I can remember it like it was yesterday. Well, it was last April, but the memories associated are quite vivid. There I was in the 49ers locker room on my way to interview a player when I came across a very frazzled, un-Joe Nedney like, Joe Nedney.

The 49ers veteran place kicker was not himself that day, initially at least. The 15-year pro was asked to take part in the Robo Games, specifically to compete in a field goal kicking contest against a robot named Ziggy.

Having no idea on what he had gotten himself into, Nedney braced for the unknown. But hours later, his demeanor changed quite a bit.

“I was concerned up until I watched him kick the ball and then I felt the confidence come back,” Nedney joked to a group of reporters after easily winning the competition.

His impressive feat was quite popular from then on. To this day, Nedney’s demolition of Ziggy has been viewed more than 32,000 times on YouTube.

It’ll probably earn a few more clicks this week now that Nedney’s triumph was recognized when Time Magazine listed its Top 10 Man vs. Machine moments. The 49ers kicker took the ninth spot on the list.

In true Nedney form, he enjoyed the process of helping those out in need by bringing more attention to an event, had fun throughout (telling Ziggy at the end, “no hard feelings buddy,”) and competed diligently when asked to kick.

You could tell that day that Nedney wanted to represent the team, himself and all red-blooded kickers to the fullest. He certainly did, had fun in doing so and made a pretty impressive list amongst names like Garry Kasparov and the Terminator.

You can see the complete Top 10 here.

According to 49ers Vice President of Player Personnel Trent Baalke, kicker Joe Nedney will have his injured knee reevaluated this Monday. In the mean time, the 49ers announced the signing of veteran kicker Jeff Reed to a one-year contract.

The 5-foot-11, 225-pound nine-year pro played 127 regular season games for the Pittsburgh Steelers, scoring 919 career points by connecting on 204-of-249 field goals (81.9-percent) and 307-of-310 PATS (99-percent).

Reed arrived in the Bay Area early Friday morning and spoke with media in the afternoon.

“It’s great to have a change,” said the kicker who will wear No. 3 for the 49ers this Sunday in Green Bay. “It’s good to see new faces and a team that’s hungry. I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Reed said he plans on working with long snapper Brian Jennings and holder Andy Lee Saturday morning prior to departing for Wisconsin.

“These guys are great though. I’ve been around the league for nine year now, I know when you have a great snapper and a great holder, how much easier it makes your job.”

Prior to being released by the Steelers this season, Reed connected on 15-of-22 field goal attempt and 19-of-19 PATs. Additionally, he tied his career-long, connecting on a 53-yard field goal at Cincinnati on Nov. 8.

Reed brings a lot of experience to the 49ers special teams units, two  Super Bowl Championships to be exact. He has made 16-of-18 field goals (88.9-percent) in 12 postseason games. Since 2002, Reed is tied for fifth in the NFL with 204 field goals made, ranks fifth in field goals attempted (249) and ranks fifth in points scored (919).

Whether or not the gig becomes season-long is out of Reed’s control. His focus is on the upcoming game.

“All I can really focus on is Sunday. It’s time to get back into playing gear. It’s only been two weeks, but it seems like an eternity when you’re at home watching football games and you’ve been a part of it for so long.”

“The San Francisco 49ers organization is aware of the results of the league’s investigation involving the Denver Broncos. The situation has been addressed by the NFL, therefore, the team will not be commenting any further.”

Coach Mike Singletary was asked about the news and wasn’t too talkative about the subject. He insisted that reporters ask about the 49ers Monday night matchup against Arizona.

“I’m not even concerned about that,” Singletary said when asked if he’d had heard anything from Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels. “That’s behind us and we’re moving on.”

Other news from a rainy day of practice included:

Joe Nedney being doubtful for Monday’s game as well as cornerback Will James, who is recovering from a concussion suffered against St. Louis. Shane Andrus will resume kicking duties if Nedney can’t go.

Tackle Joe Staley is the only player ruled out for the 49ers and veteran Barry Sims should remain in the starting lineup for Staley at left tackle.

The 49ers will leave for the desert Sunday afternoon and we’ll resume our coverage on 49ers.com all day Monday leading you up to kick-off.

In his Monday press conference, Mike Singletary repeatedly took the blame for his team’s 3-7 record with six games remaining. After opening his remarks with the injuries from Sunday’s 21-0 loss to Tampa Bay, Singletary took full responsibility for the team’s performance Sunday too.

“As you look at our team, in particular as we talk about the game yesterday, why we lost the game? That would be on me.”

“Anything that happened in the game is on me because it all ultimately comes back to me. I understand that.”

But the head coach wasn’t the only one taking responsibility for a lackluster performance. Quarterback Troy Smith, who was sacked six times, said each sack falls on him, not the offensive line.

“I control a lot of things as a quarterback. Sometimes the best throw is a throw away,” suggested Smith, who Singletary said would resume his starting duties. “If you can avoid the sack and avoid a costly mistake, you do just that.”

But instead of throwing the ball away, Smith looked to make the type of plays that pushed the 49ers to wins over Denver and St. Louis in consecutive weeks. They simply weren’t there this time around. The Bucs kept Smith in the pocket, forcing him to abandon the rollouts and improvisation that worked so well in previous weeks.

“Tampa Bay did some things to put us in a comprising situation,” Smith said. “I can’t give Tampa Bay enough credit, they did what they needed to do to win the game.”

The Bucs excelled against the run too. They held Frank Gore to a season-low 23 yards on 12 carries.

But the offensive struggles won’t derail the team from looking to win its final six games.

“We’re all in this together,” tight end Vernon Davis said. “We started together so we have to end it together. We just have to keep moving forward.”

The 49ers travel to Arizona for their first matchup against their division rivals on the national stage known as “Monday Night Football.”

Trailing the division-leading Seattle Seahawks by two games, the 49ers know they can’t afford play like they did against Tampa Bay.

“We don’t have time to play around, we have to go,” Davis said. “We’re still in it, it’s up to us whether we want or not.”

Notes and Quotes

Singletary shared the following injuries: Wide receiver Morgan (shoulder sprain), tight end Vernon Davis (ankle sprain), and safety Dashon Goldson (ankle sprain and leg contusion).

Davis said his ankle was fine, and that it was an injury he’s re-aggravated throughout the season.

Singletary added that he expected cornerback Will James to return to practice from a concussion he suffered against St. Louis and that he didn’t have a timetable on kicker Joe Nedney’s return.

Rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams caught his first career pass in the fourth quarter for an 8-yard gain. Williams also fielded two punts, averaging 8.0 yards per return.

“It felt good to get back out there, it really did,” said one of the team’s sixth-round picks. “I’ve been staying in the playbook, preparing every week as if I was going to play so when I did get in I would be ready to go.”

Andrus (5-10, 190) has played in five career games, hitting 10 of 10 point after attempts and missing his only field goal attempt. He came in for the 49ers in their 2009 season finale at St. Louis and connected on all four point after attempts. Andrus was with San Francisco through training camp this year, only to be released on September 3.

“Well, as of right now, Smith will be the starter,” Mike Singletary said with a chuckle at the start of his Monday press conference. “We’re going to go with Troy.”

There’s pretty much all the talk you need to hear to understand the theme of Monday’s locker room availability. Troy Smith will be the 49ers starting quarterback this Sunday when the 49ers host the 6-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Smith will be in the lineup on a week-to-week basis, as long as he’s able to play at the level he’s showcased in two starts (29-of-47 for 552 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a quarterback rating of 116.6).

The news won’t change the preparation habits of either signal caller named Smith. Both said as much when speaking to the media.

“I’m going to attack it the same way we always do. That has no bearing on the way we’re going to prepare,” said Troy, channeling a team-first outlook.

“I’m going to prepare like I always have, do everything I can to be ready. And when my number gets called, I’ll be ready for this team,” Alex said.

The locker room has faith in either Smith, but said they understand the reasoning behind the decision. As tight end Vernon Davis put it bluntly, the team will support whatever decision is made by their head coach.

“I love Alex dearly. We’re always going to be good friends whether he’s the starting quarterback or not. You have to support your teammates,” said Davis, who had two touchdown catches nullified by penalties on Sunday but finished with four catches for 79 yards.

The penalties didn’t discourage the 49ers. Although there were 14, both sides of the ball kept playing even if the field was consistently covered with laundry (26 penalties between both teams).

Davis relayed the scene inside the 49ers huddle after his second touchdown grab was wiped off the board. The 49ers could’ve responded negatively, but they didn’t. They took heed to the words of their quarterback.

“He didn’t put his head down,” Davis said of Troy Smith’s demeanor. “He just kept on going. He said, ‘We’ll get it again. We’ll get another opportunity.’ I was upset as well. But, you can’t be mad. Things like that happen. You have to move on and wait for your next opportunity.”

Two plays later, the offense got that opportunity.

Smith completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree, a play that was ranked as the top catch in Week 10 by the NFL Network.

Crabtree’s steady rise has not gone unnoticed by his teammates. His four touchdowns in the past five games are appreciated, but more importantly expected.

“Crab is that type of player where he can break a game open,” Smith said. “Him making plays is going to be very important for our offense to have success. Across the board though, everyone needs to make plays.”

If that’s the case, Sunday’s performance against St. Louis was a positive development. The 49ers had five different receivers total over 60 receiving yards for the first time in franchise history, including running back Frank Gore’s three catches for 67 yards.

Through nine games, Gore is having a season comparable to his career-best year in 2006 where he rushed for 1,695 yards and caught 61 passes for 485 yards.

To wit: Gore needs 222 rushing yards to make it five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He’s rushed for 778 yards through nine games, 53 yards off the pace he was on in 2006. His team-leading 41 receptions have netted 415 yards, just 70 off his career-best. And Gore’s 10.1 yards per catch this season is a career high.

The six-year pro showed how versatile he can be out of the backfield, gaining 23 yards on a fourth-and-18 late in the fourth quarter.

“To keep the drive going, that was a big play,” Gore said.

Gore and the rest of the offensive huddle kept belief that the 18 yards needed would be attainable.

“I was hoping we’d make a play and get the first down and we did it. You have to believe and keep hope alive,” said Davis, reiterating the same mindset the team will use for the remaining seven games of the season.

“We have to take it one game at a time, keep climbing the ladder,” Gore said. “We took one step and we got to keep going.”

Notes and Quotes

The biggest non-quarterback news of the day involved the 49ers offensive line. Left tackle Joe Staley will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken left fibula. Staley said he cracked the bone while blocking Rams defensive end James Hall. X-rays were negative, so Staley trotted back on the field to be with his teammates for a handful of plays but gave way to veteran Tony Wragge when the pain became unbearable.

Staley’s absence from the field will be just that, from the field. He’ll do whatever he can behind the scenes to help his teammates prepare for each opponent. “I’m going to do all I can do to help our team, help our offensive line. I’m definitely going to be in every meeting and everything I can to help us win.”

Singletary said Adam Snyder and Barry Sims will be in the mix to replace Staley. Snyder suffered a shoulder sprain against the Rams, but Singletary indicated that the initial reports were positive. The team is awaiting his MRI results.

The team is also awaiting MRI results on Joe Nedney’s right knee, which was injured early in the game, but didn’t stop the veteran from making his eighth game-winning field goal with the 49ers and 20th of his career.

Wragge, who never lined up at left tackle professionally, did a solid job in spot duty. Even if it was at a position he never practices, Wragge was pleased to be accountable for his teammates in crunch time. “I can’t lie, it feels really good to step in, contribute and make sure we got the job done.”

Although Anthony Nunez’ 14^th birthday is on Friday, the Tracy native received an early birthday gift in the form of a personal kicking lesson from 49ers kicker Joe Nedney.

Nunez’ father Randy purchased the training session in support of the 49ers Foundation during a visit to the team’s annual Celebrity Winter Fest in Lake Tahoe. With Anthony approaching his freshman year at Tracy High School, Randy wanted to get his son the best coaching around, as well as contribute to a valuable cause like the 49ers Foundation which focuses on keeping kids safe, on track and in school.

After Anthony’s kicking tutorial concluded, Randy marveled over the experience he and his son were able to have. During the hour-long kicking session on the 49ers practice fields, the 15-year NFL veteran gave the aspiring kicker numerous tips on how to play his position.

“I’m pretty excited because it could take me a long way,” Anthony said. “But I’d have to decide between baseball and kicking, but still, it’s been a pretty good experience with the 49ers.”

In addition to the time spent on the field, Anthony also received Nedney’s home No. 6 jersey, which the veteran kicker happily signed at the conclusion of the lesson.

“It’s nice to be out here with a kid who wants to learn,” Nedney said. “I felt he was a sponge, listening to everything I would say. Hopefully a little bit of technique help and a little words of wisdom will help him out and maybe down the road he’s playing in the NFL, comes back and thanks me!”

Joe Nedney was pacing the 49ers locker room Monday morning like he was on an NFL sideline about to kick the biggest field goal of his life.

Well, he wasn’t that nervous, but you could see somewhat of an anxious look on the face of the 49ers kicker.

At the time Nedney was hours away from competing against a 340-pound robot named “Ziggy” at Kezar Stadium, all in the name of promoting the upcoming RoboGames in San Mateo.

“I had to come out and see what it’s all about,” Nedney said prior to the competition.

Nedney admittedly was nervous about the event, but felt much better once he saw the 14-inch tall robot miss a few kicks in warmups. When it was all said and done, Ziggy’s best kick came from 45-yards out. The 49ers 15-year veteran calmly responded by winning the event with a 50-yarder of his own.

“There’s still a human element to the robot. Theres’ still a team of guys trying to adjust and move it around. Even with robotics, there’s still human error involved. But it definitely legitimizes my position, I feel really good right now,” Nedney said with a smile.

If Vernon Davis catches one more touchdown pass this week against the St. Louis Rams, he’ll tie Antonio Gates’ single-season record of 13 touchdown catches set back in 2004.

But the 49ers aren’t looking at it like it’s a one-man accomplishment for their starting tight end. It’s really more of a team feat.

“It’s a credit to the guys around him. We all depend on each other. But we’re happy for him, he’s worked really hard,” quarterback Alex Smith said.

In Davis’ first three seasons, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2005 draft had 103 catches for 1,132 yards (11 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. To put his breakout year into further perspective, already this season Davis has 72 catches for 876 yards (12.2 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns.

With numbers like that, Davis has the support of all his teammates in being a strong candidate to make the 2010 Pro Bowl.

“I’d love to see him on that list,” Smith said. “I’d love to see as many guys as possible, but especially him. He’s worked hard and had a lot of the stats this year to back it up.”

Davis and the rest of the 49ers will have to wait until 4:15 PM PT on Tuesday when Pro Bowl rosters are announced.

And while Smith was unaware of what Davis needed to pass the league milestone, the 49ers signal caller said he wouldn’t press the issue in St. Louis.

“I don’t think we’re going to force anything. We’re just going to let it happen. We’re going to try and win the game,” Smith said. “I think there’s something to be said about him and the work he’s put in over the last few years as well as this season.”

According to Smith, Davis’ development has forced opposing defenses to game plan for the 49ers versatile tight end.

“Definitely his speed up the field is something that causes problems,” Smith said. “I think you can see in these last few weeks defenses have acknowledged [that] and are making adjustments too.  I think they’re more conscious of him.”

Smith was pretty aware of Davis on a 2-yard rollout touchdown pass in which the quarterback could have kept the ball for a touchdown run. Ultimately, Smith decided to throw his 17th touchdown pass of the season.

“It looked better on film than what it looked like in my head,” Smith said. “It definitely would have been a bang-bang play at the goal line. I don’t think it would have been a walk in like I kind of had in my mind. Either way, it turned out the way it did.”

Asked if he’d taken up Davis on his offer to pick up a dinner tab this week, Smith replied, “Not yet, I’ll hit him up on that.”

More Monday Notes

-Mike Singletary opened his press conference by announcing the 49ers injury report following the Lions game. Right guard Chilo Rachal will undergo an MRI later on Monday on his knee, left tackle Joe Staley is day-to-day with a knee contusion, Glen Coffee remains questionable with a hamstring injury and cornerback Shawntae Spencer has a wrist sprain. “Should be fine,” Singletary said of Spencer’s injury.

-Later, Singletary said kicker Joe Nedney and cornerback Nate Clements will not return to action this season. Ricky Schmitt will get another chance to kick for the 49ers. He made 2-of-3 field goals against Detroit.

-Singletary said the offense planned on getting the ball early and often to running back Frank Gore, but Detroit countered by stacking the box with eight defenders. Singletary said the 49ers played a “cat and mouse” game early on and that’s why Gore only had seven carries in the first half.

-Singletary wasn’t happy that his offense struggled to convert the Lions six turnovers into points of their own. “It’s not acceptable. It’s never acceptable,” he said.

-The head coach also has reservations about continuing to use starting wide receiver Josh Morgan as a kick returner. It’s not just offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye who feels that way. “That’s a priority for us this offseason, to find a return guy,” Singletary revealed.

-The 49ers are the only team in the league to force five or more turnovers in three games this season. Singletary said the credit goes to the team maturing on defense. In particular, he highlighted the growth of free safety Dashon Goldson and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks. This season, both players are playing the most they ever had in any points of their career. Goldson leads the team with four interceptions while Brooks leads the team with 6.0 sacks.

-“Goldson has gotten more comfortable back there. He’s really doing a good job of reading the quarterback better,” Singletary said. “Ahmad has really stepped up in the second half of the season.”

-Singletary was asked if other linebacker had more range than 49ers two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis, he responded, “No.”

-Singletary made a great point to close out his press conference when fielding a question on the importance of finishing the season 8-8. The head coach reminded the media that beating the Rams is not a foregone conclusion. “You have to go earn 8-8,” he stated.

With the playoffs out of the picture, the 49ers are vowing to finish the 2009 season on a strong note.

“You’re disappointed, but we still have two games left. We’re going to prepare just like we have a chance of going [to the postseason],” outside linebacker Parys Haralson said. “When you play this game, you always play like you’re going to give it your best all the time. We’re upset about the playoff situation, but we still have two games to play. We enjoy playing football and we want to go out and play for each other.”

Head coach Mike Singletary elaborated that point even further by emphasizing the importance of the 49ers finishing the season 8-8. The team can do that with wins at home this Sunday over Detroit and the following Sunday on the road in St. Louis.

Asked if he would use the final two weeks to evaluate backups on the 53-man roster, Singletary said that would not be on top of his agenda.

“The last message I want to send is: we want to evaluate before we want to win. We want to win. Every time we step on the field, I want our guys to know we want to win and we want to compete.”

However, Singletary said young players could get valuable experience in limited playing time without having to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. According to Singletary, backups could be involved for a series at a time, but not at the cost of winning.

“Both these games are definitely important, no question,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “I’ve been here five years now and [8-8] would be the best record.”

Despite the frustration of losing another game because of “self-inflicted wounds,” Smith said he undoubtedly feels something special developing in the 49ers locker room.

“I’m not just saying this to say this, but I do feel like there’s been a bit of a mindset change around here, an expectation level, a confidence in what we can do,” Smith added.
More Monday Notes

-Singletary opened his press conference by sharing an exchange he had with quarterback Alex Smith last night. “I owe him an apology,” Singletary said a day after he was critical of his quarterback’s performance in a 27-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. “I talked with him after the game and we had a conversation where I really kind of challenged him on some things, some of those throws or whatever. After looking at it, I have a better perspective.”

-Smith said the talk between the two was a positive one for him as well. “He did [apologize]. He doesn’t owe me an apology though,” Smith added. “We were all disappointed with yesterday. That wasn’t the only thing we talked about. The point is to get better moving on. It was a good talk. I did take a lot away from it.”

-Singletary went on to detail each of Smith’s first-half interceptions. According to the head coach, tight end Vernon Davis could have made a better play on Smith’s first interception that was picked off deep over-the-middle by Eagles safety Quintin Mikell. “I think the ball was there. It’s just one of those situations where Vernon either has to make that play, or either he has to stop that DB from making that play. He’s got to help the quarterback as well,” Singletary said.

-The second interception was due to a “trap coverage,” in which the Eagles baited Smith into throwing to Davis. “It’s a trap coverage where you’re throwing the ball on timing, and it looks like the receiver, or the defender is going with that receiver, and you come back and get in front of the second guy that the quarterback is going to try and throw the ball to because he feels that either the corner or the safety has run off, but they come back.”

-Singletary had no grandiose explanation for the final Smith turnover, other than it “was just a poor decision.” Smith tried to dump the ball off while he was getting hit in the pocket. Singletary said it was Smith’s fault for trying to force the issue.

-The 49ers head coach expressed remorse for not getting the ball in the hands of Frank Gore more often, who finished with a game-high 16 carries for 107 yards. ‘I thought Frank ran the ball well when he had the opportunity,” Singletary said. “It’s a shame we couldn’t have gotten him the ball more last night. That’s kind of the way we were built in thinking this week, running the ball a little bit more this week because they’re a smaller front. When we got behind – which is what they’re built for, coming from behind, rushing the passer, stunting, those kinds of things – they got to do what they do more than we did. That’s kind of the situation there.”

 -The game’s injury report included, kicker Joe Nedney who re-injured a hamstring injury on a kick-off following his 25-yard field goal. Nedney underwent an MRI on Monday, with results to be determined. Singletary said if Nedney can’t play against Detroit, the team would likely bring someone in to handle the kicking duties. Singletary noted that he didn’t think punter Andy Lee could handle duel kicking responsibilities.

-Other than Nedney, rookie running back Glen Coffee had a thigh strain and also underwent an MRI on Monday. Singletary noted that left tackle Joe Staley was feeling fine after his first start in months.

-In other injury news, cornerback Nate Clements is unsure if he’ll return this season. He has been rehabbing diligently to return to the 49ers lineup, but isn’t sure if he’ll be able to participate in either of the final two games of the season. He’ll have to undergo one last MRI to make sure his fractured scapula is completely healed. “I’m taking it one day at a time, just doing what the trainers having me doing for rehab. I’m trying to get my shoulder back right,” Clements said. “Right now the range of motion is good, strength-wise; I’m kind of weaker there. I think it comes with time and the healing of the bone.”

-It’s been the longest period of games missed in Clements’ nine-year NFL career. “I missed one game last year, but this is the first time where I’ve been out a consistent period of time. It’s been frustrating not being out there to help the team.”