NFL Capsules - NFC: Packers return, Vikings next
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — If it was up to coach Mike McCarthy to make the schedule, he'd put the bye week after six or seven games. Waiting until after the ninth game this year — the latest in the league, along with Oakland, New Orleans and San Diego — was a bit longer than he'd have liked.
But with the Packers at 6-3 and tied atop the NFC North division despite a raft of injuries, McCarthy wasn't complaining Monday as players returned to practice following a full week off.
"This year has definitely been a different challenge for us. We needed this bye," said McCarthy, whose teams are 3-1 in games following the bye week. "We do want to pick up where we left off as far as winning. That's the most important thing, don't get me wrong. I'm stating the obvious here. But more importantly, we need to improve.
"To have a pretty healthy football team to me has always been the focus coming out of the bye. You've got to play your best football in November and December. That's always been our plan."
The Packers enter Sunday's game at Minnesota with a chance to bury quarterback Brett Favre and the struggling Vikings (3-6) in the division while also being in the thick of the race for the NFC's top spot in the wide-open conference.
The Packers are tied with the Chicago Bears (6-3) in the division, but only Atlanta (7-2) has a better record in the NFC.
McCarthy acknowledged that a Week 6 or Week 7 bye would mean playing nine or 10 straight regular-season games leading into the playoffs, which would be challenging. Instead, the Packers have seven regular-season games remaining, including four road games (at the Vikings on Sunday, at Atlanta on Nov. 28, at Detroit on Dec. 12 and at New England on Dec. 19) in the next five weeks. They end their season with home games against the Giants (Dec. 26) and Bears (Jan. 2).
"There's nothing like November and December football. I think this is what it's all about," McCarthy said. "We have to win our division games. The ones on the road are always the toughest, and that will be the case in Minnesota on Sunday."
Despite all of the Vikings' woes, from Favre's myriad of injuries and up-and-down play to coach Brad Childress' job status, the Packers say they won't take the Vikings lightly after losing both matchups with them last season. The Packers beat the Vikings, 28-24, at Lambeau Field on Oct. 24.
"They're in a situation where they have to win. So we expect their best," safety Atari Bigby said. "We've got to be on our game this week."
It should help that the Packers are healthier than they've been all season. While veteran right tackle Mark Tauscher (shoulder) became the sixth starter to land on season-ending injured reserve during the bye week, they could have their full 53-man roster to choose from when making game-day decisions Sunday.
The only players who did not practice Monday were defensive end Ryan Pickett (ankle), outside linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring/shin), tight end Andrew Quarless (shoulder) and wide receiver Donald Driver (quadriceps), although McCarthy said Driver was excused for a personal matter.
Pickett originally sprained his ankle Oct. 10 at Washington and reinjured it against the Vikings and again against the Cowboys. Pickett would seem to be the only player in danger of not playing against the Vikings, although McCarthy said he hopes Pickett will practice on Thursday.
"I'm feeling pretty good but I'm not sure if I'm going to go yet," Pickett said. "I have to feel like I can make it through a full game."
Beyond getting healthy, McCarthy and his staff made harshly critiquing themselves and the team's play their top priority during the bye. Now, they'll see if they can improve.
"I read our profile to the team today, what we look like to the rest of the league as far as where we rank statistically, but more importantly, how we can improve," McCarthy said. "We have a profile of our offense, of our defense, of our special teams.
"I feel a lot better than I did here last week."
NOTES: McCarthy said Tauscher is tentatively scheduled to undergo surgery on his shoulder on Tuesday. McCarthy said he spoke Monday with veteran cornerback Al Harris, whom the team released last week. Harris signed with Miami and played for the Dolphins on Sunday.
Favre, Vikings trying to pick up pieces
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Time is running out in Minnesota — on the Vikings' season and, perhaps, Brett Favre's career.
The Vikings have said all year long that there is plenty of time to get things turned around, to put together a complete performance, to realize their full potential.
The gravity of their situation finally seems to be settling in on a team that started the year expecting to make a Super Bowl run.
"We are running out of games," Favre said after the 27-13 loss at Chicago dropped the Vikings to 3-6. "The way we're playing, it will take but a couple more losses, and we will be out of it. That's just being honest. I don't know how to sugarcoat it."
Nothing went right for the Vikings on Sunday against the Bears, in any phase of the game. Even with stars like Favre, Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen and others, they haven't been able to harness that talent the same way they did a year ago during their run to the NFC title game.
Now this star-studded team that sent a league-high 10 players to the Pro Bowl last season is coming to terms with the reality that a loss at home to the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers on Sunday could all but end their playoff hopes.
"We have to win this week," receiver Greg Camarillo said on Monday. "What's more urgent than a win this week? We've dug ourselves a huge hole and the only way to crawl out of it is to take it week-by-week. We've got Green Bay coming to town and we've got to get a win."
After throwing for just 170 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions — one that was tipped and two that came after receivers slipped and fell down — Favre was asked what needed to change for this team to get back into the playoff picture.
"You name it. Pick something," Favre said. "I can't think of any one thing that doesn't need to change."
The 41-year-old quarterback reportedly told ESPN that his throwing shoulder was sore and he planned to get an MRI this week to check things out. Favre was unavailable for comment on Monday, but coach Brad Childress said an MRI wasn't under consideration and he expected Favre to play against his former team on Sunday.
Receivers Percy Harvin (ankle) and Bernard Berrian (groin) are banged up as well, and it's still not clear if Sidney Rice (hip) will play for the first time this season.
"We're obviously not where we want to be," Camarillo said. "But if you're sitting there thinking, 'Man we're 3-6 this is terrible,' you're focusing on the wrong thing. We have to win games and we have to win this game coming up."
Now the Vikings are facing the Packers (6-3), who are fresh off a bye week and looking to put Favre and their neighbors to the west down for the count.
"Vikings are done.... lets stick a fork in them next weekend," injured Packers tight end Jermichael Finley tweeted after watching the Vikings lose to the Bears 27-13.
All the struggles have put Childress at the center of the fans' ire as they clamor for a coaching change. Owner Zygi Wilf has not made a move to this point, and several players have brushed aside coaching as the main reason for the turmoil.
Favre and Peterson have both acknowledged that they don't always see eye-to-eye with Childress. But both have said that it's on the players to play better, a sentiment cornerback Lito Sheppard echoed on Monday.
"It's not like we're not playing. We're playing hard," Sheppard said. "It's not even about the coaches. Each individual in here has a job to do and is going to be held accountable regardless of if the coach is here or not. We understand that."
Childress also said he didn't see his players giving up on him.
"I'd be lying to you if I told you there wasn't a loaf here or a loaf there on the backside of a play, and that's the way football is a lot of times when you're the 11th guy from the play," Childress said. "But yeah, I see guys playing hard. I don't see us executing particularly well right now, and it's a given now if you don't execute particularly well on offense, defense and special teams you're probably going to get your rear end handed to you."
The Vikings have five days to figure out what's been going wrong before the well-rested Packers come to town. From the health of the receivers to the lack of a pass rush and the struggles converting third downs, the list is long.
"Oh boy, you've got to paint with a broad brush there," Childress said. "I can't just say one thing. We're doing it all together, just not playing good enough."
-- Jon Krawczynski
Bears' Hester wreaking havoc again
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Once again, the Chicago Bears are getting many happy returns from Devin Hester.
The specialist who set records running back kickoffs and punts in his first two seasons seems reborn on special teams after struggling the past few years while trying to adapt to a bigger role on offense.
"Devin has it going right now," coach Lovie Smith said. "Guys are doing a great job blocking for him. He's feeling it, of course."
Hester did a little bit of everything against Minnesota on Sunday.
He handled kickoffs for the first time this season and wound up returning two for a total of 100 yards. He was effective again on punts, running one back 42 yards. Throw in a 19-yard touchdown catch, and it was a good afternoon all around for Hester.
The 27-13 win over the Vikings put the Bears (6-3) in a tie with Green Bay for the NFC North lead with a tougher schedule looming.
Five of the Bears' six wins are against teams with three wins or less at the moment, including two with 2-7 records (Detroit, Dallas) and a pair that are 1-8 (Carolina, Buffalo). The exception was Green Bay in September.
Now, they're in a short week with Thursday's game at Miami, although Chicago might be catching the Dolphins at a good time. Tyler Thigpen most likely will start at quarterback after Chad Pennington suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and Chad Henne injured his knee in Sunday's win over Tennessee. Coach Tony Sparano said Henne might be available, but the Dolphins signed veteran Patrick Ramsey on Monday.
For the Bears, there are few breaks after this week, with home games looming against Philadelphia, New England and the New York Jets along with a trip at Green Bay.
It would help if Hester keeps this up.
No one has more combined punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns than Hester, who shares the league's career record with Brian Mitchell with 13. They are also tied for second with nine punt returns for TDs, one behind Eric Metcalf, but it was a long time between big plays.
He went two seasons without returning a punt or kickoff for a touchdown and was taken off kickoff returns last year. The TD drought ended when he ran a punt back 62 yards in a win over Green Bay in September. He had a 50-yard return against Carolina in October and returned another punt 89 yards for a touchdown against Seattle the following week.
Now, he and Dez Bryant are tied for the league lead with two punt returns for touchdowns. His five returns for 20 or more yards are tops in the NFL.
And he just showed he can still be dangerous on kickoffs, too.
That's an opportunity Hester welcomed and he got it against Minnesota, even though the Bears have two solid options in Danieal Manning and Johnny Knox.
"It's a team effort thing, and whenever I get the opportunity to make plays I want to be a part of it and so my teammates have faith in me, let them know that you can always count on me," Hester said. "I'm going to go out and bust my tail and help them get the job done."
Seeing Hester on kickoffs was a welcome sight for Knox, too.
"When you've got the best returner in the world on your team, you want to put him back there at any time because he's going to make something happen," Knox said.
While Washington and Buffalo avoided him previous two weeks, Minnesota went at Hester and paid for it.
His 32-yard kickoff return following a first-quarter field goal seemed to set off some alarms on the Vikings sideline. They sent a low kick at Rashied Davis, the front man, after Brett Favre's 53-yard touchdown to Percy Harvin. The result was a 32-yard return for Davis.
That gave the Bears possession on the Minnesota 49 and set up a 19-yard TD pass from Cutler to Hester in the closing minute of the half.
After that, the Vikings seemed to go back to their original plan. And it didn't work out well for them.
Hester broke off a 68-yard kickoff return from the end zone along the right sideline in the third quarter, setting up a field goal by Robbie Gould that made it 20-13, but his most impressive play came when the Vikings punted on the following possession.
Pinned along the right sideline, Hester somehow burst through a crowd of defenders and wound up with a 42-yard return after breaking about five tackles along the way.
"I just like getting the ball in my hands," Hester said. "I feel like I can do great things with the great talent that God blessed me with. I feel like I can help my team in any way that I can. Kickoff returns are just another opportunity for me to get my hands on the ball."
-- Andrew Seligman
Falcons' Abraham is back among NFL sacks leaders
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — John Abraham is back in the sacks race.
One year after his decline in sacks had him concerned he might have lost a step, Abraham is fourth in the NFL with eight sacks and is a big reason the Atlanta Falcons have the NFC's best record.
Abraham had two sacks in the Falcons' 26-21 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, leaving Atlanta (7-2) in first place in the NFC South with the league's best record.
Abraham's renewed production has helped the Falcons tie for the league lead with 18 interceptions.
He set a career high with 16½ sacks two years ago before falling off to 5½ last season. He made an offseason commitment to a strong comeback after his review of game film reassured him he had not lost a step.
Now the numbers support Abraham's belief that, at 32, he's still an elite pass rusher.
"It's a good feeling," Abraham said after Monday's practice. "When I went back and looked at the tape after last season, I kept seeing that I was so close to so many more sacks. I was right there."
The Falcons boosted their pass defense in the offseason by signing cornerback Dunta Robinson.
Abraham and Robinson are neighbors in the locker room and just as close in their on-field relationship.
"It works hand in hand," Robinson said. "We need him to get sacks and he needs us to make plays on the back end.
"From a cornerback's standpoint, we love him, a defensive end getting to the quarterback. It makes your job easier. From a defensive end's standpoint, he loves a guy who is trying to take away one half of the football field. It's definitely a lot of fun, the way we're clicking, the way we're jelling, not just he and I but the defense has become a real team."
Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud said it was difficult for Abraham in 2009 after setting the team record for sacks in 2008.
"When the bar you set for yourself is 16½ sacks, when you're averaging a sack a game, you're going to have high expectations for the next season," DeCoud said. "Five sacks are good for anybody but Abe. He's a high-production, high-impact guy."
Abraham also is a proud player who did not want to be viewed as nearing the end of his career. He said he knew a repeat of his 2009 production would lead to more criticism.
"They're going to be like, 'He says he's still good but it's not showing up,'" he said.
So Abraham challenged himself "to do something to keep yourself on the field."
"I think John really had a very good offseason," said coach Mike Smith. "I know that John has mentioned his focus this year is a lot better than last year."
Smith said a key for Abraham is an improved push from defensive tackles Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters and Peria Jerry in the middle of the line. One year ago, the defense had difficulty adjusting after Jerry was lost with a knee injury in the second week of the season. The Falcons tied for 26th in the league with only 28 sacks in 2009 and finished out of the playoffs at 9-7.
Abraham faced constant double teams last season, when Kroy Biermann had five sacks as a backup. Biermann has a more prominent role as a starter this season.
"Kroy has become a more efficient pass rusher," Smith said. "He is getting attention so we're getting some one-on-ones with John. I think John is still one of the premier pass rushers."
The Falcons have 18 sacks this season, but no other player has more than two.
Abraham has five seasons with 10 or more sacks. His 5½ last year were a career low in any season in which he has played 10 or more games.
"I didn't play bad last year," Abraham said. "When I watched the tape, I didn't feel like I lost a step or played bad."
Abraham is backing up his confidence with his play on the field.
"I think he's just doing his thing," Biermann said. "He's getting production. He's having a great year. I'm glad I'm playing beside him and learning from him."
-- Charles Odum
Buccaneers taking on an offensive identity
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers who are off to one of the strongest starts in the NFC are not the same old Bucs.
Eight seasons removed from winning the franchise's only Super Bowl title with a dominating defense that was among the NFL's best for more than a decade, the league's youngest team is building a new identity with a rapidly improving offense led by second-year quarterback Josh Freeman.
Freeman had the best passer rating of his career during Sunday's 31-16 victory over Carolina. And the Bucs (6-3) gained a season-best 421 yards total offense while finally showing signs of developing a dependable running game.
The one-two punch of rookie LeGarrette Blount and former featured back Cadillac Williams combined for 153 of Tampa Bay's season-high 186 yards on the ground. Each scored a touchdown, with Williams breaking a 45-yarder on third-and-10 to seal the win in the closing minutes.
Freeman, meanwhile, threw for 241 yards, two TDs and no interceptions for a 134.2 passer rating that left coach Raheem Morris raving about the "exciting" style of football the 22-year-old has introduced to a market that's come to expect its team to be driven by defense.
"When we took over this program, me and Mark Dominik sat down together and said we know it's a lot easier to win with a quarterback," said Morris, who replaced Jon Gruden as coach following the 2008 season.
Freeman was the third quarterback selected in the 2009 draft behind Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. One of Dominik's first moves as general manager was to acquire tight end Kellen Winslow in a trade, and this year's draft brought two more targets for Freeman — receivers Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn.
"It wasn't a popular decision at the time. ... But it's a lot more fun to win like this, and it's a lot easier to win when you have a quarterback of this caliber that can go out there and get the ball to all these weapons," Morris said.
After throwing for 10 touchdowns vs. 18 interceptions in nine starts as a rookie, Freeman has 12 TD passes against five interceptions through nine games this season.
Williams and Benn, who were among seven first-year players starting for Tampa Bay against the Panthers, have combined for seven TD catches.
Freeman has impressed with his ability to remain unruffled under pressure. He's led fourth-quarter comebacks in four of Tampa Bay's six wins this year, and he figures to get better playing with a lead if the Bucs can continue to run the ball like they did Sunday.
The 247-pound Blount, signed off waivers after spending training camp with the Tennessee Titans, rushed for 91 yards against Carolina, with 73 of them on an 87-yard march he finished with his fourth touchdown of the season.
Williams, who's starts but has become more of a third-down back with the emergence of Blount, gained 62 yards on five carries. His clinching TD came on his longest run since 2005, when he was the NFL offensive rookie of the year.
The sixth-year pro's biggest contribution has been in protecting Freeman in passing situations, however Morris said it would be a mistake to underestimate what Williams can do, especially with holes like the one that opened on his touchdown run.
A TD burst, incidentally, that Williams — averaging just 3 yards per carry — predicted in the huddle when he implored an improving offensive line to create some running room and "I'm going to the house."
"Those guys did a great job. It wasn't nothing but green grass," he added.
"Caddy called his shot. He said, 'We won't have to throw the ball. I'm going for six,'" tight end John Gilmore said. "I couldn't help but laugh as I followed him down the field. It was Babe Ruth stuff."
Morris said the running back's value to the team can't be measured in statistics.
Even though Blount is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and has added another dimension to the offense with size and surprising quickness, Williams is counted on for leadership and will remain a big part of game plans.
"It's easy to be the coach from outside of the building if you don't know what's going on inside, if you don't know how much Cadillac has helped LeGarrette Blount get to this point," the coach said. "He means a lot to us, he means a lot to our offense. And he certainly means a lot to Freeman. Just ask him."
Williams said he wants to do what's best for the Bucs, who are tied for second in the NFC South and play at San Francisco (3-6) on Sunday.
"I am a competitor. I would love to be out there to get more carries. But it is what it is. We're winning. We're 6-3, and it's just a pleasure to see young guys out here playing good," the 28-year-old said.
"I personally feel like I have a lot to offer. I still can do more. But it's team first with me. I'm going to continue to support these guys, get people ready to play, continue to be a leader on this team. And whenever my number if called, I've just go to try to do the best with it."
-- Fred Goodall
Hasselbeck in discomfort after breaking wrist
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — For at least this week, the Seattle Seahawks are comfortable with Matt Hasselbeck's discomfort.
If that means another performance like Sunday's in Arizona, the Seahawks will be plenty pleased.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Hasselbeck has two small cracks in his left wrist, courtesy of a questionable fourth-down sneak called in Sunday's 36-18 win over the Cardinals.
The injury is not significant enough that Hasselbeck will miss any time. He'll be fitted with a protective cast or splint this week and should be able to play at New Orleans.
But it won't be his easiest week of preparations.
"We took a really serious, good look to figure it all out and feel very comfortable with it," Carroll said. "He's going to be uncomfortable, you know, for a while here."
Carroll says on its own, the injury would take about four to six weeks to fully heal. But with Seattle (5-4) leading the NFC West by a game over St. Louis, this is not the time for Hasselbeck to be taking a seat if possible.
And with the way Hasselbeck played Sunday, the Seahawks don't want their quarterback sitting out.
Hasselbeck threw for 333 yards and a touchdown in the victory, his best passing total since throwing for 334 yards against Chicago three years ago. Most of Sunday's yards came in the first half, when Hasselbeck carved up the Cardinals' secondary for 273 yards.
That is, until Carroll decided to go for it on fourth down at the Arizona 16 late in the first half instead of settling for a field goal. Hasselbeck tried to sneak ahead for the first down, but came up short and had his wrist injured on the play.
Hasselbeck thought his day was finished, only to return in the second half and help the Seahawks cinch the victory.
"(He) comes back out and just shows his grit and toughness and how determined he is to help this football team in any way that he can," Carroll said.
After getting outscored 74-10 in its previous two games and getting thoroughly trounced both times, Sunday was a significant rebound victory for Seattle. The Seahawks' offense showed life it hadn't displayed in more than a month, while defensively Seattle closed down running lanes that were blown open in the previous two weeks by Oakland and the New York Giants.
The Raiders and Giants combined for 436 yards rushing against Seattle. The Cardinals managed just 41.
"I'm glad we were able to come back after the two weeks that were dismal performances and show that we can play football again," Carroll said.
There was also a little grit shown by the Seahawks, and not just by Hasselbeck. Wide receiver Mike Williams broke his pinky finger in practice last Thursday, then went out and matched his career high with 11 catches and set a new career mark with 145 yards receiving.
Williams now has 46 receptions for 545 yards this season. He had 44 catches for 539 yards in his career before the season began.
Carroll is now hoping that his suddenly clicking offense can get another boost with the potential return of rookie left tackle Russell Okung. Carroll said Okung has been cleared for practice, but the Seahawks won't know until the end of the week if Okung can return from his second high-ankle sprain this season.
Okung has played in just three games, but if he can return, Seattle would finally have the offensive line it envisioned when the season began.
"So there's nothing that we can do but get through it and so we're supporting him and making sure that we're cognizant of how tough it is on him," Carroll said. "He wants to be part of this football team. He's a great, competitive kid and it just hasn't happened for him."
-- Tim Booth
Cardinals search for answers in four-game skid
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Coach Ken Whisenhunt calls losing "unacceptable" for an Arizona Cardinals franchise he thought he had turned around, and he vows that the team's long list of problems will be corrected.
He won't, however, make any changes in his staff or alter his preparation style because, he said, it has been proven that it works.
The coach made the comments on Monday, one day after Arizona's fourth straight loss, an embarrassing 36-18 home battering at the hands of NFC West nemesis Seattle.
All-Pro safety Adrian Wilson went through a long, difficult Sunday afternoon. On Monday he used an expletive, three times, to describe how he played. In his 10th season with Arizona, Wilson went through years of Cardinals futility only to see the franchise win the last two NFC West titles and even make it to the Super Bowl.
He described the situation now as discouraging, very hard, frustrating, sad, "all the negative reactions you can have."
The losing streak is the worst since the team dropped eight straight in 2006, Dennis Green's final season as coach.
Whisenhunt said mistakes were made everywhere.
The most glaring deficiencies were in the secondary. Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck threw for 273 yards in the first half, including a 63-yarder to Deon Butler for the touchdown that put the Seahawks ahead for good.
Wide receiver Mike Williams said the game plan was to avoid cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie's side and take aim at second-year pro Greg Toler on the other side. Whisenhunt eventually benched Toler in favor of Michael Adams. Toler said it was tough to take.
"But my mother always tells me stay true to myself," he said. "God's never going to put you in a situation that you can't handle, so you've just got to stay true to what you know and keep working."
Wilson, a Pro Bowl selection the past two seasons, expects better of himself.
"I have to make those plays whenever they come my way," he said. "That's what I've always said that I would do. For whatever reason, it's not happening this year."
The Cardinals' 49th consecutive sellout home crowd frequently showered the team with boos.
"They certainly have that right," Whisenhunt said. "They're there to support us. They expect us to play well and we haven't played well enough. I appreciate our fans being there, I certainly do. It was a full stadium and had we been able to do what we were supposed to yesterday, it wouldn't have been an issue."
Arizona has not had a losing record in any of Whisenhunt's three full seasons. His achievements led to a big new contract in the offseason. But without Kurt Warner's talents to bail the team out of difficulties, the coach finds himself confronted with a squad that has had issues at quarterback and many other places on both sides of the ball.
"We've set the standard here of making plays in critical situations and now what's happening is we're not making enough plays in all facets of our game," Whisenhunt said. "I think that's carrying over because we're seeing other teams make plays on us but we're not answering those plays. That's what hurts."
His mantra is for the team to keep working.
"As tough as it is," Whisenhunt said, "all you can do is focus on what you know works and continue to put guys in positions where they can make those plays. Eventually, hopefully really soon, we'll turn that corner."
He said he had no problem with the team's effort or the way it has prepared in practice, but it's not carried over to games.
"I think the only thing I can do is know that at some point you're going to have to go through some tough times," Whisenhunt said. "I've seen coach (Bill) Cowher do it. I've seen coach (Jeff) Fisher in Tennessee do it. What you have to do is you have to stick with what you believe in."
Wilson, though, acknowledged that emotionally the losing streak has taken a toll.
"It's hard to kind of stay positive, but you have to," he said. "You have to put your head down, you've got to work. It's very discouraging to be in this situation again."
-- Bob Baum
Troy Smith to remain 49ers' starting QB
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers are 2-0 during the Troy Smith era, and coach Mike Singletary isn't about to mess with a good thing.
Singletary said Monday that Smith will remain the team's starting quarterback this week against Tampa Bay even though Alex Smith is healthy and cleared to play for the first time since separating his left shoulder Oct. 24
It wasn't a very difficult decision. Troy Smith has directed the 49ers to their first winning streak of the season after having one of the most prolific games by a San Francisco quarterback in the past six years.
Troy Smith passed for a career-high 356 yards Sunday to spark a 23-20 overtime victory against the St. Louis Rams, guiding the 49ers on a dramatic touchdown drive in the final minutes of regulation to keep San Francisco's postseason hopes alive.
"He's had a big part in us winning these last two games, and you want to keep that going and see how much is there," Singletary said. "Our team understands that I'm going to go with the guy that is winning right now, the guy that has the hot hand and has made the difference in the past two weeks."
Troy Smith has made a big difference since leapfrogging veteran backup David Carr to take over as the starter during San Francisco's Oct. 31 game against Denver in London. Smith had been San Francisco's No. 3 quarterback to that point and had rarely even taken any snaps with the offense in practice since joining the 49ers in September.
But he led a comeback 24-16 victory over the Broncos, then played a starring role against the Rams as the 49ers improved to 3-6 and remained two games out of first place in the weak NFC West.
Smith passed for more yards in a game than any San Francisco quarterback since 2004.
Smith had at least 60 yards passing to five different receivers, the first time that has ever happened in franchise history. And he produced in the clutch, completing passes on third and 32 and fourth and 18 during a 76-yard touchdown drive that put San Francisco ahead 20-17 with 2:10 to play in regulation.
"Hopefully, the guys see that as a quarterback I'll be there for them for four quarters until we get a win," Smith said. "You want to give guys the chance to showcase their talents and abilities. We're going to attack it the same way we always do, and I'm going to continue to prepare and do the things I need to do to win."
Singletary recently said that Alex Smith would likely still be the team's starter when healthy. But Troy Smith has clearly been an upgrade over Alex, who had a 75.0 passer rating and nine interceptions while going 1-6 in his seven starts. Troy Smith hasn't committed a turnover in his two starts while throwing for 552 yards and compiling a 116.6 passer rating.
Alex Smith took his latest setback in stride. His six-year career with the 49ers has been plagued by turmoil, inconsistency and injuries since he was the No. 1 overall selection of the 2005 NFL draft.
"It's frustrating, but I wasn't surprised by it," Alex Smith said. "He's done a great job the past two weeks and we've won, so I was ready for anything. I'm going to prepare like I always have. When my number gets called, I'll be ready for this team."
NOTES: OT Joe Staley will miss four to six weeks after suffering a fractured left fibula against the Rams. Singletary said the 49ers will not place Staley, the team's starter at left tackle, on injured reserve with the hope he can return at the end of the season for a possible playoff run. ... Swing lineman Adam Snyder and OT Barry Sims are the top candidates to replace Staley. Snyder started at right guard Sunday but left the game with a right shoulder injury and did not return. Snyder had a MRI exam and his shoulder was heavily bandaged in the locker room Monday, but Singletary expects him to be available to play against Tampa Bay.
Spagnuolo: No magic solution for 0-4 road record
ST. LOUIS (AP) — During the St. Louis Rams' bye week, coach Steve Spagnuolo revisited the travel routine in search of answers for the team's road woes.
Even before an overtime loss at San Francisco dropped the Rams to 0-4 on the road their first game back, he concluded that there was no magic solution. And that the outcome wouldn't necessarily have been different if the team had flown two days ahead of kickoff.
"It's not a big dissection," Spagnuolo said Monday. "We don't need to come up with a revolutionary answer."
Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford negated crowd noise with silent counts so well that his hard counts induced seven offsides calls. Spagnuolo recalled that the New York Giants won 11 straight road games when he was their defensive coordinator, and, like the Rams, they traveled a day before the game.
"Once I looked at it, I was done with it," Spagnuolo said. "I'm not going to get caught up in it. You win some and you lose some."
Spagnuolo's message to the team on Monday: "Losing stinks. We're disappointed but not discouraged, and we shouldn't be. There was enough good there."
In two seasons, the Rams are 1-11 on the road under Spagnuolo. This season they've been competitive in all but one of the games, with three losses by a combined six points.
That's a big upgrade from 2009 when their lone win came on the road at Detroit, but they lost 47-7 at Tennessee, 35-0 at San Francisco, 28-0 at Seattle and 31-10 at Arizona. Spagnuolo said if he could change the outcome of just one play the last two games, the Rams would have a pair of road victories and this would no longer be an issue.
In Sunday's 23-20 setback, the play undoubtedly would have been a pass interference call on safety O.J. Atogwe that put the 49ers in easy position for the winning field goal. Tight end Delanie Walker reversed course going for an off-target pass from Troy Smith, just getting rid of the ball to avoid getting sacked by Chris Long, and was knocked down by Atogwe.
The previous road loss, Josh Freeman's 1-yard touchdown pass to Cadillac Williams with 10 seconds remaining gave the Bucs an 18-17 win.
Atogwe complained Sunday that the ball wasn't catchable, and reiterated that thought on Monday, adding that he wouldn't have changed a thing on coverage.
"You always want the game to be decided by the men playing it," Atogwe said. "I don't believe 'The Flash' would have gotten to that one."
Spagnuolo didn't think road woes had become a mental block for players, and expected the bitter taste from the 49ers setback to be gone by the time the team resumed practice on Wednesday.
"It's going to make us stronger," Atogwe said. "There wasn't a point in that game yesterday where we didn't believe that we were going to win. It didn't happen for us this time, but that same belief is within us."
The Rams are in a stretch of playing four of five games on the road and this week is the exception. They're 4-1 at home heading into Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons (7-2), who have the NFC's best record.
There might be a change at cornerback this week after Kevin Dockery, who got the nod ahead of Bradley Fletcher, was burned for a couple of big plays, but Spagnuolo was noncommittal.
"Bottom line, I just have to stay with my man," Dockery said. "Playing DB, cornerback especially, you have to have a short-term memory."
Rookie offensive tackle Rodger Saffold sprained his right ankle, but X-rays and an MRI exam were negative for a high ankle sprain and he could play this week. Safety James Butler is expected back from an ankle injury and wide receiver Danario Alexander, the team's best deep threat, could return to practice from minor knee surgery.
-- R.B. Fallstrom
