that was a clear issue in this game. The ultra-conservative play calling on Mike Johnson and Mike Singletary has handicapped Troy from doing what he does best in getting the ball into our play makers hands like he proved in his 66-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis. Let's stop the madness here and demand change from the ownership down. We are exhausted from being ridiculed and maligned by others as the joke of the league with a joke in most words at quarterback. Everyone needs to be held accountable and that has to start now. I'm sorry to report that we are now all but buried at the bottom of our division.
Sources of Information: Mercury News.com, SF Gate.com, Inside Bay Area.com, NFL.com and my own personal analysis and opinion.
