Fresh off a strong finish in 2009, can Alex Smith continue to take a step forward?
The former No. 1 overall pick threw a touchdown in all but one of his 10 starts last season, and played competently for most of the year, with only two real clunkers, in Weeks 14 and 15 when he combined to complete only 54 percent of his throws with five interceptions and three touchdowns. He may take a step forward, but be weary of him as anything other than a QB2. The 49ers are a running team first and foremost, which means Smith won’t put up garish numbers. In his 10 starts he threw for more than 230 yards just three times. 2. Will Vernon Davis repeat his breakthrough performance of a year ago? There’s no reason to think he won’t post similar numbers, though 13 touchdowns may be stretching it a bit. Davis found the end zone that many times among his 78 catches for 965 yards. It’s not unreasonable for him to again approach those levels, but there are other factors to consider, specifically Michael Crabtree. San Francisco seemed determined to feed Crabtree the ball late in the season,
