The 49ers rolled up a huge insane victory against the St. Louis Rams 23-20 in overtime. The 49ers found their offensive groove in the fourth quarter and Troy Smith put together the best yardage performance by a 49ers QB since 2004. Naturally the media has had plenty to say about this victory and what it means for the 49ers going forward. Here’s what folks are saying about the 49ers victory:
San Francisco Chronicle: The 49ers finally have a deep-ball-throwing, team-leading, game-winning quarterback, which is why they finally have a real shot in the NFC West, after all.
Starting quarterback Troy Smith all but shed the temp-service tag by throwing for 356 yards with a fourth-quarter rally on top to carry the 49ers to a 23-20 victory over the Rams in overtime Sunday at Candlestick Park.
ESPN NFC West Blog: What I liked: Smith continued to give the 49ers life at quarterback. He is not always pretty. Sometimes he holds the ball too long. But he’s not afraid to make things happen, and that separates him from injured starter Alex Smith. Troy Smith has restored the big-play element to the 49ers’ offense. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 356 yards, one touchdown and a 116.7 rating. He took five sacks, but was a big play waiting to happen.
49ers Examiner: Troy Smith’s 356 passing yards on Sunday are the most by a 49ers quarterback since Tim Rattay threw for 417 yards back in 2004. It’s been a while since the 49ers have had that kind of offensive output from a quarterback.
His mobility has given the 49ers offense new life. Being able to keep plays alive with his feet led to a handful of huge plays in the passing game. Also with Smith, the 49ers have a quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over. More importantly, has found a way to lead the 49ers to game-winning scores in the fourth quarter.
That is something that excites the head coach (and fans too).
San Jose Mercury News: Playing with a searing knee injury — he described it as a “sniper shot” — Joe Nedney winced as he drilled the winning field goal Sunday. His knee hurt right up until the moment the ball went through the uprights. “After that,” Nedney said, “all the pain went away.”
Niners Nation: Today’s game ball has to go to Troy Smith. Frank Gore made some key plays and continues to be the team’s MVP in 2010, but Troy showed so much over the course of the game. He struggled in the middle of the game, but his scrambling and throwing skills were incredibly evident on that final drive, as well as numerous other times during the game. I don’t know if Troy Smith is the QB of the future, but I can’t see how he hasn’t earned the starting job in 2010. Maybe he’s not the long term answer. At this point I really don’t care. He made some stupid incredibly stupid plays but he more than made up for them. He’s the QB of right now. I don’t see how anybody can argue otherwise.
Matt Maiocco: Troy Smith completed 17 of 28 passes for 356 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He was sacked five times, and certainly was not perfect. But after the 49ers’ 1-6 start to the season with Alex Smith at quarterback, it seems illogical Singletary would prevent Troy Smith from keeping the momentum going.
“We’re just going to enjoy this win and before I get into who’s the starting quarterback and all that other stuff,” Singletary said, “we’ll sit down as a staff and talk about what we need to take about, discuss what we need to discuss and go from there.”