SAN FRANCISCO — Head coach Mike Singletary made it clear on Sunday night that there is no competition for the backup quarterback job — that position belongs to David Carr. After Nate Davis' mediocre performance against the Vikings on Sunday (7-16 for 114 yards — 60 of those yards coming on one play), Singletary had some interesting comments about Davis after the game.
“It’s up and down, just like he was," Singletary said of his impression of Davis' performance. "I just think inconsistent, I think he’s a guy that’s got a lot of flash, a big arm like a lot of kids, a lot of young kids, but you have to learn how to play the position.
"I just think right now that he’s competing against himself, I really do. I really like the kid, there is a lot to like about him, but there is a work ethic that’s involved in terms of being a quarterback in the NFL and he’s got to get it, it’s as simple as that. I’m pulling for him, I’m hoping, but so far it’s inconsistent.”
The comment that Singletary made that grabbed the attention of the media room was his suggestion that Davis had not worked hard enough during the offseason to improve his skills. When asked to clarify on what he meant by Davis' subpar "work ethic", Singletary said that Davis did not learn the team's offensive system well enough this offseason.
"Right now Nate Davis is working his tail off to try and learn this system," Singletary said. "But in the offseason, that’s when you take the time to get that done. And I’m not sure how hard he worked this offseason in getting that done.
"So when I talk about work ethic, you just can’t turn it on and turn it off. Now that we’re in training camp, ‘Well I’m really trying, I’m really trying.’ In offseason, in OTAs, the mini camps and all those things – that’s when you have to get that done and that’s when you have to stay up and drive the coaches crazy and look at film and ask all the questions that you possibly can. And I’m not sure that he did that. So now it’s a lot that he has to get in a short amount of time. So hopefully he can do that. I don’t know.”
Davis was asked about his reaction to Singletary's comments after the game. The second-year quarterback agreed that he has not given a full effort during the offseason.
"I was a little shaky on things I should have known," Davis explained about his progression in running the offense. "I've got to keep working hard; that's the main thing."
Davis also elaborated, saying that there were times during the game, and during practices, where he looks back and realizes that he either missed a read or a call as the signal caller of the offense. Might that have been a result of a bad "work ethic" during the offseason?
"I don't think I put in enough when I should have," Davis said of his offseason preparation. "I did put in a lot of work, but maybe I should have put in more than what I did."
Davis said that he was dedicated to working hard during the offseason, but some of his time was occupied by taking care of his daughter.
By playing the entire second half on Sunday, Davis said that he was getting more comfortable with the reps he received. Earlier in the week, both Singletary and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said that they wanted to give Davis as many opportunities to play during the preseason to assess his progression.
When asked about his status as a player, Davis understood that he was still a work in progress.
"Yes; of course you have room for improvement no matter what," Davis said. "I feel OK with where I am. But I do have a lot of improving to do."
Davis will serve as the team's third-string quarterback for the time being but should receive another opportunity in the team's next preseason game to work on improving his skills as a quarterback.
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