49ers conclude perfect exhibition season

<p>SAN FRANCISCO — And the final score from Candlestick Park on Thursday night: Michael Crabtree 1, Vernon Davis 0.</p><p>Oh, and this: 49ers 17, Chargers 14.</p><p>The 49ers completed an undefeated 4-0 exhibition season, their first since 1992. But as anyone who watched as much as 15 minutes of it knows, the score of this final tuneup meant nothing for the competing teams. The drama was in individual battles — battles for roster spots, battles for attention, battles of will.</p><p>The biggest question of the night was whether Crabtree would suit up a day after he and Davis got into a public shouting match (with the tight end doing most of the shouting) during a walk-through at the team's Santa Clara practice fields.</p><p>It had generally been assumed that Davis took exception to Crabtree's lackadaisical approach to summer work. After missing all of training camp and exhibition season — and five games of the regular season — in a contract dispute last year, the wide receiver had yet to play this August as he nursed a sore neck.</p><p>The thinking was that Davis' tirade, and the subsequent behind-doors chat among coach Mike Singletary and the two players, would nudge Crabtree into playing against the Chargers. It didn't. He caught passes on the field here about two hours before the game, but he emerged in street clothes when the 49ers ran through pregame warm-ups.</p><p>Crabtree, in his second NFL season, still has yet to play in an exhibition game.</p><p>Davis addressed the situation after the game, asserting that he will speak up if anyone on the 49ers strays beyond the border of team effort. He was vague on Crabtree's transgression, saying it wasn't about practice or exhibitions games.</p><p>“Just something he did that really bothered me,” Davis said, adding: “Just like anything else. Something you do over time, if it gets on your nerves, sooner or later you're gonna address it. And that's kind of what it was.”</p><p>The tight end insisted the conflict is now behind them.</p><p>“Yeah, we're great,” Davis said. “I love him like a brother. I'll take him up to Smoothie King tomorrow.”</p><p>Of course, Crabtree wasn't the only 49ers player to take a powder for this one. Quarterback Alex Smith, running backs Frank Gore and Brian Westbrook, and even Davis also sat it out.</p><p>If the score was inconsequential Thursday, there certainly were individual winners and losers.</p><p>Though the depth chart can be rewritten at any time, it's interesting to note who entered the game when. For example, Adam Snyder started at left tackle. Snyder's place on the roster has been considered somewhat vulnerable, but it was he — and not Barry Sims or Alex Boone — who got the call in place of injured Joe Staley.</p><p>And how about Travis LaBoy getting the call before Diyral Briggs? Both (or neither) could end up on the 53-man roster, but it's quite possible the two men are competing for the final spot at outside linebacker. Briggs has youth and durability on his side, but it was LaBoy who got the call with the second-team defense on San Diego's second offensive possession.</p><p>Other 49ers who made earlier-than-expected entries were defensive end Demetric Evans and wide receiver Jason Hill. Both of them appear to be on the bubble preceding the final cut-down from 75 players, which must happen by Saturday. Hill wound up leaving the game after getting poked in the eye.</p><p>One guy who seems to be in no danger of getting axed, but who still has a lot to prove in the NFL, is rookie running back Anthony Dixon. And once again, Dixon stole the show.</p><p>Everyone figured the 233-pounder from Mississippi State could bowl over a few linebackers. But his nimble feet and shifty fakes have been a revelation. Dixon ran for 80 yards on 12 carries in the first half, and scored on a 46-yard touchdown run that required three left-to-right cuts. He later injured his wrist, but it wasn't considered serious. </p><p>Dixon scored in all four exhibition games.</p><p>His scoring run put the 49ers up 10-0. Linebacker Manny Lawson, who has been sort of quiet this exhibition season, helped his team tack on a 25-yard field goal by Joe Nedney when he charged at Chargers quarterback Billy Volek, batted his pass in the air, caught it and ran 25 yards with the interception.</p><p>The Chargers scored in the second half on Jeremy Williams' 93-yard punt return and Curtis Brinkley's two-yard touchdown plunge. San Francisco got back the lead on Nate Davis' 2-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jehuu Caulcrick, and undrafted rookie Tramaine Brock sealed the win by intercepting Jonathan Crompton's pass with 26 seconds left. </p><p>RETURN OF THE WIDE BODY</p><p>The entire first-team defense took the field for the game, including NT Aubrayo Franklin, who got his first live action of the year five days after signing his franchise tender.</p><p>“I felt like it was necessary,” Franklin said. “Like I was saying earlier this year, you can't really simulate the game or whatever, so to get out here and get a couple plays and get that game-type feel, get those butterflies out, is always good.”</p><p>EXTRA POINTS</p><p>LB Matt Wilhelm left the game with a sprained right knee.</p><p>David Carr started in place of Alex Smith and completed 5 of 6 passes for 92 yards, with one interception.</p><p>David Baas, who missed practice time with a stinger this week, started at center.</p><p>For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com.</p>