Week 21 QB projections   •  SF Stats

QB Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

HT: 6-4, WT: 212, Born: 5-7-1984, College: Utah, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 1

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Stats and Week 21 Projection

WK	OPP	RES	CMP	ATT	PYD	Y/A	PTD	INT	RSH	YD	Y/R	TD	FPT
19	vs NO	W, 36-32	24	42	299	7.1	3	0	1	28	28.0	1	39
20	vs NYG	L, 17-20	12	26	196	7.5	2	0	6	42	7.0	0	24
SEASON TOTAL			274	446	3150	7.1	17	5	52	179	3.4	2	262

Week 21 Injury Status and Other News

No official injury reports have been released yet

[Wed Feb 1, 6:53 PM] Alex Smith Impending free-agent Alex Smith said he would like to re-sign with the 49ers but is not putting a timetable on when he would like to get a deal done. He would not say if he would be willing to test the free agent market.

Week 21 Matchup Info

The San Francisco 49ers have a bye this week.

Game Summaries

Week 1 vs SEA - Smith didn't lose the game for San Francisco, but he only led his team to victory because of their weak opponent. The team's playcalling -- especially in the red zone -- was atrocious and seriously lacked creativity. Some might say that's why Smith didn't generate any big plays, but others will say it's because of Smith that the playbook can't be fully opened. New head coach Jim Harbaugh is a former QB who has shown creative play-calling in his college stints. His lack of belief in Smith (and his lack of need to exercise that belief due to Seattle's ineptitude) led to many boring run plays right up the middle and mainly short, safe passes by Smith. It appeared that he was instructed not to force anything deep, and with Vernon Davis and Frank Gore as check-down options, why would he? Smith did a nice job of being accurate within the framework of the throws he was asked to make, but if the team is this reluctant to open up the offense, he should be considered an ineffective QB even when he goes 15/20 and doesn't thrown any interceptions. In today's NFL (outside the NFC West at least), quarterbacks need to win games -- as opposed to not losing them.

Week 2 vs DAL - Smith had a solid game against the Cowboys in week two. He did a reasonable job in protecting the ball considering the fierce Dallas pass-rush. However, he was unable to connect on any long passes and as a result the 49ers were unable to match Dallas in the big play department. Most of Smith's passes came on short routes that took advantage of the Cowboys anticipating deep throws. Smith was also effective passing on the run as he was often flushed out of the pocket by Demarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff. His best play came on a third down scramble that came up short of the first down but demonstrated just how effective he can be as a quarterback. On the play, Smith was flushed up the middle and was able to weave for a 12 yard gain. Outside of an inability to convert deep passes, Smith often settles for a short gain when more yardage is needed. At least twice on Sunday he checked down for a 5 to 7 yard completion on third and long; a more savvy or experienced quarterback would have likely looked for a longer gain to be had. Smith continues to show that he is a capable quarterback at the NFL level. If he is ever able to solve his downfield passing issues he could be even more productive.

Week 3 at CIN - Smith's day in a nutshell: he threw poorly, made bad decisions, and allowed defenders to hit him -- hard - when rushing the ball (and yes, he did just suffer a concussion last week). Kind of a 'what-not-to-do' QB training manual. In the end, he did just enough for the win. Smith was smart enough to notice that Vernon Davis made him look good nearly every time he threw in his direction, so he threw to him often. Smith also discovered that Michael Crabtree can catch, even if you're occasionally aiming for the Goodyear blimp with the pass (which he also did often). Seriously, Smith is fast becoming the Nuke Laloosh of football. His passes are all over the place, and often thrown too hard for the receiver to react. Smith really didn't appear to be in synch with any of receivers - including Davis - who had a great day despite the erratic throws. He's got talent around him in Crabtree and Davis (and the injured Braylon Edwards) and that was his saving grace. Smith did throw what appeared to be a touchdown to Crabtree, but the officials nullified it, calling the receiver out of bounds prior to the catch (the replay shows otherwise, but there was no review). It also became clear that Smith is really not seeing the whole field. In the red zone, for example, he would ignore his man in the flat, hoping for a deeper target. By the time he came back to the flat, his man was covered but he'd throw it to him anyway. On another similar play, where it looked like the back would have had room to get into the end zone, Smith ignored him and took the sack. On a day where he at least had better numbers than the opposing QB, I wish I could say something complimentary about Smith, but I just can't. If he can better utilize the talent around him, he could improve. But isn't that what they were saying about him last year?

Week 4 at PHI - The calls for Colin Kaepernick are growing dimmer after this one. Smith played very efficient, looking as good as he has in his time here in San Fran. Smith was under pressure from the Eagles, but did a great job of dumping the ball off quickly, or scrambling and throwing the ball out of bounds. He didn't throw any int's, although he did lose one fumble on a sack by Jason Babin. The gameplan was to get the ball to the receivers and let them make plays. Smith threw a slant pass to Josh Morgan, and Morgan made an extremely athletic run to get into the endzone. Then he tosses a TD to Vernon Davis who plowed through two defenders for a TD. He even got the ball to Crabtree, which is something that hasn't happened much this season. This is a very encouraging game for San Francisco fans, as the 49ers emerge as the clear favorite to win the NFC West in Harbaugh's first season. With this defense, Smith just needs to keep the mistakes to a minimum, and they should be able to stay in most games.

Week 5 vs TB - If you just look at the highlights you might come away with the impression that Alex Smith had a fantastic day under center. You would miss a lot of the details in this game but not to worry because Footballguys has a lot of those details. The 1st drive the Niners ran a couple plays and actually gained a first down thru a Bucs penalty then suddenly Smith had to call timeout. They were already on the Bucs 40 yard line and the game was just underway, no need to start burning timeouts. It ended up being a moot point but coaches see that type of stuff. Later on the same drive, Smith throws a touchdown to Delanie Walker but what you might miss is that he was in triple coverage with SS-Corey Lynch, MLB-Mason Foster, and CB Aquib Talib who left his man to roll over and try to prevent the TD. It was a great catch but throwing it into triple coverage is not smart. He missed Delanie Walker on a possible 2nd touchdown later in the game. In the 2nd half he under threw Kyle Williams on a 1st and 15 from the 50 yard line and it should have been intercepted but Talib flat dropped the ball with both hands on it too. Wait there's more, another near miss on an interception in the red zone by Elbert Mack a back up DB for the Bucs who had a chance to make the pick but could not haul it in. Alex Smith did not play an exceptional game at all but things were going the Niners way and his mistakes turned into near misses. QBs on winning teams rarely are held under the microscope but don't believe everything you read about Smith right now; he still is making a lot of mistakes. Yes he managed to hit some guys in the end zone but things could have turned out much differently for Smith had the Niners defense not helped. Smith must have started from the 40 or 50 yard line all day mostly due to Ted Ginn Jr. And now you know the rest of the details.

Week 6 at DET - From the very first play, it looked as if Smith was in for a rough game. On his very first drop-back, he was stripped of the ball for a lost fumble. For most of the next three quarters, the Niners couldn't get out of their own way long enough to sustain very many drives. At times, Smith showed pretty good elusiveness despite all of the pressure. The problem is that there was rarely anyone open. His best target, TE Vernon Davis, had a brutal time trying to get open for any sustained period of time. And Smith's second-best option, WR Michael Crabtree, couldn't do anything very far down the field. The majority of the passes in his direction were short curls and quick out routes that didn't go for very big yardage. In the second half, Smith came close to a touchdown on a couple of occasions. He threw a ball along the sideline to Crabtree near the goal line, but the receiver couldn't get both feet down inbounds. On the next play, TE Delanie Walker had the pass in his hands for what should have been an easy touchdown but he juggled the ball as he tried to set his feet inbounds and that one also fell incomplete. Smith followed up those passes by getting a bit overzealous on the next few possessions. His accuracy completely went away from him and his passes began sailing all over the field (mostly over his intended targets' heads). One ended up getting intercepted, and another was very nearly picked off. Yet just when it seemed like his fantasy stats were unsalvageable, the Niners put together a late drive via the running game. RBs Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter did all the work to get the 49ers to the doorstep of the end zone, and Smith took advantage by cashing in with the touchdown pass. He threw the game-winner to the aforementioned Walker on a quick slant underneath on a fourth and goal play from the six yard line.

Week 8 vs CLE - Smith had a real solid game on Sunday. He played the game manager role to perfection as he did not turn the ball over and made clutch third down plays. Smith looked more comfortable out there as he was only sacked once and was hardly pressured at all. Like his counterpart McCoy, Smith smartly used his legs on third downs and was able to convert on a few third down plays. Smith seemed to favor WR Michael Crabtree as his go-to guy with 9 targets. Each week they seem to be building on their chemistry and becoming more comfortable with each other. Smith almost hooked up with Crabtree on 3 deep targets but they were slightly overthrown so there could have been even more production from the two. Smith continues to do what is asked of him and is playing really well. He complements the strong defense and great running game the 49ers have. Although he may still not be a great fantasy option, he may be turning into a viable starting quarterback in the league. Smith was even able to use OL Joe Staley and DT Isaac Sopoaga as receivers and both were able to make catches at key points to the game.


Week 9 at WAS - The confidence of a six game win streak is evident, as Smith was an efficient game manager against the Redskins. He is making smarter plays than he was at the beginning of the season -- not necessarily better, more skilled plays, but smarter. Smith excelled at finding the open man on shorter routes and making quick, decisive throws. He also made a lot of adjustments at the line, showing that he's got a good handle on reading the defense. While most of his passes were of the shorter variety, he did air it out a bit on the touchdown to Brad Miller, lofting it up and finding the fullback in between zone coverage for an easy 30 yard score. Smith threw another brilliant long pass to Vernon Davis for what could have been a touchdown, but the pass was dropped. Smith is also mobile, and showed excellent vision and instinct when leaving the pocket; though he didn't gain much on these plays, he minimized the damage, which in most cases is all he needed to keep a drive going. He favoured Crabtree and Davis as receivers but also did a fine job of spreading the ball around to keep the defense honest. Despite the couple of excellent throws, the flaw in his game that won't seem to go away is his terrible accuracy on most passes -- especially the short ones -- which are close enough to catch, but simply don't give his receivers a chance to make a play. Alex Smith played a solid, mature game, which is good for the 49ers, but not necessarily for your fantasy team.

Week 10 vs NYG - Smith and the 49ers had a specific game plan in place vs. the Giants and it centred around him passing the ball a lot, which was unusual for the 49ers. Smith had a higher than normal amount of targets as the Giants shut down any running game and forced Smith to beat them through the air. Smith did have a lot of success throwing between the two 20 yard markers but his drives really bogged down in the redzone. They kicked mostly field goals and this took away from many potential touchdown passes that Smith could have had. Regardless, Smith took full advantage and attacked this Giants defense where they are most vulnerable. Smith used roll outs and felt pressure well to throw good balls on the run, even showing his threat as a running QB against man coverage. Smith's only INT was off the hands of his WR Ginn. The ball was tipped and flew right into CB Webster's hands for the easy pick. Smith looked to be intercepted again but the play was erased by an offside's call against a NYG DE. Smith was more than a game manager as the 49ers threw a lot and made an effort to force the ball downfield. Smith took advantage and hit WR Edwards and TE Walker down the field but big chunks of yards and kept the 49er offense humming all game. Smith had to do little work on his TD as he simply hit TE Davis on a crossing pattern as his TE ran/leapt into the endzone for this only touchdown.

Week 11 vs ARI - Smith had a real solid game on Sunday. Smith threw the ball more than expected, most likely because the Cardinals were focused on shutting down the run game. Smith made some throws that he would want back, as he missed Davis and Crabtree on throws that could have easily been TDs. Also, in the first quarter WR Braylon Edwards dropped a wide open TD catch. So there was definitely a bigger day out there for Smith. The 49ers weren't able to capitalize on the great field position that its defense had given them. Smith was able to target his best two receiving options, Davis and Crabtree, 10 times apiece. It was nice to see Smith find his 3rd receiver Kyle Williams on several key conversions that kept the offense moving. Smith had his second career INT in the red zone. But luckily the game was well in hand at that point. Smith will never be an elite QB play in this offense but he has shown that he can get the ball to his playmakers when needed.


Week 12 at BAL - Smith looked comfortable for much of the 1st quarter (but rarely again) on a night when the Ravens tied a franchise record for most sacks in one game. Smith made a great throw early on to Vernon Davis in a very small window for a 20 yard pickup and had a huge TD pass called back on a questionable chop block. The throw was a strong throw deep down the field caught on a leap by Ted Ginn, who raced into the end zone. Two plays later Smith was sacked for the 3rd time in the first half in a fitting end to the drive. Smith was visibly rattled after that, often pulling the ball down to run as soon as he saw a defender. He did begin to look more comfortable in the 2 minute drill at the end of the half. On the drive he hit 4 of 6 passes to 4 different targets, leading the 49ers into scoring range with 18 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, he made a terrible decision on 1st and 10 from the 35, lobbing the ball into the end zone as if it were the last play of the half. The Ravens DB played the ball perfectly for Smith's 1st INT of the game. Smith did bounce back to lead another scoring drive to start the second half. The 13 play, 46 yard drive was keyed by a 3rd and 17 completion to Michael Crabtree. Smith stepped up into the pocket and threw a perfect pass to Crabtree right at the marker. He also scrambled out of pressure for another first down. Still, the drive was marred by 2 more sacks as the Ravens 4 man rush continued to have it's way with Smith's offensive line. By the time the 4th quarter rolled around, the 49ers were in catch up mode and the Ravens ratcheted up the pressure even further...Smith did not respond well. He was just 4/9 in the quarter and was sacked 2 more times. He missed a wide open back on a swing pass, was fortunate to have a pass deflect off S Ed Reed's hands, and was again fortunate to avoid an INT on a terrible throw to Crabtree. It was a forgettable night for Smith, who spent a good part of it on his back.

Week 13 vs STL - Smith had a real solid game on Sunday. Smith still had some trouble in the red zone in the first half but was able to cure that with two long passing touchdowns in the second half. Smith also had a perfectly thrown over the shoulder pass to TE Vernon Davis that Davis flat out dropped that would have gone for another score. Smith continues to play smart football as he does not turn the ball over, and he complements his tough defense really well. When the Rams would stack the box to stop RB Frank Gore, Smith is able to find the open receiver. He plays well on third down and keeps the clock running with this offense. The first long touchdown was to Crabtree on a deep play action fake pass. The Rams were playing run and bit on the fake, and Crabtree used his speed to beat the corner. Smith threw a perfect ball, and Crabtree went in easily for the 52 yard score. The second long score was to emerging WR Kyle Williams on a 3rd & 5 play early in the 4th quarter. Williams ran a simple comeback route then took it up field showing his jets for the 56 yard score. Smith continues to be a game manager but when forced to throw he is more than adequate to keep this offense churning through the air.

Week 14 at ARI - Smith faced a formidable pass rush, which he was never able to completely overcome. He was sacked five times altogether, with three of them coming close together in the early part of the game. He showed a good rapport with his receivers, notable Michael Crabtree; he also did a great job spreading the ball around to the other wideouts as well. His accuracy was actually pretty sharp this game, but Smith's Achilles heel was his red zone play. He simply wasn't able to get it done from in close, and that was the difference maker. He had his chances inside the 20, but was off-target, threw the ball away, sacked while rolling out. He never gave up though, which was never more evident than on his last gasp attempt to keep the final drive going: Smith dropped back and, facing big time pressure from 2 linemen, proceeded to scramble -- backwards about 20 yards -- then getting some forward momentum and passing to Kendall Hunter, who couldn't hold on to the ball for the first down.

Week 15 vs PIT - The game plan was rather pass-heavy compared to a typical San Francisco game, and Smith had his ups and downs. Aided by a huge advantage in field position all night long, Smith was able to lead some drives into the red zone. On the team's first trip, though, he had two chances to throw touchdowns to relatively open receivers and appeared rushed on both occasions, missing the throws. The team didn't take many deep shots, but Smith badly missed one in particular where Michael Crabtree was open in the endzone. He was somewhat effective on his short to intermediate throws throughout the night though.

Week 16 at SEA - Smith's end of game line doesn't look fantasy friendly, but he left everything on the field and it was enough for the win. He had a couple of missed opportunities for scores, long incompletions to Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree near the goal line, which were catchable. What stuck out most about Smith's game was his unwillingness to give up on any play. There is a reason his sack total is so high -- it's because he absolutely refuses to throw the ball away if there is even the smallest chance to still make a play. On one third down play in the second half, Smith dropped the ball and it bounced right back to him; he scrambled to the sideline and instead of going out of bounds, he ducked a defender and THEN ran downfield for positive yardage. No, he's not suddenly Cam Newton or Michael Vick Lite, but it shows what he's willing to do to get his team the win. The very next play on that drive was a 4th down, one of several that the Niners chose to go for, and Smith was similarly pinned at the sideline, but this time hit Davis at the last second for the first down. It wasn't always pretty but his efforts buoyed the team around him.

Week 17 at STL - It may have taken a while, but QB Alex Smith has finally arrived as the leader and QB the 49ers were hoping for when they drafted him with the #1 pick in 2005. He's shown promise the past 2 seasons, but he was finally able play the full 16-game schedule and close out the season as wire-to-wire West division champs with the #2 seed and a first round bye. Smith looked to TE Vernon Davis early and often and used the mismatches posed by Davis and WR Michael Crabtree (almost exclusively) to take well-planned and well-executed shots down field. Smith even looked good on his incompletions, as they usually came when throwing the ball away was the best option to protect the football and maintain field position, avoiding both the sack (the Rams sacked Smith only 3 times) and the interception (the 49ers did not commit a turnover). After his counterpart kicked off the scoring with a rushing TD, Smith answered the call; punching it in from 8 yards out on a scramble of his own. Smith and the 49ers would dominate the 2nd quarter, beginning the scoring with a 28-yard TD to Crabtree on a short pass behind the line of scrimmage where Crabtree would do the rest on his own. After padding the lead with a TD that was set up by the defense, the game almost got away from Smith and the 49ers, as the Rams scored a couple of late TDs to draw to within 1 score and Smith and the offense failed to pick up a first down, giving the Rams a chance to tie with just under 4 minutes to go. The defense would step up and stop the Rams on their final possession, leaving it to Smith and the offense to close things out. They did not disappoint, as Smith ended this season the way all QBs hope to, kneeling the ball in victory formation to the cheers of teammates on the sidelines and traveling fans in attendance.

Week 19 vs NO - You can be critical of a lot of things when it comes to Alex Smith. He doesn't throw the ball with a lot of mustard, misses open targets, takes a few sacks but this week he was sharp. He managed to hit a lot of his guys in stride so they could make a play. His defense put him in some good positions to start the football game but he also took advantage of those opportunities and didn't squander them as so many QBs do around the league. The first TD toss to Vernon Davis was an accurate pass and he hit Davis in stride, timing was very important on that pattern. Late in the 4th quarter with the Saints ahead 24-23, Smith hits Vernon Davis perfectly on a "GO" route that showed precision on he throw. Later on the same drive the Niners called his number on a 3rd and 7 where they could easily have settled for a FG attempt and instead Smith runs left and follows his blocks to run for a 28 yard touchdown and gave the Niners the lead 29-24. He answered the bell again with his team down 32-29 and less than 2 minutes left as he drove the team down field and then hit Vernon Davis barreling into the end zone with 8 seconds left to seal the victory for the Niners who we now know will host the NFC Championship next week. It was a tremendous game fro Alex Smith who accounted for 4 touchdowns, one of his best days as an NFL QB ever. With the playoffs added into the mix, in fact it was his best performance by far to date.

Week 20 vs NYG - Aside from two nice long throws to Vernon Davis, the 49ers offense stalled out with Alex Smith at the helm. Smith's other contributions came as a runner, mainly out of a zone read look, and on dumpoffs to Frank Gore. He never looked comfortable in the pocket even thought the Giants defense wasn't nearly as vicious as the 49ers. In the fourth quarter and overtime, it never felt like Smith was going to advance the offense, leaving the game on the defense's shoulders. Smith never got his wide receivers involved, completing only one pass to a wideout. After a great finish to the 49ers first playoff game, Smith looks like one of the reasons the team couldn't close this one out in regulation along with Kyle Williams. He's likely to be brought back with a long term deal, but it's hard to feel like this team is going farther than this point with him at QB.