Me being an idiot, I already used this week's throwback Thursday in the preseason, posting those awesome Ted Ginn Jr. touchdowns.But there is something else in that same game that, while not as flashy, is just as important:
Alex Smith and Jim Harbaugh.
Being Jim Harbaugh's first game, there were many questions of how this team would look and what types of plays they would be running. To start, the playcalling angered fans so much they started booing at the stadium and then jumping out of their seats at the very sight of a three wide receiver set.
Sadly, nothing really went that great. That was until this happened. Harbaugh basically said he about had enough of watching the Niners defense sack Tavaris Jackson time after time and not capitalize and dialed up this play: a boot of Alex Smith driving into the endzone. The 49ers QB took a couple of licks as he crossed the plane, but he got back up and helped the Niners secure a lead that was later blown and rescued by Ginn.
This showed the Niners meant business, they were physical, right up to the quarterback, they were going to pound the ball down your throat and they didn't care if you knew it was coming or not. Granted it took a few more games to further establish this, but the glimpse here was an indication of what was coming. Following the play, Smith was embraced by Harbaugh for the first touchdown of the season, an image everyone mocked saying, "All Alex Smith needed was a hug".
Am I reading too far into all of this? Is this just a touchdown run by Alex Smith? Yeah...you could probably say that, but it's still awesome.