Gannon spent four seasons in Kansas City with Raye on staff, and another year with the Raiders. Here are some of his observations:

--He said the fact that Smith has had five offensive coordinators in five years is "dysfunction." He likened it to his own career. He had been in the league for 17 years and when he opened the season in 2004 against the Steelers with a new Raiders offensive system, he said he was "scared to death."

"It's underestimated what he's gone through," Gannon said of Smith. "Honestly, it's hard. I'm really pulling for him. I know what he's been through."

--For Jimmy Raye, it's a difficult challenge because his focus is not only on what he can do as a coordinator but figuring out what the players can handle. After all, the 49ers have changed quarterbacks, gotten a new wide receiver and lost a stating left tackle in the span of two games.

Gannon says an offensive coordinator looks at the game through the quarterback's eyes. That quarterback has changed in recent weeks. And while subtle changes must be made, he also does not want to "overload" Smith, who hasn't played much since 2006 and new receiver Michael Crabtree.

--Gannon said he believes it takes two offseasons for an offensive coordinator to get things the way he wants, and to figure out who they are as a team.

--Smith's future with the 49ers probably hinges on the remainder of this season. "The next eight weeks are critical for them to find out who he is and what he's capable of," Gannon said.

--Gannon said he looks at Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers and thinks about how similar their paths would've been if their situations had been reversed. Rodgers has maintained some continuity with Mike McCarthy as coach. He also had an opportunity to learn behind Brett Favre before he was given his opportunity.

--Gannon was a roommate of 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky during their time together with the Chiefs. Gannon said Manusky, primarily a special-teams player, was always well-prepared. There was a game in which a starter came into the locker room two hours before kickoff and said he couldn't play. Manusky played middle linebacker and ended up with 18 tackles.

* * *

Coach Mike Singletary said safety Reggie Smith will be a game-time decision on Sunday. He has not played since Sept. 27 when he sustained a severe groin strain.

Linebacker Takeo Spikes (shoulder) returned to practice and will play.

* * *

Shaun Hill was the scout team quarterback. His scrambling skills left a lot to be desired, but Singletary said the defense was made aware throughout the week of Vince Young's ability to hurt the 49ers outside the pocket.

Speaking of the scout team, Singletary singled out the efforts of Diyral Briggs (defense), Cody Wallace (offense) and Jason Hill (special teams) for the looks they gave the 49ers' starters during the week.

He mentions scout team players every week when the team convenes on the field at the end of the Friday practice. He said he does that to show the scout-team players how much he appreciates the effort with which they practice.

* * *

Offensive tackle Alex Boone is still on the practice squad. The 49ers have not made a move to call him up to the 53-man roster. Singletary said he is pleased with Boone's progress, and he talks to offensive line coach Chris Foerster regularly about Boone's progress. "He's doing a good job." Singletary said.

Boone was signed as an undrafted free agent. During the exhibition season, Boone looked to be doing well in the run game, but had difficulty at right tackle against NFL pass rushers.

* * *

INJURY REPORT

49ERS - CB Nate Clements (shoulder), DE Demetric Evans (shoulder), T Joe Staley (knee) are out; S Reggie Smith (groin) and LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder) are probable.

TITANS - RB Javon Ringer (back) is out; S Vincent Fuller (groin), CB Nicholas Harper (forearm), DE Jevon Kearse (knee), T Mike Otto (knee), T David Stewart (hamstring) and LB David Thornton (hip) are questionable.

* * *

A year ago, the 49ers took defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer in the first round of the draft. This year, they selected Ricky Jean-Francois in the seventh round. Neither will be in the starting lineup Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, but both will be in uniform.

Today, I spoke to Jean-Francois for a podcast:

* * *

Among the things Jean-Francois talked about . . .

--After being inactive for the first seven games of the season, he gets his chance with a shoulder injury expected to keep veteran Demetric Evans sidelined for three weeks. Jean-Francois said he is excited to play in his first regular-season game, and opening with a home game is a dream.

--His role for Sunday's game will be to know every position along the defensive line and enter the game when the guys ahead of him need a breather.

--He sat down with every one of his defensive line teammates in training camp to learn. He wanted to know what goes through Aubrayo Franklin's mind during the course of a play. He wants to be able to incorporate all the different styles into his game.

--He has gotten a lot of work on the scout team to help prepare the offense for that week's opponent. He said the offensive linemen would get mad at him earlier in the season because he wasn't giving them the kind of "look" they wanted. Then, he was told that it serves his best interest to get to know the different techniques being taught around the league. After all, most players move around the league and if he were to go to a new team, it's a good thing to know how the different teams operate.

--Then I had to ask him . . . why the heck did he miss his flight back from the bye week? Jean-Francois said he misread his itinerary. By the time he looked at to confirm when his flight was leaving, it was too late. He said he tried everything possible to get on another flight, but he could not make it back for that Monday practice.

--Although Jean-Francois is likely to see limited playing time, he is ready to play every snap - even if the game goes into overtime. Yes, coach Mike Singletary had Jean-Francois doing a lot of running as his punishment for missing the flight.

* * *

Balmer might get the most playing time of his career on Sunday against the Titans. Although he is not a starter, he has nearly already surpassed his production from a year ago.

As far as I can tell, Balmer has improved greatly from a year ago. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky is less-than candid during his weekly sessions with reporters. When I asked about Balmer, this is what he said:

"Doing well, he is doing well. He is progressing. He keeps on getting better and better each week and we are trying to get him more and more playing time and as many snaps as we can."

Playing time is not easy to get because this defensive line has played very well this season. The 49ers have the No. 2-ranked rushing defense in the NFL, and the line has done an exceptional job in that area of allowing the linebackers to roam free and make tackles.

According for the statistics that 49ers coaches take from the game film, here is how the 49ers' defensive linemen stack up:

Aubrayo Franklin 43 tackles, 4.5 for loss, 2.0 sacks, 8 QB pressures

Justin Smith 39 tackles, 4 for loss, 1 sack, 38 QB pressures

Isaac Sopoaga 31 tackles, .5 for loss, 1 sack, 6 QB pressures

Ray McDonald 15 tackles, 0 for loss, 3 sacks, 21 QB pressures

Kentwan Balmer 14 tackles, 1 for loss, 0 sacks, 4 QB pressures

Demetric Evans 8 tackles, .5 for loss, 0 sacks, 4 QB pressures

As a rookie, Balmer was credited with 20 tackles in 16 games.

* * *

I always like to look at a player's contract to determine if he is over- or under-performing. Although Balmer was a late-first-round draft pick, I can't say there's much disparity between what he's making and what he's producing.

After all, Balmer is making less in annual salary ($1.49 million) than Smith ($7.5 million), Sopoaga ($4 million), Franklin ($2.05 million) and Evans ($1.9 million). So if you consider salary and playing time, Balmer is about where he belongs.

Anyway, let's see how he produces Sunday when he gets on the field.

* * *

I asked Raye today about the spread offense and the fact that the run game has not been consistently successful this season. The 49ers are not going to become a "spread" team. But Raye said there might be more of those elements added to the team's offense as the season progresses.

Here are some of Raye's answers to my questions about the state of the 49ers' offense:

Q: With the personnel you have and what you spent time in the offseason working on, are you comfortable going with the spread offense and shotgun for large portions of the game?

Raye: "No. No. Not at all. We're the same bunch that four weeks ago we were talking about how we're going to play. We haven't changed that. If that was in fact true and we were going to take this deal and become a shotgun, wide-open and throw the ball 48 or 52 times a game, then we'd have to do an awful lot of changing. We can mix that, which we have and intend to do, but as a steady diet . . . I think the confusion is that people are looking at the extremities of what they perceive to be the talent at the extremities and making a judgment that is not founded or grounded at all. And the quarterback has played six quarters today, and people are now starting to refer to his history in that offense in college, which is five years removed. Right now I don't delight in that prospect. Going forward, if it manifests itself and is something that will help us, we'll gravitate toward that. As of now, the answer to that question is no."

Q: You talked about four weeks ago. Four weeks ago, Alex Smith wasn't the quarterback and Michael Crabtree wasn't here. Do you lean more that way than you did four weeks ago? I'm not saying rip up the playbook, but use more of those elements?

Raye: "Yes, we would think of that a little more. It's difficult because we're still, in certain things, trying to get No. 15 (Crabtree) to line up in the right place. There are more elements to it than just the physical body of the people we have. So there's a lot of things that go into that before we say, 'We're going to switch gears and go in another direction.' We can gravitate toward that and make due because of what we see out of his natural ability, but the nuances and the fine-tuning still takes some time. And then the exposure of the offensive line . . . "

Q: Exposure of the offensive line?

Raye: "If you do that it takes away the threat of the run. So if you're trying to block Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis on every down and the left tackle is hurt on the first play, you got to be . . . you kind of have to re-evaluate what you're trying to do."

Q: Is the offense running how you want it to right now?

Raye: "In some areas, yes. Basically, offensively, what we'd like to do as we strive to achieve balance, is to be able to score points. And we haven't done that in abundance. We've been efficient in certain areas. We do a very good job with the stuff we have in the red zone. We haven't had the consistency in the run or the pass that we'd like, but the pass part of it appeared to be some better with the change and the addition of the people that we have. So I guess the answer is yes and no.

Q: The pass game is coming along, so what do you think is the main area of the run game that just has not clicked like you thought it would?

Raye: "The efficiency of 4-yard runs on first down. That coupled with the fact that we get an overloaded box. When we're in a 21 personnel group (two backs, one tight end, two receivers), we see more gap-controled eight-man add-on fronts than we'd normally like to see. When we started back, we were more interested in quantity of run than quality because we were trying to control the clock and put it together to the point that we had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter. And somewhere along the way, in the last  2 ½ weeks, that's kind of gotten lost."

Q: Why haven't you been getting those 4 yards on first down?

Raye: "Part of it . . . if you want to go back chronologically . . . part of it is we changed the right side of the line. We lost the back (Gore) for a while. There are all kinds of symptoms to why it is. The basic answer is the lack of continuity and familiarity approach with people are comfortable playing with each other together more than anything else."

Q: So are the pieces still there?

Raye: "It's not the same pieces, but we have people in place. We lost Tony Pashos and a week later we lost Joe Staley. There are some differences. I'm not alibi-ing or making excuses but it is different than the way we started in Arizona seven weeks ago."

* * *

Of course, Joe Staley (knee), Nate Clements (shoulder) and Demetric Evans (shoulder) are out with injuries. Jean-Francois will be the 49ers' fifth defensive lineman, while Patrick will take over as the team's backup at both left and right tackle spots.

Barry Sims was the 49ers' backup tackle, but he will now start at left tackle in place of Staley. Tony Wragge will remain as the team's backup at center and the two guard positions.

* * *

Coach Mike Singletary said he there's a chance the team will get the services of safety Reggie Smith this week. Smith has been out since Sept. 27 with a severely strained groin.

* * *

Why has Vernon Davis' game taken off this season? Well, he credited the fact that he's around Mike Singletary, of course. But the first explanation he gave was "opportunity."

Under Mike Martz there would be games in which Davis was kept in to block on more than 50 percent of the team's pass plays. This season that has rarely happened.

"I haven't pass-protected much," Davis said. "We're doing everything we can to get the playmakers the ball. Jimmy Raye is taking advantage of it."

He said he does not expect that to change with the shuffling on the offensive line.

"There's confidence to rely on Barry Sims to get it done," Davis said.

* * *

Brandon Jones and Arnaz Battle are the candidates to return punts Sunday against the Titans. Jones has returned 13 punts in his five-year career, including two Sunday against the Colts after Clements' injury. He fielded a fourth-quarter punt at the 3-yard line and returned it to the 6.

* * *

Why is outside linebacker Parys Haralson's production down from a year ago when he led the 49ers with eight sacks? Singletary said it's because the 49ers have faced a bunch of maximum protection schemes.

"Parys Haralson will do just fine, that's just where we are right now," Singletary said. "Max protection is one of the main things that's happened for all of our guys. But we'll still find a way to get there."

Singletary said Ahmad Brooks will see more time in third downs. "He's a talented guy and he's just getting back healthy from the knee and everything else," Singletary said.

* * *

That's the matchup Sunday at the 'Stick when the Titans visit to play the 49ers. Young and Smith are former high draft picks who lost their starting jobs for various reasons.

Now, both are trying to remake their careers with their original teams. Both made their first starts of the season a week ago.

Young, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 draft, lost his starting job to Kerry Collins. With mostly Collins at the controls, the Titans went 13-3 but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

But when Young was playing, the Titans have always been effective. In fact, Young's regular-season record as a starter is now 19-11 with last week's 30-13 victory over the Jaguars. (It didn't hurt matters that running back Chris Johnson gained 228 yards on 24 rushes).

Meanwhile, Smith, the top pick of the 2005 draft, started for the first time in nearly two full years when the 49ers lost to the unbeaten Colts 18-14.

The 49ers beat reporters got a little surprise this morning when Young was on the other end of the line for a conference call.

Here's the transcript of the interview this morning:

Q: Was it like riding a bike to get back on the field last week?

Young: "I wouldn't say that easy. I was definitely nervous. Coach did a great job of getting me in rhythm. Offensive line did a great job of getting me some time to sit back and go through my reads, and receivers and tight ends made some great catches"

Q: Do you think you benefited from time off to step back and gain a greater understanding of the offense and what defenses were trying to do?

Young: "Everything. From the game and to off-the-field things that were going on. Definitely, that year off helped out a lot."

Q: Did you ever doubt you'd be back in this position, starting again?

Young: "I always got confidence in myself, and always got much respect for whatever God has planned for me. I know He has something planned for me, so I just have to stay humble and behind the scenes take care of my own responsibilities and stay in shape and pay attention to what's going on with our offense, as well as being a scout team quarterback and helping our defense get better every week."

Q: Was that the big challenge, to keep mentally focused - the cliché is "one snap away"?

Young: "I definitely want to play, being the confident player that I am. I always want to do something to help out the team, but that's what I was supposed to do, be a leader on the sideline - be the eyes for Kerry (Collins) on the sideline and to keep the team motivated and pumped up on the sideline. I feel like it was challenging, but it helped me out a lot as well."

Q: If you could point to one thing you learned from watching Kerry Collins last year, what was it?

Young: "Patience. Let the game come to you. Don't force it and do whatever it takes. If the defense says this or says that, just stay humble and patient and let the game come to you. Make the right reads and get the ball to the players that we have and let them take care of their responsibilities, as well"

Q: Did you feel like you put that patience to use last week?

Young: "Definitely. Being patient and letting the game come to me. Everybody expected me to go out and force it and do all this and that, but stayed prayed up and stayed relax. Like I said, sitting back and watching Kerry and how the offense functioned, and why coach called this way to do these certain things, and if it's not there use the God-given talent I have in my legs to make something happen as well."

Q: Was there any anxiety about having your first start back at home in front of the home fans?

Young: "I was pretty excited going against the team (Jacksonville) that put me out, that hurt me, definitely. And definitely getting back in front of the fans and letting them know and showing them what I've been doing. You know, staying focused and being humble - not being selfish and things like that. And just waiting on my time to come back around, and that's about it."

Q: When you run for a first down, do you sense the defense is frustrated and demoralized by that?

Young: "Somewhat, but they know the type of quarterback that I am. Like I said, the offensive line gives me time to go through my reads, and if one-two-three is not there, it's time to make something happen. You see a lot of quarterbacks in the league do the same thing, buying more time to get their receivers open, and I feel like I'm blessed to do that real good, as well. So whatever it takes, throwing the ball downfield or using my legs to get the first (down), I just want to stay on the football field."

Q: Have you followed Alex Smith, another quarterback who is trying revive his career. Do you find that interesting that you'll be opposing each other Sunday?

Young: "Oh, yeah, I have much respect for Alex. I saw him a while back and he always has inspiring words for me, and I give him the same inspiring words when I see him. I know what he was going through, and I'm pretty sure he knows what I was going through. We both were being very patient and just waiting for when coach makes that move and when we get in there, we want to make the best of it."

Q: How do you know Alex?

Young: "We met one of the NFL functions a while back. I don't remember what it was. But we had a couple of words. That's what all quarterbacks do. We just give each other some kind of encouraging words, until we see each other again and we say the same thing. That's how we are as quarterbacks. We stick together."

Q: When you look at the 49ers' defense and what they're going to try to do to you guys, what do you think the biggest challenge for you will be?

Young: "We'll have to wait and see what those guys are going to try to do. But I feel the front-four guys, the guys on the defensive line and the linebackers are very sound, very smart, veteran guys. And I feel the guys behind them play off them. We just got to be very patient. They're the best rushing defense, and things like that, so we have to be very patient and develop and don't get too frustrated when things don't work the way we want it to be. But at the same time, we have to stay humble and be patient and let the game comes. And when it happens, it'll happen. I really feel like they're a real, real good defense. They look real good on film."

Q: How advantageous to you is it that the 49ers really haven't played a running quarterback this season?

Young: "You never know. These guys are very talented. I'm not going to feed into all that. I know those guys are going to get ready to play, just like we are getting ready to play them. It's going to be a great game. I feel like it's going to be a really good game. I know (Patrick) Willis and (Takeo) Spikes are going to have those guys ready to go."

Q: How well do you know Tarell Brown from the Texas days.

Young: "I know him a lot, I can't wait to see his big-head self. I'm going to try to give him a hard time and give him congrats on everything that's going on with him. And Mike Lewis, I know him as well. And Moran Norris. I know a lot of those guys, so I'm looking forward to seeing those guys. Like I was telling some of the guys here, I can't wait to get down there because I've been a big fan of the 49ers for a long time. Watching Terrell Owens score a touchdown, go to the playoffs, and Steve Young and Joe Montana, and Deion Sanders and Ken Norton Jr. So I'm looking forward to getting a chance to see the stadium and Coach (Mike) Singletary and get the chance to beat him, as well."

Q: With Tarell Brown, a lot of 49ers fans haven't seen him play that much. What do you remember about his play as teammates?

Young: "He's very speedy, physical guy. He comes up and makes tackles. Very aggressive DB, just like we like them - just like I like them. (He's) a DB you know can come up and make plays and if he has a chance to put his hands on the ball, he'll score a touchdown with it. So I have much respect for Tarell Brown. He knows that. He knows if I get a chance to throw that ball over there, I'm going to throw a couple at him. He knows that, too."

Q: Did you say earlier in your first reference to Tarell Brown that he has a big head?

Young: "Yeah, I see he cut his hair off, so it makes his head even bigger. (Laughs)."

Q: We'll make sure to pass that along.

Young: "Please pass that to him. . . . Take care."

* * *

"As I told our team this morning, this is a team that we know nothing about," Fisher said this morning a handful of Bay Area newspaper reporters during the weekly conference call with the opposing coach.

"It's very important that we become familiar with them very quickly. It's a discipline football team that plays hard, finishes game and forces mistakes. I'm really impressed the more and more I watch."

Fisher said he is most impressed by the 49ers' run defense, which ranks second in the NFL.

"To have played teams like Atlanta, St. Louis and Minnesota and be where they're ranked against the run is very, very impressive," Fisher said. "And that's not a misleading statistic. They're very sound and they play well."

Other observations from Fisher about the 49ers as he tries to learn as much about the team this week:

--"They've done a good job of quietly surrounding the quarterback with good players. The offensive line finishes well, they're well-coached, the tight end is playing out of his mind right now. It's impressive to watch him not only as a receiver but also as a blocker. And the receivers are complementing him. They get open and they block. Gore's touchdown run against the Colts wouldn't have been possible if the receivers didn't make contact with those two defensive backs. They understand the importance of everybody contributing."

--Fisher was asked if he believes he'll see more of quarterback Alex Smith running an offense with spread elements. His answer: "When you have a team built the way their offense is built, and the way their defense is playing, the formula is working. The run game, the play-action, stay out of third downs, make your plays on first and second downs with run and play-action. Keep drives alive get points, kick field goals - you have one of the better kickers in the league - play good defense and you win games."

--On Alex Smith: "He's got the arm strength to make all the throws. The thing that's impressive is when he came in, he was accurate, he was poised, he used the snap count to draw them offsides at home. He was on time. He made plays. The offense was such that they gave them a chance."

--Seldom-used 49ers receiver Brandon Jones played his first four years with the Titans, where caught 112 passes for 1,380 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had six rushing attempts and averaged 12.7 yards.

"He could (play) the slot and win the one-on-one outside," Fisher said. "He has some skills and I imagine he still does as far as run after the catch. He was a reverse guy who could pick up a first down for us. And if we needed him to return he could field the ball and do those things. He just struggled off and on with an injury here and there, but he made a lot of big plays for us."

* * *

Fisher was a cornerback with the Bears, and part of the same 1981 draft class as Mike Singletary. Although, as Fisher points out, they were drafted on different days.

"Mike was all about business," Fisher said. "I'll never forget swinging by his room early in camp and every single formation and every motion, every variation was on cards taped to walls and his ceiling in training camp. That's how important football was to him.

"I've crossed paths with Mike numerous times since I started coaching, and Mike was enjoying his life. He was enjoying Kim and the kids, and speaking and retirement. It didn't surprise me when given the opportunity he took advantage of it in Baltimore. I can't say enough from standpoint of how happy I am for him. I believe and the rest of the league can see how quickly he's turned that team around."

* * *

Fisher was a defensive backs coach for the 49ers in 1992 and '93.

"I'll never forget one of first few days there, I was watching tape and watching the personnel and said to one of the assistants . . . just with defensive personnel we can win 10 or 11 games," Fisher said. "The assistant said, 'Don't say that too loud. The expectation here is to win them all.'"

* * *

That was the expectation for the Titans this season, too. But they opened the season with losses to the Steelers (13-10), Texans (34-31) and the Jets (24-17). Tennessee lost its first six games before breaking through with a victory over the Jaguars last week.

Running back Chris Johnson said this week he believes the Titans will run the table to finish with a 10-6 record and make the playoffs.

And we'll be talking with Johnson soon . . . actually, quarterback Vince Young joined us on the conference call. I'll have excerpts in a separate entry. 

* * *

He spoke in vague terms about the coaches not having exposure to the players and Alex Smith not having exposure to the spread offense.

Then, I spoke to Smith about it, and I think I have a better idea of what Singletary meant.

The first thing Smith told me is that if a team plans to be running that kind of attack in situations that aren't a two-minute drill at the end of a half, the groundwork has to be laid for it in the offseason.

The 49ers' offseason vision for this offense under Jimmy Raye was going to be a power-running team behind a physical offensive line and running back Frank Gore. Out of those run formations, the 49ers wanted to get the ball into the hands of Vernon Davis. If Singletary wanted a spread-'em-out offense that throws the ball around the field, he would've retained Mike Martz as coordinator.

Raye and the coaches did not have a lot of "exposure" to Smith and Michael Crabtree, and Smith - in turn - did not have a lot of exposure to the "spread" during his offseason work when he was competing against Shaun Hill for the starting job.

As I understand it, the 49ers have their basic two-minute package that consists of three wide receivers, tight end Vernon Davis and running back Frank Gore. They run many of those plays out of the shotgun formation. But if they want to use that offense during the regular course of the game, they don't have the kind of variety with their play-calling and their adjustments to what the defense is doing. In other words, the 49ers might be able to have success in the short term, but then the defense quickly sees everything the 49ers have to offer and, maybe, there aren't enough adjustments to stay ahead of the curve.

I think that's what Singletary meant when he said he wondered aloud if it were wise to put Smith in that situation and whether he was ready for it.

This is also the reason why it's imperative that teams maintain continuity on offense. Raye's first priority in the offseason was to install the team's offense. The Colts, for instance, can do all kinds of complex things with their offense because offensive coordinator Tom Moore has been with the Colts since 1998 - Peyton Manning's first year in the league.

* * *

Quick observation about the offensive line . . . Gore had a 64-yard TD run in which the blocking was good and he split two unblocked defensive backs en route to the end zone. But the 49ers did not have consistency with the run game. The 49ers averaged 2.88 yards on the other 17 rushing attempts. Yet, I do not believe the offensive line played poorly. On many of the short runs (or losses) I could not assign blame to anyone. The Colts simply outnumbered the 49ers at the line of scrimmage on many of those plays. Even in pass protection - all things considered - the line did a very good job of providing time and a clean pocket for Smith. There seemed to be something different on nearly every drive that kept the 49ers from sustaining drives: a failure to stay inbounds, a bad break on a tipped pass, a fumble, a penalty, a 12-yard route when they needed 13, a dropped pass, an inaccurate pass and - yes - a sack. From what I saw after re-watching the film, the line might have been the offensive position group least-responsible for the 49ers' loss.

* * *

ROSTER UPDATE: The 49ers today signed cornerback Keith Smith, formerly of the Detroit Lions. Smith was signed as the 49ers expect to be without Nate Clements for up to two months with a broken shoulder blade. To make room on the 53-man roster, the 49ers released receiver Micheal Spurlock.

* * *

And, now, here's the all-53-man review:

Quarterbacks

7-Nate Davis: The third QB did not play.

11-Alex Smith: He generally played with poise, though there might have been a couple times when he broke out of the pocket too soon - but certainly nothing egregious. Smith made some very nice throws. The pass on the deep comeback to Crabtree, in which he dropped it in between two defendeers in the fourth quarter was extraordinary. The one pass Smith wishes he could have back, I'm sure, was an overthrow to Isaac Bruce from a clean pocket on the final drive. That play would've gone for at least 20 yards. Also, Smith should've been better aware of the play clock on the 49ers' penultimate drive. He should have called a timeout instead of taking the delay penalty. Singletary said Smith is developing into a player who looks as if he might be special. I'll say that all signs are pointing up.

13-Shaun Hill: The backup QB did not play.

Running backs

21-Frank Gore: He did a nice job of crashing through two defensive backs to turn a 7-yard gain into a 64-yard touchdown. The 49ers were definitely outnumbered at the line of scrimmage, but there were a couple opportunities for Gore to make cuts to get additional yardage. Again, he did a pretty good job on blitz pickup. On the 49ers' final offensive play of the game, he picked up Dwight Freeney, who came inside on a stunt. Gore squared him up nicely, which should've been good enough. But Freeney bounced off Gore and got the sack of Smith a full 3.7 seconds after the snap of the ball.

24-Michael Robinson: Did not play any snaps from scrimmage. He was the team's primary kickoff returner, and he managed a 19.8 average on five returns. He was always right there on the coverage units. He was credited with one tackle.

29-Glen Coffee: Played just five snaps from scrimmage and carried once for 8 yards. He was also the up-back on kickoff returns. There were several times he missed a block on a man who ended up stopping Robinson after a short gain.

44-Moran Norris: Played 19 defensive snaps. He picked up first downs on third-and-1 plays with rushes up the middle of 3 and 1 yards. His blocking was not bad at all, but it seems that when he's in the game, defenses send an extra defender into the box and things get stacked up rather quickly. Norris did a nice job of picking up Robert Mathis, who was in the process of getting around Adam Snyder, allowing Smith just enough time to deliver a 17-yard pass to Crabtree.

Wide receivers

15-Michael Crabtree: He started at split end and played 50 of the 49ers' 54 snaps. He led the 49ers with six catches for 81 yards. His third-quarter fumble when the 49ers had already put together a couple first downs near midfield was very costly. Crabtree had a drop on a swing pass that wouldn't have gotten any yards. He ran a 12-yard route when the 49ers needed 13 yards on third down. He got his right hand on a pass in which Smith led him too much, the ball was deflected to Colts safety Bob Sanders for an interception. Crabtree nearly busted a big one on a slant that resulted in a 27-yard gain. He also held on at the sideline for a 12-yarder despite a big hit from defensive back Tim Jennings.

18-Micheal Spurlock: Inactive; coaches decision. Spurlock was released today to make room on the roster for cornerback Keith Smith.

81-Brandon Jones: Suited up for the game, and saw action on just one offensive snap. He replaced injured Nate Clements on punt returns in the second half, and made the regrettable decision to field a fourth-quarter punt at his own 3. He returned it to the 6.

83-Arnaz Battle: He did not see any action on offense, but he made two tackles on special teams and forced a fumble on a punt return that the Colts ended up recovering.

84-Josh Morgan: Started but played just 27 snaps in the game. He caught just one pass for 3 yards. He was also called for excessive celebration when he went to a knee to pretend he was taking photos of Vernon Davis after a touchdown. That meant the 49ers kicked off from the 15, allowing the Colts to travel into position for a field goal in the final 30 seconds of the first half. Singletary on Monday said, "It's just not being smart."

88-Isaac Bruce: He did not start the game, but he saw more action than Morgan. Bruce played 41 snaps. He had one dropped pass and another that was thrown behind him that he got a hand on. Bruce caught four passes for 51 yards. He also made a very alert play when he did not give up on the play in which Crabtree fumbled. Bruce saved a touchdown when he tackled Jerraud Powers after the recovery.

89-Jason Hill: Inactive; coaches decision.

Tight ends

46-Delanie Walker: He started and played a lot in the first half. Did not catch a pass. He made a nice block on linebacker Clint Sessions to help Gore pick up 7 yards in the second half.

85-Vernon Davis: He started and played every offensive snap for the 49ers. He caught three passes for 20 yards and his league-leading seventh TD of the season. But on the 49ers' first third down of the game, Davis could've (should've) gotten both feet inbounds when he caught a Smith pass at the sideline. Davis made the catch and just continued to run, instead of trying to tap both feet in.

Offensive line

59-Cody Wallace: Inactive; coaches' decision.

61-Chris Patrick: New addition to the roster was inactive and did not suit up.

62-Chilo Rachal: Started at right guard. I like the way Rachal started out the game and he put a shove on Powers near the end of a run play. On Gore's touchdown run, Rachal got defensive tackle Daniel Muir turned around and drove him to the ground with Gore running up their backs. His pass protection was a lot better than it's been. The only time I really saw him get beat was when Muir slipped through to stop Gore for a 1-yard loss on a draw play.

64-David Baas: Started at left guard. He handled defensive tackle Antonio Johnson on Gore's touchdown run. Baas did not give up any sacks, but he did get one when he stepped on Smith as he was backing up under center. The next play, linebacker Gary Brackett beat Baas to throw Gore for a 1-yard loss. Baas did a nice job on a third-and-1 run by Norris that gained 3 yards. Baas was also called for a holding penalty that he did not deserve. In the first half, Johnson tried to spin against Baas, and then he just fell down. Baas never had ahold of Johnson, but he was called for the penalty nonethess.

65-Barry Sims: He entered the game on the 49ers' second offensive play after Joe Staley's injury. He was matched up mostly against Colts DE Dwight Freeney. Sims played very, very well. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he pitched a shutout against Freeney. Sure, Freeney had a sack in the game, but it came on a stunt in which Gore picked him up. Even then, that was more of a coverage sack.

66-Eric Heitmann: Started at center. On Gore's touchdown run, Heitmann started out with a double-team block on Muir, then got to the second level to tie up Brackett. He also did a nice job up the middle on Norris' two third-and-1 runs. The Colts were geared up for those to runs, and the 49ers still got the yardage.

68-Adam Snyder: Started at right tackle. Snyder helped provide a very clean pocket most of the day for Smith, including on the 8-yard touchdown toss to Davis. But he certainly had his hands full against Robert Mathis, who beat him for one sack which knocked the 49ers out of field-goal range in the fourth quarter. Snyder had difficulty with Mathis' spin move. There were also times when Snyder required help and twice when Mathis got good pressure on Smith.

69-Tony Wragge: He played two snaps of offense when he reported eligible as an extra tight end on two Moran Norris run plays.

74-Joe Staley: He started at left tackle, but his day lasted just one play when he sustained a right knee sprain on the first play of the game. Staley is expected to miss six weeks with a right knee sprain.

* * *

Defensive line

90-Isaac Sopoaga: Started at left defensive end and played very well. He showed his athleticism when he came across from the other side of the line to stop Joseph Addai for a 2-yard gain in the first quarter. Sopoaga also took advantage of good coverage to throw Manning for a third-quarter sack. He was credited with four tackles.

91-Ray McDonald: Looked much better this week in his second game back from an ankle injury that forced him out of the Falcons game back on Oct. 11. He entered the game in passing situations to rush from a defensive tackle position. He recorded a third-quarter sack in which he simply overpowered guard Mike Pollak.

92-Aubrayo Franklin: Started at nose tackle, and had very good game. He had three tackles, including a tackle for a loss, and a sack. On a third-and-2 in the first half, he did a nice job of controlling center Jeff Saturday and shedding him to stop Addai for no gain. On the sack, he was double-teamed and stayed with the play to get to Manning, who could not find anyone open.

93-Demetric Evans: He played mostly on special teams as part of the wedge on kickoffs. Evans sustained a left shoulder injury that is expected to keep him out of action for three weeks.

94-Justin Smith: Started at right defensive end. He was his usual relentless self with seven tackles. He also did a nice job of pushing left tackle Charlie Johnson into Manning, forcing him to step up and into Franklin for a sack.

95-Ricky Jean-Francois: Inactive; coaches' decision.

96-Kentwan Balmer: He saw limited time on defense, but he did OK when he was in there. He made a tackle. And got some decent pressure on Manning while working against Johnson. I know he gets a lot of scrutiny because he was a first-round pick, but it looks as if he's doing what's asked of him. He'll probably get a few more snaps a game with Evans' injury.

Linebacker

50-Diyral Briggs: Recent call-up from practice squad was inactive.

51-Takeo Spikes: Started at "Ted" linebacker and played a lot more than anyone anticipated after getting limited practice time with a shoulder strain. He had a nice game with eight tackles. One of his best plays was when he was isolated outside on Addai on a sweep. Spikes had great position, great balance and Addai ended up faking out himself and falling down. After returning from an officials' timeout with cramps, Spikes looked just as fresh and quick as ever and made two quick tackles.

52-Patrick Willis: Started at "Mike" linebacker. He recorded eight tackles, including a play in which he closed quickly on backup running back Chad Simpson to throw him for a loss. Willis was in coverage on four pass completitions, including an 18-yarder to Dallas Clark in the first half.

55-Ahmad Brooks: Saw playing on special teams. I might have missed something, but I did not see him on defense.

56-Scott McKillop: Played on special teams. He had one assisted tackle.

57-Matt Wilhelm: Played exclusively on special teams, and recorded one tackle.

98-Parys Haralson: Started at weak outside linebacker, and was silent throughout the game. He recorded one tackle and did not get any pressure on Manning.

99-Manny Lawson: Started at strong outside linebacker, and had a pretty good game. Lawson had four tackles, and forced Manning to throw sooner than he wanted when he leveled Clark, who was responsible for him in pass protection.

Defensive backs

22-Nate Clements: He was demoted from the starting lineup because the coaching staff did not think he matched up well against the Colts receivers. He was the team's primary punt returner, but he sustained a broken right shoulder blade late in the first half when he absorbed a big hit from Powers.

23-Marcus Hudson: He was outstanding on special teams with four tackles.

25-Tarell Brown: Made his first start of the season, as he replaced Clements at left cornerback. He was mostly responsible for covering Pierre Garcon. I counted seven times in which Brown was tested in coverage, and Manning completed four of those passes for just 21 yards. He might have gotten a bit lucky on the first play of the game, though, when it looked as if Garcon was open on a deep route but Manning underthrew him.

26-Mark Roman: Entered the game as part of the 49ers' dime coverage. It looked as if he went for the two-handed interception of a third-quarter pass to Garcon instead of extending further and knocking it down with one hand. The ball slipped through and Garcon turned it into a 32-yard play.

28-Curtis Taylor: Saw action on special teams and contributed to one tackle.

30-Reggie Smith: Inactive with a severe groin strain that was injured Sept. 27 against the Vikings.

31-Dre' Bly: Used as an extra defensive back. He let a potential interception slip away early in the game on a pass to Reggie Wayne. He did a good job in coverage throughout the game.

32-Michael Lewis: Returned to action after missing last week's game with a concussion. He started at strong safety. He broke up one pass and forced a fumble while making five tackles in his return to action. Clark beat him for a 40-yard pass reception in the fourth quarter after the Colts began that series at the 10-yard line.

36-Shawntae Spencer: Started at cornerback, and his job was to cover Colts wideout Reggie Wayne. If the goal was to not allow Wayne to get behind him, he did a good job - until the halfback pass that caught him coming up in run support. Wayne was wide open and caught a 22-yard pass for the Colts' only touchdown. According to my count, Spencer was at least partially in coverage against Wayne on 10 of his receptions for 115 yards. He did break up a long pass in the first quarter in the end zone.

38-Dashon Goldson: Started at free safety. He recorded 10 tackles and did a nice job of cleaning up after some completions. He delivered his biggest hit of the year on a incomplete pass down the right sideline to Parcon. Goldson did a good job of avoiding a hit to Garcon's head, which would have been a 15-yard penalty.

Special teams

4-Andy Lee: It was definitely one of his better days. He averaged 50.0 yards on eight punts, with an impressive net average of 46.0. He also landed four of his punts inside the Colts' 20-yard line.

6-Joe Nedney: He made his only two PAT attempts. He was put in a bad situation of kicking off from the 15-yard line late in the first half. The Colts returned it to the 39 with :26 remaining and they quickly got into position for a Matt Stover field goal.

86-Brian Jennings: His snaps were on the mark, and he hustled down on a punt to assist on a tackle. Another perfect day.

* * *

Injured reserve

OT Tony Pashos: Sustained a fractured left scapula Oct. 25 vs. Texans during his only start. Pashos signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with 49ers after he was among the Jaguars' final cuts.

LB Jeff Ulbrich: Placed on injured reserve Oct. 19 due to multiple concussions.

CB Walt Harris: Sustained torn ACL in right knee during organized team activities on May 19 and placed on injured reserve on July 29. Harris, 35, is not under contract to the 49ers next season, but he said he plans to rehab and play again.

RB Thomas Clayton: He sustained a torn ACL in right knee in the 49ers' exhibition opener Aug. 14 against the Broncos.

* * *

Staley is expected to miss six weeks with sprains to ligaments in his right knee. Staley sustained injuries to his medial-collateral and posterior-cruciate ligaments on the first play of Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The 49ers have lost their starting offensive tackles in back-to-back games. Right tackle Tony Pashos sustained a broken shoulder blade last week against the Houston Texans and is out for the season.

Clements is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks with a broken shoulder blade. He sustained the injury while returning a second-quarter punt Sunday against the Colts.

The 49ers play the Arizona Cardinals six weeks from today in a game that could be pivotal in the NFC West race.

And defensive lineman Demetric Evans is expected to miss three weeks with a shoulder sprain.

* * *

Let's hit some of the key points from the couple hours I spent in 49ersland today:

--First, an observation from yesterday's game. Alex Smith was very successful in the two-minute drill at the end of the first half. He completed 5 of 6 passes for 49 and a touchdown while in the shotgun formation and a three-receiver set. (The first play of the drive, a 27-yard pass to Michael Crabtree, came with him under center.)

But in the second half, the 49ers used the shotgun formation just four times - and three times were on third and long. He completed 1 of 2 passes and was sacked twice.

I asked Mike Singletary why they scrapped the shotgun formation and three-receiver sets in the second half. He said it's because the coaches have not had much "exposure" to Smith, and Smith has not had much "exposure" to that portion of the playbook.

Said Singletary: "You don't want to put him in a situation where, 'OK, is Alex really ready to do that?' You take a step back. 'Is our offensive line really ready to do that?' Once you do that then there are some things that are not happening, which you say, 'Well, maybe it's the core of your offense.' I think going forward, there's a trust issue there and there's also using wisdom and making sure that if we are going to put them in that situation, why are we putting them in that situation, when do we put them in that situation and is Alex really ready for that?

"Do we do something to hurt him? That's not something that I want to do. I think Alex, what he's doing right now, he's taken advantage of some opportunities that are there and we are finding out more and more, what routes he throws really well, what he feels really comfortable with. I think as we go along here in the next week or two, it gives us a better idea, when we see in practice, what he can and cannot do, what he really feels comfortable with."

--I've received a few questions about Smith calling plays on that two-minute drive at the end of the first half. Actually, he called just two plays at the line of scrimmage as the 49ers were in hurry-up mode. He called plays that resulted in a 12-yard gain to Isaac Bruce and an incompletion to Vernon Davis. The plays he called came from the two-minute portion of the game plan. The plays he called came when the clock was running and the 49ers were in no-huddle mode.

--Singletary said he fully supports the play-calling of offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye.

"I, 150-percent, back what he's doing, absolutely," Singletary said. "There's not one iota that I'm wavering here or there, whatever. Jimmy knows there are some things going forward that he has to learn about our players, what they can and cannot do."

Singletary also gave the single biggest endorsement of Smith since he's been in the league.

"It looks like he is developing very quickly into that quarterback that can be a special quarterback," Singletary said. "We are excited about that."

--Cornerback Nate Clements will not be placed on injured reserve, Singletary said. He has a fractured right shoulder blade. The 49ers obviously believe Clements can return late in the regular season. (The 49ers expect him to miss 6-to-8 weeks.) Also, Singletary said he expects the 49ers to be in the playoffs. If the 49ers placed Clements on injured reserve, he'd be ineligible to play again this season.

It was a rough day for Clements. He was benched in favor of Tarell Brown, and then he sustained his injury while returning a punt late in the first half.

"It was tough," Clements said of the demotion. "It was tough, but I'm going to be professional about it and do anything to help my teammates and help this team get back on track."

As for his future, Clements said he has not given it much thought. It's debatable whether the 49ers would bring him back at his current $6.5 million salary - including a $500,000 workout bonus -- for next year. His focus, he said, is on rehabilitating his right shoulder to make sure he is ready to go when the fracture heals.

"I'm just going to continue to be Nate and work hard like I've done my whole career," Clements said.

--There's good news regarding left tackle Joe Staley. He did not sustain an injury to his anterior-cruciate ligament. His right knee injury is not considered a potential season-ending injury. There is still no timeframe for when he might return to action, though. He looks doubtful for Sunday's game against the Titans.

Joe Staley is expected to miss six weeks with his knee injury. The 49ers have no lost both starting tackles in back-to-back games. Right tackle Tony Pashos is out for the season with a broken shoulder blade, while Staley might be back for the 49ers' Dec. 14 game against the Cardinals.

--Aside from the opening game in which Isaac Bruce caught a 50-yard pass and had 74 yards receiving on four catches, the vet has not produced much. He has averaged about 25 yards receiving per game and failed to come up with a handful of catchable passes.

Singletary was asked if Bruce is still among the 49ers' best 11 offensive players.

"Right now, Isaac Bruce is one of the guys that we count on to win," Singletary answered. "As far getting into is he one of the best 11 and all of those things, I'm going to say that he gives us a chance to win and in certain situations he is one of the best 11 on the field, and in other situations he isn't.

"That goes for a number of our receivers and I think that we just have to continue to evaluate our team and our talent and this team right now is going through some changes. You're seeing new guys step up and young guys stepping up and some other guys stepping back and it's going to continue to be that way. I believe in the best eleven guys on the field and whoever that is, that's who is going to be out there."

--Singletary said he was encouraged by the improved play on the right side of the offensive line (Chilo Rachal and Adam Snyder).

--He said linebacker Patrick Willis was able to play faster without the burden of relaying defensive signals to his teammates. Safety Dashon Goldson is now responsible for receiving the radio transmissions and calling the defense in the huddle.

* * *

I'll be working on the all-53 player review after bedtime tonight. (We'll see if I agree with Singletary's assessment of the Rachal and Snyder.)

* * *

Well, the future has arrived.

Brown is set to take over at left cornerback for Nate Clements because the 49ers' coaches believe he matches up better against the Indianapolis Colts' receivers. The Colts use a lot of three-receiver sets, so Clements will probably be on the field for most of the game, too.

In all likelihood, veteran Dre' Bly will be the 49ers' fourth cornerback on Sunday.

The San Francisco Chronicle made mention of this change in today's paper, as Brown confirmed starting in "all alignments."

I asked coach Mike Singletary after Friday's practice whether Brown would start to take on a larger role. Clearly, Singletary was not quite ready to make any announcement:

"I think for Tarell Brown, it's just something all the way from training camp, just trying to get him back in the mix and trying to get him on the field more to play more," Singletary said. "It was just a shame, kind of like [WR] Brandon Jones when Brandon got hurt. They were both doing a great job making strides and had a setback."

Brown was in competition for a starting job whe training camp opened, but he sustained a toe sprain that forced him to miss most of camp.

"I think Tarell Brown has worked himself in a situation to try and get more playing time," Singletary said. "So it's just something that we have to monitor as coaches and really try and put him in the best position to win."

I'm told this is a one-week demotion for Clements based on the team's belief that Brown matches up better against the style of receivers the 49ers will face against the Colts. Indianapolis' offense is comprised of a bunch of mostly 6-foot tall receivers, such as Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon.

Clements and his physical style is better suited to bigger wideouts. The Colts' biggest receiver is 6-4 Hank Baskett, who has just one catch this season. Clements might return to his usual role next week against the Titans.

Still, this is a significant move for the 49ers to give Clements a reduction in playing time.

After all, Clements scheduled salary takes a leap to $6 million next year. A cornerback who makes that much should have the coaches' confidence to be successful against any type of receiver.

The 49ers will have to determine whether his play over the final half of the season warrants that kind of financial commitment. (If the 49ers parted ways with him, he'd count $5 million against he cap, so next year would be the first time they could save cap space by releasing him.)

Cornerback Shawntae Spencer has returned from ACL surgery to play very well. Spencer is locked up contractually through 2012, and Brown is now signed through 2013.

* * *

Rookie outside linebacker Diyral Briggs earned his spot on the 49ers' 53-man roster this week the old-fashioned way: He was promoted from the practice squad.

We join this conversation in the middle as Briggs was talking about his late start playing football. He said he thought he was the "next Michael Jordan" until he was talked into playing football as a junior in high school.

Veteran tackle Tony Pashos, who was played on injured reserve with a broken shoulder blade this week, won't get on the playing field for the rest of the season. But he is still trying to make a contribution to the 49ers' offensive line.

Pashos pieced together an extensive video breakdown of every player on the Indianapolis Colts' defensive line to serve as a tool for the 49ers' offensive linemen this week to study in preparation of Sunday's game.

"It's been a big help," 49ers left tackle Joe Staley said. "The offensive line coach can only do so much. Our coach (Chris Foerster) stays until forever and breaks down as much film as he can. He'll put together all the run tapes and situations, but this gave us an extra jump.

"He (Pashos) has been a big help this week, as far as getting ready for Indianapolis."

"He broke down this year's film and last year's film, all the games, and categorized it by player," Staley said.

The video includes clips of players, such as Colts defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, beating opposing offensive linemen. Pashos spliced the film to categorize the video the moves the Colts defenders used to win their one-on-one battles.

"It shows Dwight Freeney beating a tackle, and it'll have 10 spin moves in a row, four bull-rushes in a row, and three dip-unders in a row," Staley said. "He also has a tape put together of those guys getting blocked and what the offensive linemen did."

Pashos can be a big help in the coming weeks. He spent the past two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the AFC South. The 49ers face AFC South teams in back-to-back games (Indianapolis and Tennessee), then go up against the Jaguars on Nov. 29.

* * *

Coach Mike Singletary was non-committal when asked who would return punts on Sunday against the Colts. He mentioned Nate Clements, Brandon Jones and Arnaz Battle as possibilities. As for Jones, Singletary said he would be the team's fifth receiver behind Michael Crabtree, Isaac Bruce, Josh Morgan and Arnaz Battle.

* * *

INJURY REPORT

49ers - S Reggie Smith (groin) is doubtful; DE Ray McDonald (ankle), LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder) are questionable; CB Marcus Hudson (shoulder), RB Michael Robinson (shoulder), T Adam Snyder (calf) are probable.

Colts - WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee), CB Marlin Jackson (knee), K Adam Vinatieri (right knee) are out; RB Donald Brown (shoulder) is doubtful; DE Dwight Freeney (knee), WR Reggie Wayne (groin), DT Eric Foster (shoulder), TE Jacob Tamme (hamstring) are questionable.

* * *