Well, a couple bad losses and we're all a bit unsure of what to do if you've got a couple 49ers on your roster. Good thing the recommendations last week only included one start, unfortunately that start didn't fare so well, not in the least. Let's see how things turned out ...
QB Alex Smith
Head Coach Mike Singletary is once again considering a change at the quarterback position, does that give you a clue in regards to how Alex Smith fared against the Chargers on Thursday Night Football? Smith completed 19-of-29 passes for only 165 yards with no touchdowns against one interception. He was sacked six times and couldn't do ... well, really anything rolling out to that right side over and over. He did rush for six yards, so ... bonus points?
Outlook: Sit 'em, Hindsight: Sit 'em
HB Brian Westbrook
Westbrook got less yards off more attempts than rookie Anthony Dixon, but neither of them had a combined yardage total (rushing + receiving) of even fifty. Westbrook did have a touchdown, the only time the 49ers put points on the board, but it was overall a sorry effort from the veteran.
Outlook: Sit 'em, Hindsight: Sit 'em
WR Michael Crabtree/WR Josh Morgan
The gut feeling was that Crabtree would rebound, but it wasn't to be. He had three receptions for 17 yards and was once again eclipsed by Josh Morgan, who did pass the century mark with 106 yards on seven receptions. He did not make it to the end zone though. Mike Singletary moves to 0-8 when a 49ers wide receiver has more than 100 yards receiving.
Outlook: Sit 'em, Hindsight: Sit 'em
TE Vernon Davis
Davis was covered perfectly by the San Diego secondary. The safeties took away the deep routes and the corners forced him to only four yards off of a lone reception, in the third quarter. He didn't even stay in to block all that much, the Chargers just happen to hold the league's best pass defense and it showed on Thursday.
Outlook: Sit 'em, Hindsight: Sit 'em
49ers Defense
This was not one of the smarter picks. On paper, it wasn't a wise choice to begin with but something happened and one way or the other, the advice was to start the 49ers defense. A low scoring affair was a possibility with the stakes at hand, but after one or two successful stops in the first quarter (following the blown touchdown early on to Vincent Jackson), the defense had nothing to offer San Diego for the remainder of the game. It was a systematic beat down in which San Diego scored 34 points. Not a pretty outing.
Outlook: Start 'em, Hindsight: Cut 'em