Week 8 - Broncos vs. 49ers (London)

Well, that felt good. The Niners second victory of the season! They're 2-6 now - Woo hoo! I'd still say though, that every game from now until the end of the season is a must-win game, especially given the 49ers' clinging aspirations to qualify for the playoffs. Depending on how the other teams in the division do, it's still a mathematical possibility (oh boy, there's that phrase again). Don't you just love math?

Really, though, what I'd really like to talk about is how impressed I was with the play of quarterback Troy Smith. Even when the Niners looked tame and weren't putting touchdown scoring drives together in the first half, I wasn't getting frustrated - I wasn't happy - but nothing too upsetting. Well, except the usual plain-vanilla playcalling. First play on offense: Gore between the tackles. Still, though, there was something assuring about the offense, a presence and feel I got from the play of the quarterback. A poise and assurance... an energy that I don't get when Alex Smith is in there.

Alex, too, is mobile, but Troy was quick and nimble (oh great, now I'm thinking about Jack Be Nimble) - whenever a pass rusher broke through and was bearing down on him, he deftly avoided him and looked to fix a broken play. In just one game, I felt like something good was about to happen out of a broken play. In contrast, when Alex is in there, a broken play means a lost play, a loss of down. With Troy, and especially on that late pass to Delanie Walker down to the 1-yard line... magic!

There's that old adage I've probably mentioned before on this blog that goes something like: "I'd rather be lucky than good." Not that I'm saying that Troy isn't good, but when a quarterback makes a throw like that, it's good to have that special 'whatever' on his side. Even Coach Mike Singletary brought up Brett Favre - whatever that 'whatever' is, he makes plays and on this particular throw, Troy made the play. Delanie made the play. The play was made and it changed the game. Thinking really positively, heck, it may even have changed the season.

Even though Troy stands only around 6-feet tall (height being relative, of course), and looking like Tiny Archibald next to his teammates, he's got an 'it' factor that's been missing from the quarterback position, maybe since Jeff Garcia left the team. Oh I know, I can't let myself get so giddy from one game, but like I mentioned earlier, even when the Niners looked 'blah' throughout the 1st half, things felt more relaxed and not forced.

And then watching the postgame interviews, I can see how the presence of Troy is that of a winner - he exudes trust and confidence. His pattern of speech is 'legato' whereas Alex's is more what I would describe as 'staccato.' I don't know if that makes sense, or even what difference that makes, but if smooth translates better to the field than over analytical, then I'd go with Troy as my new starter. With a bye week next week, we'll see where Coach Singletary stands on this colossal decision for the next game, or depending on whether Alex has recovered sufficiently from his injury.

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On to the Giants! I wholeheartedly agree that baseball is a sport of superstition. I grew up watching baseball as a Bay Area baseball fan, and have rooted for the Giants to win a World Series ever since I can remember. Over the course of a 162-game regular season, I don't write much about baseball, and hesitate to because I don't want to 'change' anything, the vibe and what-not. And with the Giants on the verge of winning their first ever World Series representing San Francisco, I'll avoid stepping on the foul territory lines, and simply say, "Go Giants!"