49ers turned to Smith for better chance to win

The San Francisco 49ers Coach Mike Singletary announced Monday that Alex Smith will be the team’s starting quarterback for following games, giving the former No. 1 overall pick the opportunity he had been waiting for.

The previous starter Shaun Hill was benched in his 49ers jersey after the first half of the Niners’ a 24-21 loss at Houston on Sunday and then Smith came in to give the offense a much-needed jolt of energy and efficiency. He nearly led San Francisco (3-3) back from a 21-0 deficit by completing his first six passes and finishing 15 of 22 for 206 yards and three touchdown passes to tight end Vernon Davis.

“As far as will Shaun Hill be back and all this other stuff, we’re not going to be a flavor-of-the-month kind of thing where, ‘Let’s see, this guy will be this week, this guy will be next week,”’ Singletary said. “I wanted to make the decision based upon who I feel gives us the best chance to win.”

As the No. 1 draft pick out of Utah in 2005, Smith had not played in nearly two years after reinjuring his surgically repaired throwing shoulder three days before last season’s opener. This Sunday, he will start his first game since Nov. 12, 2007, and the team he will play against is the same team he faced at his career debut in 2005: the Indianapolis Colts.