No, that's what happens when you suck so bad that your coaches encourage you to take sacks over trying to make a play.

Crabtree seemed to become a real WR once the switch was made.

The excuse making for Alex Smith is already reaching Cassel levels.

Yes, he improved this season, no doubt.

But before 2012, he was lazy and overweight. His play improved last year under Harbaugh but it wasn't until this year that he began playing consistently at a high level.

That said, he's still no better than a #2 on most teams. That's why they signed Randy Moss, Mario Maningham and took A.J. Jenkins, who completely sucked so much ass he didn't even have one reception, in the first round last year.

No, comparing Smith to Cassel has already reached epic absurdity.

Name the 49ers badass, breakout, mother****ing receivers.

Go.

Don't act like he had the same weapons as Ryan or Flacco or Rodgers.

The only thing that's "absurd" about the Cassel-Smith comparisons are the people who REFUSE to acknowledge that they have definite similarities.

I mean Alex Smith throws the ball down the field less than Cassel. That's hard to do.

Please tell me, to whom was Smith supposed to throw down the field over the course of his career?

And do you know anything about the WCO? There has to be a metric or stat on PFF.

I am not comparing Smith to Cassel.

I've stated numerous times he's better than Cassel.

But suck is suck.
The level of suck is irrelevant.

I am comparing the excuse making.

I can understand the point that he didn't have much, but I think Smith's style lends to a lack of WR success. Now he certainly didn't have a basket of skill at WR, but I am not sure he would have used them to great lengths anyway. I still think he would on average stick to the safe underneath stuff with Davis.

Despite having a close friend who watches 9er games at my house on a smaller TV, I haven't seen enough to know Crabtree's full development path so far. Just seemed that he took a quick step once the QB switch happened.

Dude even in the WCO there are plenty of intermediate and deep throws.

And it's not like Matt Cassel had all these down-the-field studs in Kansas City.

Alex Smith doesn't throw the ball down the field for one reason and one reason only...he's afraid to.

Alex Smith...throws the ball down the field less than everyone in the NFL save Christian Ponder....that has nothing to do with who's running routes and everything to do with the QB.

Scary thought:

Reid's WCO has always featured more downfield passing than any other iteration of it. It's not Gruden's system. McNabb and Vick were both aggressive downfield passers.

Name the badass receivers that Trent Green had ti throw to in KC.

I also think Smith is an upgrade from Cassel. My issue is I don't think it will be enough to bring us anywhere great, so I find myself yet again thinking we need to get a QB eventually. At this point, I would be very happy if they found a QB in this draft to push Alex.

Well Johnny Morton had a badass grenade throw TD celebration, if that counts.