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O’Sullivan states case to start in 49ers win

Smith struggles against Bears, but Nolan yet to declare starting QB

Image: J.T. O'SullivanGetty Images
J.T. O'Sullivan

Smith said Orton didn’t need a good showing to keep his job.

“He’s our quarterback, and I think he can play good football for us, but it was good to see him validate that tonight,” Smith said.

Orton and Grossman had split time with the first team in practices and the first two preseason games, with neither gaining a big statistical advantage. Even so, Smith went with Orton. And Grossman did nothing to prove him wrong, going 1-for-4 with 6 yards.

He entered the game with 9:21 left in the third quarter and got booed less than a minute later, nothing unusual there. A frequent target at Soldier Field, he heard the boos when Keith Lewis broke up a pass to Marty Booker.

Bears running back Kevin Jones carried 3 times for 30 yards in his first preseason appearance. He started by breaking off a 34-yard run on the first play from scrimmage of the third quarter, not a bad entrance for a guy who got derailed by season-ending injuries to his foot and knee the past two years with Detroit.

Chicago’s Danieal Manning delivered two big kickoff returns — a 60-yarder and 75-yarder in the first quarter — to set up a 21-yard touchdown catch by Davis and a 21-yard field goal by Robbie Gould that made it 10-6.

Notes: The Bears held a moment of silence for NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw, who died of pancreatic cancer on Wednesday. ... The Bears held TE Desmond Clark out of the game with a sprained knee. They were also without DE Mark Anderson (thumb surgery), LB Nick Roach (concussion), long snapper Patrick Mannelly (stinger) and LT Chris Williams (back surgery). ... San Francisco was without WR Bryant Johnson (hamstring), LG Adam Snyder (right ankle), RT Jonas Jennings (broken hand), WR Arnaz Battle (hamstring) and RB DeShaun Foster (death in the family).

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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