Singletary: 'I think Alex has matured'

<p>SANTA CLARA - Alex Smith received a warm reception when he made his return in front of the so-called 49ers faithful on the first day of August.</p><p>Smith, who had not played for the 49ers since the middle of the 2007 season, had all eyes upon him as he dropped back for his first attempt of camp. When he did not spot an open receiver, Smith shuffled to his left and threw the ball out of bounds.</p><p>He was promptly showered with boos.</p><p>Yep, this was not going to be easy for Smith to regain the trust of the passionate onlookers after being sidelined the better part of two years with shoulder problems. And it was part of the reason 49ers coach Mike Singletary waited until now to promote him to the starting lineup.</p><p>Smith will make his 31st career start — and first since mid-November 2007 — on Sunday when he replaces Shaun Hill against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Singletary said whereas Hill gave the 49ers their best chance to win to begin the season, now Smith is that man.</p><p>And, certainly, the scene from the first day of practice gave an indication of the challenge he faced to win over the fan base.</p><p>“(If) you don’t have success right away, then it’s ‘Same old Alex.’ Well, I don’t think it’s the same old Alex,” Singletary said. “I think Alex has matured. I think he’s grown. And I think he’s ready to play.”</p><p>Singletary said Smith had made good use of the time he spent in mothballs. He has continued to learn the offense. Unlike his rookie season, Smith could watch another player for an extended period to help figure out some things he could apply to his own game.</p><p>“(It) certainly gave him a chance to develop that hunger, develop that excitement and enthusiasm for playing, ‘If I ever get a chance again, I’m going to do it this way,’” Singletary said.</p><p>But Smith said his appetite has not been an issue.</p><p>“I’ve been out for two years, so I don’t know if I’ve gotten any hungrier,” he said. “I always wanted to play the game at a high level.”</p><p>Smith completed 15 of 22 passes for 206 yards and three touchdown passes to Vernon Davis in the second half against the Texans to earn the starting job.</p><p>“Alex stepped it up big-time, and I’m proud of Alex for doing that,” Davis said.</p><p><b>CRABTREE’S WORKLOAD</b></p><p>One part of the Houston game film Singletary said he enjoyed watching was the performance of rookie receiver Michael Crabtree, who made his NFL debut with a five-catch, 56-yard day.</p><p>“I just wanted to see it on film just like you see a good movie,” Singletary said. “You want to see it again.”</p><p>Singletary said all he had been hearing about Crabtree’s work ethic during the 71-day contract impasse must have been accurate. After all, Crabtree was in good enough physical condition to take part in 48 of the team’s 54 offensive plays.</p><p>“I guess I was just a little bit surprised that he was able to go all those plays,” Singletary said. “But I thought for sure 30-40 plays. But to basically go the whole game, that was pretty impressive.”</p><p><b>WHO’S THE BOSS?</b></p><p>Singletary spoke in cryptic terms about players on the 49ers’ defense not obeying — or listening — to the defensive calls in the huddle. That might explain some of the mix-ups that have occurred in their back-to-back losses to Atlanta and Houston.</p><p>Those problems will be corrected, Singletary promised. Linebacker Patrick Willis is the defensive player in charge of relaying the defensive play from the sideline to his teammates in the huddle.</p><p>“You got guys starting to do their own thing,” Singletary said. “That’s when you really have to communicate very, very well. We just have to get on one page and relax and settle down.”</p><p><b>EXTRA POINTS</b></p><p>Safety Michael Lewis, who sat out Sunday’s game after sustaining a third concussion two weeks ago, said he feels good and is not experiencing any post-concussion symptoms.</p><p>Lewis said he expects to take part in full practice this week. Last week, he was restricted to limited practice.</p><p>Linebacker Takeo Spikes is day-to-day with a right shoulder strain. Meanwhile, tackle Tony Pashos sustained a left shoulder contusion and was seen with his arm in a sling. Pashos’ availability for Sunday’s game is not known.</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com</p>