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The San Francisco 49ers' top pick will be on the bench again this week when the team faces the Tennessee Titans. Mike Nolan has decided to give third-year quarterback Ken Dorsey a second consecutive start over Alex Smith, the player the 49ers hope will eventually fill the team's quarter-back position in the long-term.

Dorsey put himself in the reckoning be rewarded with the start after a 27-25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Dorsey threw a shade under 250 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

"I felt Ken did a good job in the game the other day, I also know that both quarterbacks are still a little bit nicked...last week in practice I thought Alex was a little bit rusty." Nolan said.

Nolan stated that making Dorsey the starter was 'nothing permanent'.

Smith has not played since Oct. 23 when he picked up an injury to his right knee against the Washington Redskins. Before that, Smith had struggled in any case, completing just 23 of 50 passing attempts for 200 yards with no touchdowns and giving up interceptions - five in total.

For those betting on this football game - the 49ers are currently getting +8.5 points on the points spread.

The San Francisco 49ers' offense is in dire straits and it probably won't get much better against the Chicago Bears this Sunday who have the NFL's third-ranked defense.

The 49ers have been held without an offensive touchdown in five of their eight games.
They average just 110 net yards passing a game but have managed a total of just 234 yards passing in their last four games. They went thirty offensive possessions earlier this season without scoring a touchdown and are currently on a streak of twenty-six possessions without reaching the end zone.

Starting four different quarterbacks this season can't have helped and the only one who has thrown a touchdown pass has not played since Oct. 2 - after which he was benched and subsequently traded.

To make matters worse, their highest-paid offensive lineman was put on injured list this week and their current best lineman will probably need to take at least a week off to let his various injuries heal.

"Really, it's the lack of consistency," 49ers coach Mike Nolan said. "You have to do something right before you get it in the end zone."

Agreed.

The San Francisco 49ers need to improve but are determined to take a long term view, even though that could mean sacrificing short-term success. Yet Nolan said he does not entertain "quick fixes." He was reluctant to sign a handful of veterans who could have given the 49ers better positional players but would not have fitted into his long-term plans.

The 49ers did at least have some success against Tampa Bay - albeit without influential players for the Bucs.

"It reinforces what we've been saying all along, not only to the team but to the outsiders as well," Nolan said. "Our guys believe in what we're doing. There is an atmosphere and attitude in this building that is going to stay."

It will be tough against the Giants though. The 49ers will be starting their fourth quarterback in five games, Cody Pickett is likely to get his first career start.