_44199166_busharnie_afo_203i.jpg [amy]

I can't tell if he's frowning about something or at someone.

damn, it's getting dusty in here... [Ben]

**Cross-posted from Niner Noise**

Peel back the thin layer of optimism from the following quote and consider what it really says about the 49er's offense:

Alex Smith continues to make progress with his separated right shoulder. On Monday, he extended his range of throws to 25 yards and said if he can keep pushing the pain threshold, he hopes to start Oct. 21 at the New York Giants.

Now, I realize at this point Trent Dilfer's arm would go unappreciated at a whiffle ball game, but even if Alex Smith manages to "push his pain threshold" to 40 yards by next weekend, it wouldn't make much difference, considering the current state of the offense. (editor's note: it also came to my attention that these numbers indicate distance with a NERF football.) You can almost feel Nolan and Hostler willing Smith toward a speedy but flaccid recovery--instant justification for the dull playbook. Guys, if your offensive scheme doesn't require the QB to be able to throw 40 yards with a fair amount of velocity, you have more than a personnel issue.

Shoulder separation is often confused with dislocation--it's also an excellent justification for legalizing medical marijuana. If you fall on an unbent, outstretched arm with quite a bit of force, or sustain a substantial--say, 300+ pound lineman sized--blow to the top of the shoulder, the tendons binding your collarbone and shoulder blade together can tear and stretch, sometimes leaving the collarbone dislocated. In my personal experience, you may also enjoy a comely green and purple donut-shaped bruise encircling the nipple. It's all really fucking painful.

I know a legion of nimble-handed therapists with the highest grade HGH on the market swarm about Alex's $50m shoulder daily, but braving an NFL pocket meekly protected by our porous offense line after just a month seems like... madness. With a separated shoulder, I couldn't sleep on my right side for three months. It took close to four years to properly throw a ball again. Relative to my recovery, Alex Smith's will no doubt be greatly accelerated, but when you're still handing off 80% of the time in 3rd and 5+ situations, what's the point of risking the future (ugh) of the franchise? As far as I can tell Trent Dilfer hands the ball off perfectly, it's what happens afterward that's problematic. Dust off that chalkboard and give Alex a couple more weeks Coach.

(Shaun Hill must be TERRIBLE.)