Alex Smith Comes Through vs. Saints; NFC Championship Game Next

Sometimes good things happen to those who wait.  Quarterback Alex Smith of the San Francisco 49ers had never lived up to the hype that surrounded his selection as the number one overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.  He’s had his moments, but for the most part he was average on his better days.  Interceptions were a big problem; in 2006, he threw 16 touchdown passes and had 16 interceptions.  It didn’t help that the 49ers as a team pretty much sucked during that time.

That all changed when first year coach Jim Harbaugh took over.  He completely turned the team around, and Alex Smith with it.  The 49ers are a more run oriented team, so Smith wasn’t  going to put up the numbers that Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers have, but he did pass for a career high 3144 yards.  He threw 17 touchdown passes and had just five interceptions.    The 49ers finished the season 13-3, and were the number two seed in the NFC playoffs.

The 49ers hosted the New Orleans Saints in Alex Smith’s first post season game of his NFL career.  In a wild game that saw four fourth quarter lead changes, Smith completed a pass to tight end Vernon Davis for the winning touchdown with nine seconds left in the game.  The 49ers won 36-32 and advanced to the NFC Championship against the New York Giants.

Smith completed 24 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions.  He also scored a touchdown on a 28 yard run with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter.  He may be a late bloomer, but under the right coach and the right system, Smith is finally getting the job done.

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Tags: alex, football, san francisco 49ers