Dorsey showing improvement in second season
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:10 am
Dorsey showing improvement in second season
Dec. 15, 2004
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- Ken Dorsey's second season with the San Francisco 49ers has taken a turn for the better. Now he's determined to keep it moving in that direction.
Dorsey will start his second consecutive game Saturday against the Washington Redskins, and he could finish the season at quarterback in place of regular starter Tim Rattay.
Rattay is out with a foot injury and might not play again this year. In his place, Dorsey had the best game of his career Sunday, leading the 49ers to a 31-28 overtime victory at Arizona.
That win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the 49ers, who are 2-11 and looking to finish strong and salvage something out of a tumultuous season that has featured coaching controversy and plenty of lackluster performances.
"You've kind of got to keep your foot on the pedal, just kind of stay aggressive and just make sure you're on top of the ball the whole game," Dorsey said. "That gave us a lot of opportunities last week."
Dorsey took advantage, winning for the first time in four career starts. He threw three touchdown passes, completing 18 of 34 passes for 191 yards and guiding San Francisco to the winning field goal in overtime.
Dorsey had struggled mightily in his previous two starts in place of an injured Rattay, failing to lead San Francisco's offense to a touchdown in losses to Seattle and Chicago. He entered last week's game with a quarterback rating of 53.9, a figure lower than any NFL quarterback who qualified for those ratings.
Dorsey's previous struggles this year diminished enthusiasm within the organization that the former University of Miami star could be the 49ers' quarterback of the future. But Dorsey's play last week rekindled some hope.
"He did some really good things and made some really good throws," coach Dennis Erickson said. "He's healthier now and he made good decisions. He missed some throws, which you are going to do when you haven't played, but he made some good ones to win it."
Dorsey hit receiver Cedrick Wilson between three defenders for a first down on a third-and-17 play that kept the winning drive alive. Dorsey said it might have been the best throw he has made in the NFL, and it was one he couldn't have made earlier in the year when he was dealing with back, groin and thumb injuries.
Dorsey completed just 16 of 36 passes for 122 yards during an a loss Oct. 31 at Chicago, throwing an interception that was returned for the game-clinching touchdown.
It appeared that horrible showing might be his final chance this year when Rattay returned to the lineup the next week. But Dorsey got healthy and improved each week in practice, Erickson said.
When Rattay was sidelined with an injury for the third time this season, Dorsey was ready.
"It's kind of a relief just to be able to go out and perform and play well again," said Dorsey, who didn't take a snap last year as a rookie after leading Miami to a 38-2 record in four years as a starter. "It's kind of a load off your mind and lets you realize that you can still play this game, have success out there and understand that the hard times aren't always going to be so hard."
It won't get any easier for Dorsey this week when he goes against a Washington defense ranked second in the NFL. But he'll have the home crowd on his side this time.
Dorsey's first four starts were on the road. Dorsey is a native of the San Francisco Bay area, and fans at Monster Park have chanted his name often this year when things have gone wrong for the San Francisco offense.
"It's going to be fun to start at home, to play in front of the home fans, friends and family," Dorsey said.
http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/8003176
