As 49ers head to the movies, we contemplate QB situation

The 49ers quarterback competition is six days old.

It has been six days since J.T. O'Sullivan re-emerged. Alex Smith and Shaun Hill had a couple rough days, Hill had a "tired arm," and next thing you know O'Sullivan is getting regular snaps in practice.

Today, the 49ers are holding just a special-teams practice. The team will then go to a movie to see "The Dark Knight." So the QB race takes a one-day break. Here is how it looks, three days before the 49ers play the Raiders in the exhibition opener:

Alex Smith: Even though he has not clearly stood out as winner, he still has to be considered the front-runner to win the position. He has the most physical skills of any of the quarterbacks. Throwing the ball down the field is not his problem. He needs to get completely comfortable with what offensive coordinator Mike Martz wants from this position. Until then, he'll seem hesitant in making his reads.

The intermediate passing game is his strength. The 19-yard TD pass he threw to Jason Hill over DeAngelo Hall was a thing of beauty. His touch on the short passes, which has been a problem, appears to be getting better. The big question is whether he can make quick and confident decisions in this offense, rather than holding the ball too long and seeing the window close on an open receiver down the field.

It's not his nature, but he needs to develop more of a let-it-rip mentality to playing the position under Martz. His teammates like him - and there was a lot of admiration for how he played hurt last season - but he does not have the fiery mentality to bring out the best in them. Of course, being a leader is something that has to be earned. A player has to lead by example before he can assert himself as a true leader.

Let's not read too much into his two-minute drill. He threw four consecutive incomplete passes to end that session, but Martz decided to keep Smith on the field to work with the second team. Then, he was 5 of 9 in leading the team down the field against the Raiders' No. 2 defense.

J.T. O'Sullivan: If Martz did not think highly of O'Sullivan, he never would've endorsed the move that brought him to the 49ers. Martz likes the way O'Sullivan hangs in there and delivers passes while things around him are chaotic.

O'Sullivan does not set his feet when he throws, so getting the ball down the field could be a bit of a problem - especially during a windy game at Candlestick. But O'Sullivan appears to have a lot of intangibles. He certainly brings a fire to the huddle. He has credibility on the offense because he knows what he's doing better than anyone else - except Isaac Bruce.

O'Sullivan knows the system. It took him a short time to learn Martz's system well enough to assert himself as the Lions' backup last season. In the preseason, with the Lions he completed 54 of 86 passes (62.8 percent) for 675 yards with three TDs and three interceptions.

If the 49ers had to win a game this week, O'Sullivan would be the choice. But the question is, will he give the 49ers their best chance to win a game on Sept. 7 - the opening day of the regular season. And, let's not kid ourselves, the 49ers have a tough opening to the season. A home game against the Cardinals to get things started is very important.

Shaun Hill: Hill and O'Sullivan have a similar skill set. But Hill has one thing that O'Sullivan does not: Hill has started two NFL games. O'Sullivan has attempted just 26 NFL passes.

Hill has the quickest release on the team. He is very strong in the short-passing game. The intermediate passes are a bit of a problem. He also does not throw a tight spiral, and that also can be a problem at Candlestick.

We haven't seen O'Sullivan in a game situation, but Hill has a good feel for moving a team. He can improvise on third down to keep the chains moving. He gets rid of the ball on time and on target. That can't be understated.

Hill went through a rough spot last week where his passing was less-than-stellar. He rebounded and did OK last night against the Raiders in Napa.

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Through 11 days of practices - and, please, don't spend too much time crunching these numbers - Hill has completed 98 of 146 (67 percent) of his passes on 11-on-11 drills with five interceptions; O'Sullivan is 48 of 72 (66.7 percent) with no interceptions; and Smith is 106 of 174 (60.9 percent) with four interceptions.

It seems as if Smith has attempted more passes down the field (or misfired on more short throws), while Hill and O'Sullivan have thrived in the short-passing game.

• Santa Rosa Press Democrat