The fans in England didn’t get a very good game of American football on Sunday, but 49ers quarterback Troy Smith did his best to give them their money’s worth at the end.
Smith, starting in place of the injured Alex Smith, had a one-yard touchdown run and a 28-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree as part of a 21-point fourth quarter for the 49ers on the way to a 24-16 victory over the Denver Broncos.
For the game, Smith completed 12 of 19 passes for 196 yards, with a touchdown and no turnovers. Although it took him some time to get settled in, he played well down the stretch to help the 49ers improve to 2-6.
The Broncos are also 2-6, despite the big passing numbers that Kyle Orton continues to rack up. Orton had 369 yards through the air, but he also threw an interception and lost two fumbles. If the Broncos continue to falter, the calls for him to be replaced by Tim Tebow (who appeared briefly and ran for a one-yard touchdown) will continue to get louder, no matter how many passing yards Orton gains.