Alex Smith looked sharp, good news for the San Francisco 49ers.
Brian Griese looked just as good for the Chicago Bears—and that might be bad news for Rex Grossman.
Smith passed for 137 yards and led the 49ers to a big early lead in their 28-14 exhibition victory over the Bears.
Frank Gore rushed for 49 yards and a touchdown, while San Francisco’s first-team defense shut down Chicago’s offense under Grossman. The Niners forced two first-quarter turnovers that led to 10 points, including linebacker Jeff Ulbrich’s 32-yard TD return of Grossman’s fumble.
The 49ers had the league’s worst offense and defense last season, but they were up 17-0 when Smith left after going 16 for 21 with no interceptions in perhaps the most confident performance of his short NFL career. New receiver Antonio Bryant had five receptions for 54 yards, and Gore also caught five passes from last season’s No. 1 overall draft pick.
“It was a ton of fun,” said Smith, who had one touchdown pass and 11 interceptions in nine appearances last season. “I think we did good enough that we can create some confidence and some excitement.”
