Alex Smith became the latest victim in an emotional rollercoaster dealing between the 49ers and Chiefs quarterback situation.
Starting in 1994, the 49ers traded away backup QB Steve Bono to the Chiefs. One year later, Bono led Kansas City to a 13-3 record, a bye week, and a home playoff game. They lost to the Colts 10-7.
In 1997, the 49ers once again traded away their backup QB to Kansas City, this time it was Elvis Grbac that was headed to the Midwest. The Chiefs finished 13-3 with a bye week, and a home playoff game. They lost to the Broncos 14-10.
In 2013, the 49ers traded away backup QB Alex Smith to the Chiefs. Three seasons later, Kansas City finished 12-4 with a bye week and a home playoff game, and ONCE again, they lost, this time to the Steelers 18-16.
It was a frustrating game for Smith, who finished 20 of 34 for just 172 yards with a touchdown and one interception. His two point conversion pass that would have tied the game was nullified by a holding penalty, and on their second try, Smith’s pass fell incomplete.
Throughout the game, Alex left some plays on the field that could have broken the game wide open for the Chiefs, including an uncovered Tyreek Hill running down the seems, here’s a GIF of the play, and bare in mind, that’s one of just a number of missed chances from Sunday’s game:
The All 22 shot of Alex Smith abandoning a clean pocket as Tyreek Hill breaks wide open for a sure TD. pic.twitter.com/YM7vAsD0ud
— 📽️ Red Tribe Cinema (@ClayWendler) January 16, 2017
It’s plays like this that not only frustrate the fan base, but also QB fans like myself, who have vouched for Alex for a long time. He’s a good quarterback, but that’s a HUGE missed opportunity, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why KC is at home the rest of the playoffs instead of being in New England for the AFC Championship game next weekend.
Bono, Grbac, and Smith; it’s a trend that for whatever reason won’t go away- good 49er quarterbacks turning into very good starters in Kansas City, helping lead their teams to bye weeks and a home game, then immediately exit left out of the playoffs.
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