Beating Indy proves tricky

INDIANAPOLIS — Shawntae Spencer was not prepared for the high-powered Indianapolis Colts to resort to trickery to score their only touchdown of the day.

And receiver Reggie Wayne, the recipient of Joseph Addai’s halfback pass, reaffirmed to the 49ers’ cornerback just how unique it was for someone other than Peyton Manning to throw a touchdown pass for the Colts.

“I haven’t seen it on film and Reggie said it’s something they haven’t run in nine years,” Spencer said.

The Colts’ only touchdown was a big one — the difference in their 18-14 victory over the 49ers on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The 49ers (3-4) have lost three games in a row, and still trail the Arizona Cardinals by one game in the NFC West.

The 49ers came agonizingly close to pulling off a major upset. The Colts (7-0) were 12-point favorites, and they had to battle to run their regular-season win streak to 16 games.

“We came here to win a football game,” 49ers coach Mike Singletary said. “I know Manning is a good football player, and he ran a good offense. We came here to win a football game — bottom line.”

The 49ers tried to shake things up for the game, as cornerback Tarell Brown replaced Nate Clements in the starting lineup. Clements opened the game as the team’s primary return man on punts. He left at the end of the first half with a broken shoulder blade, placing the remainder of his season in doubt.

Also, the 49ers played all but their first offensive snap without left tackle Joe Staley, who sustained a right knee sprain. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI examination today.

Manning completed 31 of 47 passes for 347 yards, but the 49ers were able to keep the Colts out of the end zone for the first three quarters. Kicker Matt Stover provided the points with field goals of 38, 33, 31 and 40 yards.

The 49ers took the lead four minutes into the game on Frank Gore’s 64-yard touchdown run, and led for the first three quarters of the game.

Quarterback Alex Smith, making his first start since the middle of the 2007 season, hit tight end Vernon Davis for the pair’s fourth touchdown connection in 1½ games. Davis leads the NFL with seven touchdown catches. His 8-yard score gave the 49ers a 14-6 lead with :33 remaining in the first half.

But that was it for the 49ers’ offense.

“We have to come out there and cannot lay an egg in the second half,” said Smith, who completed 19 of 32 passes for 198 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“We did some good things. We just did not finish those drives. They are a good football team and made adjustments. I just think we need to find some ways to put points on the board in the second half.”

The 49ers managed just 87 yards passing in the second half to give the Colts all the opportunities they would need to pull out the victory. Rookie receiver Michael Crabtree, who led the 49ers with six receptions for 81 yards, lost a third-quarter fumble near midfield.

“We hurt ourselves on a couple of drives,” Gore said. “You can’t do that against a team with a great quarterback like Peyton Manning. Every opportunity, you got to take it and capitalize. We didn’t. We didn’t finish. That’s why we lost.”

Said Singletary, “We are young and we have to learn how to win those games. We have to learn how to finish games.”

Singletary said the same thing earlier this season when Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings beat the 49ers with a last-second touchdown pass. This time, the dagger came at the start of the fourth quarter.

Spencer diagnosed a run play when Addai took a stretch handoff from Manning and swept around the left side. Spencer left his man, Wayne, for run support. That’s when Addai, who played quarterback in high school, lofted the ball to Wayne in the end zone.

“Shawntae had been playing well all day,” Singletary said. “They had to do something out of the ordinary. He had been disciplined the whole day. The defensive backs had been very disciplined knowing they were going to do some play-action and things like that. They got us on that one.”

Spencer took sole responsibility for allowing the Colts’ only touchdown of the game. Wayne caught 12 passes for 147 yards.

“All week they told me to focus on the pass and focus on Reggie Wayne,” Spencer said. “I saw the handoff and then I came up.”

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