he had 2 starts at the end of 2007, vs a bad bengal team hopelessly out of the playoffs and playing out the season,
and a tampa team that pulled their starters and had nothing to play for because they clinced a playoff spot..
again the games were at the end of the 2007 season and rather meaningless, and certainly less meaningful than games at the start of a season, where a team is equal with all others and playing to make the playoffs or have a winning season...shaun hill has never started any games at the start of a season
in 2008, niners are 2-5 when he gets starting chances...
he has two wins vs a very bad rams team, one of the wins being a game he was awful for the most part, almost got pulled and wins it on a long pass to morgan that may very well have been intended for another receiver..
a win on the road vs bills (impressive ill grant you) but the offense did precious little...
a win vs jets who were in middle of a tailspin that eventually led to their coach being fired...
a win vs ********, the last game of season (a time when many players are looking to play out the season)...granted hill had nice final drive
arguably hill played better in the losses vs cardinals (very uneven performance--i think he had 5 turnovers--3 picks 2 fumbles if i recall correctly--but he did move the ball) cowboys and dolphins than he did versus rams (2nd game) and bills in wins
i look at the above and i am not ready to drink the shaun hill kool aid because he has a 7-3 record as a starter ...maybe singletary isnt either, explaining why he isnt proclaiming him a starter and was lunching with kurt warner
Got this from 49erswebzone you gotta admit the guys got a point
Now for all The Alex Smith fans
Alex Smith is due back from his honeymoon later this week, and at that point the 49ers' fuzzy quarterback situation should get into focus. With Smith on the far side of the world, contract negotiations have been difficult. When he gets back, there will be roughly two weeks to rework his contract before the 49ers hold their first minicamp. The 49ers will not allow Smith to participate in the camp under his current contract.
The first question is whether Smith, who had surgery in late October to have a nettlesome piece of bone removed from his shoulder, would be able to participate in the minicamp anyway. The answer is, yes. Smith's throwing arm was not yet back to normal when he left for his honeymoon, but it was progressing nicely. The 49ers have little doubt his throwing arm will be back to full strength. The fracture that occurred just before the season had nothing to do with the mechanics of his shoulder. Now that the offending piece of bone has been removed, Smith no longer has the pain he experienced last summer and his confidence has grown. Smith also has grown. I hear he's at 225 pounds.
Smith must rework his contract in order to remain with the 49ers. Both sides believe that will ultimately happen, but there is still enough doubt to make the 49ers uneasy. The 49ers would have liked to have had resolved Smith's contract by the start of free agency and before Smith left on his honeymoon. What kind of leverage does Smith, who hasn't played in a meaningful game for a year and a half, have? For one, the 49ers only have two quarterbacks - Shaun Hill and Damon Huard - who are certain to take part in the March minicamp, and recent actions suggest the 49ers don't have full confidence in Hill.
It's also likely that other teams would take a run at Smith if the 49ers are forced to release him. Which teams? This is purely a guess at this point, but Tampa Bay was interested in Smith in 2005 and they have plenty of questions at quarterback. Bill Parcells liked Smith coming out of college, and the Dolphins certainly have room for another QB. Scott Linehan knows Smith and tried to recruit him at Louisville. Linehan could use a quarterback or two in Detroit. (Rumor alert: I'm hearing that the reason Linehan turned down the 49ers' OC job was because he balked at the 49ers' insistence that he commit to multiple years).
And what about the 49ers' leverage? They've made no secret that they want Smith back, but Scot McCloughan also has said that he won't let Smith's contract override the best interest of the team. If the negotiations with Smith's agent drag on, look for the 49ers to bring in another veteran quarterback. The best one out there should be familiar to 49ers fans - Jeff Garcia. Garcia turned 39 last month, but he had a delayed start in the NFL and has played only 10 full seasons. He finished 2008 in Tampa Bay with a 90.2 passer rating, the third straight season he has been above 90 in that category. There also would be a nice bit of poetry in someone beginning and ending his career in the same spot.
-- Matt Barrows
Now thats what I'm talking about drop Smith, bring back Garcia, and draft a project QB