Singletary exits with one last shout

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Singletary went out doing it his way.

And for the volatile ex-middle linebacker, that involved screaming at his quarterback on the sideline.

In his final game as San Francisco's coach, Singletary got in a shouting match with Troy Smith on Sunday after the quarterback tossed a third-quarter interception in a 25-17 loss to St. Louis. Singletary told the struggling Smith on the sideline that he would be benched in favor of Alex Smith, who had started warming up.

That news kicked off a high-decibel exchange between coach and quarterback, a back-and-forth that became so heated that wide receiver Ted Ginn stepped between them. It marked the second time this season that Singletary has had a volatile exchange with his starting quarterback. He yelled at Alex Smith during a 27-24 loss against Philadelphia on Oct. 10.

In the postgame press conference, a reporter noted that it's rare to see NFL head coaches have sideline shout-a-thons with their quarterbacks. Did Singletary think his method of communication was appropriate?

In the postgame press conference, a reporter noted that it's rare to see an NFL head coaches have sideline shout-a-thons with their quarterbacks. Did the ex-middle linebacker think his method of communication was appropriate?

"I don't really know about coaching etiquette, I am sure that there is a right way and a wrong way ... in today's rules of being politically correct," Singletary said. "All I know is that I am trying to win a football game. Bottom line is that you have to do what you think is right; you have to go with your gut. If you don't do that, I think you regret a lot of things later on."

Asked about the particulars of the argument, Smith initially joked that it was about whether he or Singletary had more passion. Then he turned serious.

"It was definitely about the quarterback switch, and I just felt at the time that I wasn't ready to come out," he said. "We talked, but, ultimately, the decision is his."

And Singletary, perhaps hoping to inspire a winning response, decided to stick with Smith, who was in the midst of a performance in which he completed 7 of 19 passes and posted a 62.0 passer rating.

Singletary's scream-and-see-what-happens tactic had appeared to work with Alex Smith in October. Smith responded by throwing two fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

Troy Smith, however, didn't offer a similar response. The Niners managed just two first downs on their next three drives before Alex Smith came off the bench with 9:36 remaining.

"I thought about changing quarterbacks at that time and (Smith) thought that at that particular time he could do this, but if you want to take me out that is fine," Singletary said. "I have to go with that. I decided to leave him in and give him some more opportunity."

GINN BREAKS DROUGHT

Ted Ginn's 78-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter closed the 49ers' deficit to 9-7 and broke a five-year drought. It was San Francisco's first punt return for a score since Otis Amey had a 75-yarder on Sept. 11, 2005, against the Rams.

Ginn had a kickoff return for a touchdown called back in a 34-7 loss to the Chargers on Dec. 16.

"I think it gave us a spark," Ginn said. "It was our first punt return or kickoff return for a touchdown with no penalties. That was great for our special teams because we have been practicing so hard to make a play there and when we did it was exciting for us."

ADAMS BREAKS ANKLE

Rookie CB Phillip Adams suffered a fractured left ankle on the second-half kickoff.

Adams remained on the field for several minutes while trainers placed his leg in an air cast. He left the field on a cart.

Adams, a seventh-round draft pick from South Carolina State, played on special teams and saw limited action as a backup cornerback this season. He had six tackles.

For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at 49ers.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com and follow him at twitter.com/Eric_Branch.