Despite win, 49ers’ offense has many rough edges

McClatchy Newspapers

ARLINGTON, Texas — If this was the 49ers’ most important dress rehearsal for the regular season, the cast has plenty of work to do before the curtain goes up on 2009.

The first-team offense sputtered in a 20-13 victory over Cowboys on Saturday. Newly anointed quarterback Shaun Hill failed to engineer a touchdown drive despite playing early into the third quarter.

The offense perked up only behind quarterback Nate Davis, whose burgeoning highlight reel now includes a winning touchdown drive with less than two minutes to play. Fellow rookie Kory Sheets capped that drive on 9-yard run with 1:19 to go in the game.

(Don’t bother trying to pry open the closed quarterback debate: Coach Mike Singletary was quick to note that Davis’ work came against third- and fourth-stringers.)

The 49ers’ real offense completed only three passes to wideouts, all to Arnaz Battle, with a long of 19 yards.

“I would have liked for it to have gone a bit more smoothly than it did,” said Hill, limited by a sore back during the week of practice.

The 49ers starting defense, meanwhile, failed to get to the quarterback again, meaning the 49ers have been out-sacked 8-1 over the course of three exhibition games. Their lone sack came when Raiders quarterback fell down.

Despite it all, the 49ers are one of just six teams standing at 3-0. Singletary even navigated this one as if it were the real thing at times, including a close-to-the-vest field goal on fourth-and-1 from the 6 with 3:55 to play in the game.

Why not just go for it? It’s a meaningless game anyway?

“It might have no meaning for you, but every game we play has meaning to me,” Singletary told reporters, casting a withering gaze. “Some of the other teams can say it does matter. Other teams can say, ’Hey, we’ve been to the playoffs. We know who we are.’

“We’re not there yet. Everything we do is very important.”

The 49ers have one preseason game remaining, against the Chargers next week. The starters will play briefly, if at all.

This was their last chance for extended action and it came inside the Cowboys’ glimmering new $1.2 billon stadium before an announced crowd of 72,171, the 49ers.

Hill completed 9 of 19 passes for 79 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. His first three drives ended in punts before leading the team to Joe Nedney’s field goal near the end of the first half.

Unlike last week, the 49ers running game didn’t offer much help. Neither Frank Gore nor Glen Coffee registered a run longer than 7 yards before halftime.

“We made a few mistakes, but we’ll watch the film and correct that,” Gore said. “And when we correct it, it’s going to be crazy.”

The 49ers also unveiled three plays from their Taser formation, which what offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye calls his Wildcat offense. Receiver Michael Spurlock too the direct snap twice and Michael Robinson took it once.

But that, like everything else the 49ers tried early, didn’t do much. The three Taser plays combined for 14 yards.

Davis was another story.

The fifth-round pick from Ball State came into the game with 5:44 to play in the third quarter, He misfired on his first pass (”I was too pumped up and threw it 5-yards ahead of the receiver,” he admitted) then went 4 of 4 for 61 yards on the rest of the drive.

That was a warm-up for what he did late in the fourth quarter. The 49ers took over at their 9-yard line with 1:52 to play.

Davis marched the team downfield, including a 22-yard connection with Dominique Zeigler on a fly pattern and short pass up the middle that Michael Spurlock turned into a 35-yard gain.

Along the way, Davis told the team not to settle for a field goal. He wanted a touchdown to put things out of reach. Two plays later, Sheets obliged with a 9-yard score for the winner.

“It’s starting to click,” Davis said. “I’m starting to get more comfortable out there. I have to have confidence. When I get in the huddle, I’m ready to go.”