Jimmy Raye is gone, but the 49ers players aren't blameless when it comes to the team's moribund offense and its 0-3 start, quarterback Alex Smith said minutes ago.
"You know, I think that's maybe what this might get spun as, but we're certainly all involved, we're certainly all accountable for this," Smith said. "We got outplayed just as much as we might have got out-coached on Sunday. There's no doubt about that. I think if some guys are viewing it or people are viewing it like that - it's convenient. It's not the truth. We're all involved in this."
Smith acknowledged that he is close to Raye's successor, Mike Johnson, but says he was not consulted by Mike Singletary before Raye was dismissed today. Smith said he found out this morning just like everyone else. Of course, Smith certainly had a hand in Raye's ouster. It was Smith who pointed out the tardy nature of the offensive playing calling following the 49ers' Week 1 loss in Seattle, and that in turn led to a storm of questions over Raye's handling of the offense.
Smith said he didn't expect any sort of offensive overhaul with the season three games underway. But he described Johnson as being energetic and as having "lots of attitude," and he said he expected that to translate to the 49ers' attack.
"You can't be one-dimensional in this league," Smith said. "There's too much parity. You're not going to shove the ball down anyone's throat. You're not going to force things. You have to be able to get things done in different ways. You've got to be able to isolate your playmakers, find mismatches in the defense. That all comes into play, and I think we have the foundation to do those things."
Although he never officially has been an offensive coordinator, Johnson was the play caller in the final two games of the Atlanta Falcons 2003 season. Johnson was the team's quarterbacks coach. Both games were Falcons wins, and quarterback Michael Vick finished with two of his highest passer rating that season -- -- 119.2 and 93.
-- Matt Barrows
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