Indianapolis cruises to 28-3 victory over 49ers

By Darrell Laurant | Monday, October 10, 2005 | ( 0 )

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Some day, the San Francisco 49ers' Alex Smith may look back on his first game as an NFL starter and laugh, instead of shudder. For now, though, the Indianapolis Colts have given last spring's No. 1 NFL draft pick a lot to think about.

Under constant pressure from one of the most carnivorous pass rushes in the league, Smith threw for only 74 yards and no touchdowns, was intercepted four times and sacked five. His headset malfunctioned at one point, and his first-half quarterback rating slipped to an almost-subterranean 4.4 The end result was one-day seminar in the perils of quarterbacking, and a 28-3 Indianapolis victory.

Nor was it a great game for Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning, who also started and struggled in his own rookie season. The story line for this contest, besides Smith's elevation to first string ahead of Tim Rattay, had revolved around whether or not Manning and WR Marvin Harrison could hook up for the touchdown that would put them in first-place all time for a pitch-catch duo. Manning and Harrison shared the record of 85 with Steve Young and Jerry Rice of the 49ers' glory days, and they still do.

As it turned out, running backs Dominic Rhodes and Edgerrin James scored for Indianapolis (5-0), while DB Cato June hauled back an interception for a 24-yard touchdown and Manning threw his only touchdown pass of the day to wideout Troy Walters.

Smith could have used Jerry Rice in his prime, or perhaps just a better performance from his offensive line. The pocket collapsed repeatedly around the rookie, who began relying primarily on running backs Kevin Barlow and Frank Gore out of sheer self preservation.

"I continue to see what I like in Alex," said San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan after his team slipped to 1-4, "and that's his resilience."

Manning put it perhaps more to the point.

"Everyone wants it to be just like college," he said, "but it's not."

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