Injured Smith struggled, but Dilfer could be worse

By Mike Young  |   Thursday, October 04, 2007  |  Comments( 5 )

San Francisco 49ers
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What were you thinking when Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, all 308 pounds of him, landed on top of San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith last Sunday? Without question, there were 49ers fans out there who thought maybe -- just maybe -- the team would be better off sans Smith.

Anyone following this year's 49ers likely thought, at least for a second, that Trent Dilfer could give the team's offense a boost that Smith hasn't been able to provide early in 2007.

When Dilfer picked up his helmet and ran onto the field, he brought with him the hope of something different, anything different. The hope turned to despair in the amount of time it took Julian Peterson and the Seattle defensive front to turn the 49ers' pass protection to dust.

But let's face it, even if the offensive line could have kept the Seahawks off Dilfer, he couldn't have made a difference. He was just optimism in the form of a washed-up quarterback.

Many have grown tired of seeing Smith bounce around in the pocket like the field was on fire, which is valid. Ask yourself this: Have you seen the former first overall pick stand still in the pocket and throw a pass once all season? You'd be hard-pressed to find examples.

Despite his deficiencies, it looks as if Smith was part of the solution, not the problem. With that in mind, the fact Smith will miss four to six weeks with a shoulder separation means the 49ers' offense has been dealt a blow. In a strange way, if the 49ers fall on their face over the next month, it validates the fact that the team should stick with Smith for the long haul.

Fox's Jimmy Johnson said it best regarding San Francisco's offense.

"I'm baffled why I picked the 49ers this week," Johnson said, getting to the point. "As soon as Seattle kicked the field goal [to go up 3-0], I knew it would be difficult to catch up with them."

Truer words may never have been spoken.
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