Smith is ‘feeling more comfortable'

Starting quarterback Alex Smith when many second-guessed if the passer was even physically able to play over a younger quarterback that could be developed wasn’t a lucky guess by coach Ron Rivera.

- Rick Snider

Seeds of a midseason switch to Smith first came in practices. Smith was getting better, Washington was getting worse and it was now-or-never for the team to remain in the NFC East race. Smith soon led a winning streak with even an unexpected victory over undefeated Pittsburgh.

“Each time [Smith] would take another step, he’d take another step, take another step, take another step and you’d watch him,’ Rivera said. “To be honest, I think I was going slow to watch him and observe. Every time he went in for a drill, it was up. Every time he went in for a scrimmage period, I was really, truly watching him.