Today is the last day to vote your San Francisco 49ers into the 2011 Pro Bowl which will be played Jan. 30, 2011, in Hawaii. Here’s a look at five members of the team who have stood out in particular this season and deserve your vote:

CLICK HERE TO VOTE YOUR FAVORITE 49ERS INTO THE PRO BOWL.

LB Patrick Willis
The perennial Pro Bowler Patrick Willis fought through a broken hand last week and still recorded eight tackles and one pass defended. All season long opposing offenses have game-planned to take away Willis’ play-making ability, but he still leads the team with 133 tackles. The defensive captain has also set a new career high with 5.0 sacks. His best game came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11 when he recorded 15 tackles and 2.0 sacks.

DT Justin Smith
For years Justin Smith was perhaps the most underrated defensive lineman in the NFL, but he finally played in his first Pro Bowl last season. Smith has been a consistent, hard worker throughout his 10-year NFL career, starting in 153 consecutive games, tops among active defensive linemen. He has had little trouble wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks this season with a team-high 5.5 sacks, 40 quarterback hits and 60 quarterback pressures. He also has 10 tackles-for-loss.

TE Vernon Davis
After a breakout 2009 season in which Vernon Davis tied an NFL record for tight ends with 13 touchdown receptions, it’s only natural that opposing defenses have keyed in on him this year. Still, he leads the team in every major receiving category including receptions (50) receiving yards (748) and touchdowns (6). Davis has two games with more than 100 yards receiving, including Week 13 at Green Bay when he set a new career high with 126 yards to go along with one touchdown.

LB Takeo Spikes
Thirteen seasons into his NFL career, and there’s no doubt that Takeo Spikes still has it. The inside linebacker is second on the team with 114 tackles to go along with three interceptions and eight passes defended. Last week he recorded 12 tackles despite playing with a cast on his right hand. Spikes’ veteran leadership has been paramount for the 49ers this season, keeping the hope and morale high despite the team’s record.

P Andy Lee
Punter Andy Lee is looking to make back-to-back Pro Bowl trips, and he certainly has the numbers to do so. Lee is averaging 46.3 yards per punt, good for third in the NFC, and his 3,614 yards are the most in the NFL. The two-time Pro Bowler has three games in which he has averaged more than 50 yards per punt, and his long on the season is 61 yards.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE YOUR FAVORITE 49ERS INTO THE PRO BOWL.

The show goes on.

Even after the 49ers lost 34-7 last night, at 5-9 with two divisional games remaining, they have not yet been eliminated from playoff contention.

St. Louis and Seattle will have to lose this weekend to keep the 49ers playoff hopes alive. But there’s a possibility that both could do just that.

St. Louis hosts an 8-5 Kansas City Chiefs team that has an ailing Matt Cassel at quarterback, who is questionable to start after missing last week’s 31-0 loss to San Diego due to an emergency appendectomy surgery.

Seattle also has a home game against an 11-2 Atlanta Falcons squad looking to retain first place in the NFC South and their one game lead for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

It’s not over yet for the 49ers, but many players were solemn in speaking with the media last night and on Friday.

There was not much to be said a day after a crushing defeat to the Chargers. It was probably the quietest the 49ers locker room has been all season. The prideful players know they let an opportunity slip out of their reach in San Diego.

“You know what the most frustrating thing is about tonight? It’s not about having to sit back and wait for other teams to see what they do. But it’s knowing we had the opportunity to be sitting in the driver’s seat after tonight,” linebacker Takeo Spikes said postgame after recording 12 tackles with a broken right hand.

“The facts are we still have a chance and I’m very grateful. I relayed to the guys, be grateful. There are a lot of teams that don’t.

“We still have a chance and to me, that’s bigger than anything. That’s what I’m hanging my hat on. That’s my motivation.”

One day later, Mike Singletary said he’s focused solely on St. Louis, who the 49ers will play in nine days.

“As tough of a loss as it was night for us, there’s still an opportunity at hand,” the 49ers head coach said in his press briefing. “We’re to get ready for St. Louis and get ready for a tough division foe.”

The 49ers beat the Rams at home back on Nov. 14, thanks to a career day from quarterback Troy Smith.

Singletary said he’s yet to determine if he’ll make a move back to Troy, who performed well against St. Louis once prior.

“We’re looking at film and we’ll handle it down the road,” he said.

Singletary didn’t want to spend too much time wallowing over the San Diego loss. “For me the quicker we put San Diego behind us – the better,” he said.

Injury Report

The following injuries were announced by Singletary at the start of his press conference: Linebacker Travis LaBoy (knee sprain), running back Anthony Dixon (ankle sprain), safety Dashon Goldson (finger dislocated), linebacker Manny Lawson (thigh contusion), and cornerback Nate Clements (ankle).

No matter how many times you’ve been to the Pro Bowl, it never gets old. Just ask Patrick Willis, who has gone to the NFL’s annual All-Star game every season in his three-year career.

“It’s a great honor to make the Pro Bowl, to know the players, coaches and fans think you’re the best at what you do,” the 49ers inside linebacker said. “And even though I’ve been a few times now, I’ll never take it for granted.

“Whether you’ve been 10 times or zero times in your career, you have to approach every season the same. You go out and play the best you can, and everything else will take care of itself.”

And while all of the 49ers have that mindset, six in particular have stood out the most in 2010. Now they need you, the 49ers Faithful, to vote for them to make it to the 2011 Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

Here are the six 49ers who are having Pro-Bowl caliber seasons:

LB Patrick Willis
You could say Patrick Willis got his NFL career off to a quick start. After the 49ers made him the 11th-overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, all he did in his first three seasons was lead the league in tackles twice, make three Pro Bowl appearances,  and become arguably the best defensive player in the game.

Well, he’s at it again in season No. 4.

Opposing offenses have done whatever they can to take away Willis’ play-making ability in 2010, but it hasn’t worked. You can’t game-plan enough to stop Willis. Through 12 games, the 49ers defensive captain leads the team in tackles with 118 and has set a new career high with 5.0 sacks. His best game came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11 when he recorded 15 tackles and 2.0 sacks.

DT Justin Smith
He’s about as consistent as they come, and as reliable too. Defensive tackle Justin Smith has recorded at least 6.0 sacks in eight of his nine NFL seasons, and his current streak of 151 consecutive starts ranks first among active defensive linemen.

For years Smith was perhaps the most underrated defensive lineman in the NFL, but he finally played in his first Pro Bowl last season. He said making the Pro Bowl isn’t something he thinks about, but if Smith finishes this season as well as he started it, he could earn himself a trip to Hawaii for this year’s game. He has had little trouble wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks with a team-high 5.5 sacks, 38 quarterback hits and 55 quarterback pressures. He also has 10 tackles-for-loss.

TE Vernon Davis
After a breakout 2009 season in which Vernon Davis tied an NFL record for tight ends with 13 touchdown receptions, it’s only natural that opposing defenses have keyed in on him this year. But Davis is proving that it takes a lot more than a solid game plan to slow him down.

He leads the team with 674 receiving yards and is tied for the team lead with five touchdown receptions, all while being a leader of the offense. Davis has two games with more than 100 yards receiving, including last week in Green Bay when he set a career high 126 yards to go along with his one touchdown. Davis also had a streak of four consecutive games with a touchdown reception earlier in the year, which tied a career long.

RB Frank Gore
Before he was placed on injured reserve with a fractured hip, Frank Gore was on pace to have one of the best seasons of his six-year career. Through all the changes to the 49ers offense this season, Gore’s production never dipped and he remained the focal point of the team.

He has missed nearly two games with the hip injury, but Gore’s 853 rushing yards still rank him fifth in the NFC. In 10 full games this season he had four 100-yard rushing performances, including a 149-yard game in a win over the Raiders. But Gore was more than just a runner this year, he leads the team with 46 receptions and is one of the best pass-blocking running backs in the game.

LB Takeo Spikes
Thirteen seasons in to his NFL career, and there’s no doubt that Takeo Spikes still has it. The inside linebacker hasn’t lost a step and is second on the team with 92 tackles to go along with his two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

But Spikes is more valuable than the numbers say. His veteran leadership has been priceless for the 49ers this season, keeping the hope and morale high despite the team’s record. He has continued to push him teammates no matter how trying the times have been. He seems to step his game up when the team needed it most, tying a career high with 17 tackles last week against the Green Bay Packers.

P Andy Lee
Punter Andy Lee is looking to make back-to-back Pro Bowl trips, and he certainly has the numbers to do so. Lee is averaging 46 yards per punt, good for fourth in the NFC, and he has downed an NFL-high 24 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

The two-time Pro Bowler has three games in which he has averaged more than 50 yards per punt, and his long on the season is 61 yards.

Click here to vote your 49ers into the Pro Bowl.

The 49ers are too familiar with the havoc created by Seattle’s rowdy fan base known as the “12th Man.” But as linebacker Patrick Willis told me Monday afternoon, it’s time to turn the tables on the Seahawks with the support of the 49ers Faithful when the two sides meet this Sunday at Candlestick Park.

“We’re going to need our fans big-time,” Willis said a day after the 49ers dropped to 4-8, two games out of first place with four left to play. “Good or bad, don’t give up on us until the season is done and we’re out of it. We have faithful fans. We know we’re not proud of where we are now and we certainly wish we could be in a better situation than where we are now.

“We got four games to finish strong. We’ll see what happens, but continue to be behind us.”

Beyond the 12th man, the 49ers haven’t named their 11th man on the offensive side of the ball yet.

Mike Singletary said he had yet to determine which quarterback named Smith would start in the crucial divisional contest against a 6-6 Seahawks club.

Asked who he was leaning towards, Singletary said he was leaning towards Seattle.

Well-played.

But surely, the 49ers will support whoever gets the nod. Players have confidence in each quarterback on the roster, have had success with them and trust that the coaching staff will pick the signal caller who gives the team the best chance to win on Sunday.

“We gotta practice Wednesday, so we’ll know who is the starting quarterback based on the reps that they take,” tight end Vernon Davis wisely said.

“I believe in both of those guys. Whoever we go with, it’ll be the right decision.”

Singletary said he would meet with the coaching staff to make the final determination and as Davis put it, everyone should know the decision come Wednesday.

“We’re spending time looking at the film and really making sure that we’re accurate on the things that we see, but it is week-to-week,” Singletary said. “The thing that I’ve said all along is that I want to go with the quarterback that I feel gives us the best chance to win. And that is a week-to-week thing.”

Notes and Quotes

It’s normally Willis who leads the 49ers in tackles on a weekly basis. But there are times when the three-time Pro Bowler is outdone by a teammate here or there, and it just so happened that one of those occasions took place in Sunday’s loss. Takeo Spikes registered a career-high 17 tackles, including six in the first quarter and three on the Packers first three plays from scrimmage. The vintage Spikes performance was certainly appreciated by Willis.

“Spike-dog, man, once again I can never say enough about him. He truly makes my game better. When I see him making plays, I get excited to know I have somebody besides me like that. Somebody I can count on, somebody I know who is going to do his job well and also make me better.”

That includes in-game coaching.

“He’ll speak to me when he see things and when he sees that I can do something better, he’ll let me know.

“I remember a play yesterday, I over-read it too fast and got my feet out from underneath me. And he said, ‘Pat, keep your pads down.’ And I said, ‘You’re right. I appreciate that, I got you.’”

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks registered 2.0 sacks in his first career start with the 49ers and said his preparation paid off when Parys Haralson was ruled inactive with an ankle injury. “I prepared myself throughout the week to go out and fill his shoes and try to help the team win.” If Brooks goes back to a sub role, he’s purely focused on doing what necessary to win the team’s four remaining games. “Every game we play is crucial. It’s do or die for us. We have to win right now.”

Rookie right tackle Anthony Davis is not a boisterous individual by any means. On the field however, he’s a physical player, one who is never afraid to throw his body around. He doesn’t speak in long-winded offerings either. It’s simple statements usually about getting better and working hard. Davis has done all those things this year.

You can tell the focus has paid off. Davis has put together back-to-back solid performances against Pro Bowl caliber players in Darnell Dockett and Clay Matthews holding them, or blocking them, to zero sacks.

More than attention that comes with postgame articles or television interviews, the postgame handshake with an opponent is an indication of true respect.

And after Davis and Matthews battled it out on a cold Sunday in Green Bay, the two exchanged pleasantries in a positive manner as players from both teams greeted on the field after the game. Davis had earned Matthews’ respect for good reason. He’s terrorized opposing tackles this season to the tune of a league-high 11.5 sacks.

Holding him without one should be recognized, it’s the fourth time in 11 games that it has happened this season.

“I take my hat off to that group,” Singletary said of Davis and the rest of the 49ers offensive linemen. “I think they continue to get better and bond as a group.”

It’s true that Mike Singletary enjoys physical football. But it’s also true that the 49ers head coach is a player’s coach.

The Hall of Fame linebacker demonstrated that fact at Monday’s second training camp practice of the day, allowing several prominent veterans to take the day’s second practice off.

Linebacker Takeo Spikes, defensive tackle Justin Smith, safety Michael Lewis, tackle Barry Sims and linebacker Travis LaBoy all watched practice in sneakers.

While some of the veterans were able to rest their legs, the rookies continued to work theirs as they got a taste of their first two-a-day as professional football players.

“It feels good to get through it,” rookie linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. “I’m just trying to build on it and get better.”

The 6-foot-0, 242-pound inside linebacker out of Penn State demonstrated his talents in front of over 3,000 Faithful fans who attended the first open practice of training camp.

“It was good to see the fans and see how excited they are for this team and this season,” Bowman added. “The guys love having the fans around, but at the end of the day, we still have to focus and put together a perfect practice. It’s good having the fans there and seeing the support, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Bowman had his focus on the field, where the rookie matched up against larger offensive linemen in his first taste of the “Nutcracker” drill.

“It’s definitely a chance to compete,” Bowman said. “It’s about who wants it more.”

Notes and Quotes

Spikes has a familiar face with him the practice fields this week. It’s none other than his former high school coach, Samuel Williams, who’s working with the linebackers as part of a coaching internship with the 49ers.

“I wanted to have an opportunity to eventually step to the next level as a collegiate coach and what better opportunity than to work with the 49ers as a coaching intern,” said Spikes’ old coach at Washington County High School in Sandersville, GA. “The staff is a great staff and Coach Singletary has this team headed in the right direction.”

The current assistant coach at Telfair County High School in GA., is pleased to be reunited with one of his old pupils, as well as his talented teammates.

“It’s just like old times. It’s great to see him and it’s great to visit with him,” Williams said. “Seeing the things they do at the professional level, as a high school coach you don’t get to see these kinds of athletes.”

Alex Smith had a solid afternoon practice. He opened up with three completions in the first 7-on-7 period. Smith began with a completion to Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis on a deep out in front of cheering section of 49ers Faithful. Smith later found fullback Brit Miller on a 25-yard touch pass down the middle of the field for a likely touchdown. Fans must have thought they were back in the 2009 preseason where Miller’s first two catches went for touchdowns.

Michael Crabtree turned in the play of the practice session with a tremendous over-the-middle grab in which he reached up and snatched Nate Davis’ pass out of the air in front of multiple converging defenders.

For more on Monday’s afternoon practice, check out these photos from camp:

Outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks watched in the football while making a catch during individual drills.

Linebacker Patrick Willis faced guard Chilo Rachal in the “Nutcracker” drill as Singletary looked on.

Happy camper Takeo Spikes enjoyed the company of his position coach, Vantz Singletary.

Pro Bowlers, Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis conversed on the sidelines during special teams period.

Second-year running back Glen Coffee signed autograph for fans after practice.

Frank Gore signed autographs for the Faithful after his second practice of the day.

Second-year defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois added his signature to a football for a young fan.

Willis signed autographs after practice before heading off to dinner and meetings.

For more photos from Monday, check out this photo gallery.

With the NBA Finals tipping off tonight, why not get some predictions out of some of the players in the locker room? There’s always basketball talk going on in the locker room anyway, so I figured I’d get some of our guys on record with their NBA Finals picks.

Last year, Takeo Spikes went around during OTAs for his debut episode of “Spikes TV” and asked teammates about their picks between the Lakers and the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers received most of the votes in 2009, but this time around, the opinions were much more divided.

Rookie safety Taylor Mays is picking the Lakers to win.

“I know the work that Kobe puts in because I’ve seen him put it in. He works with a trainer that’s from my school,” Mays said. “I don’t know how many games it’ll go. Those Celtics are physical. We’ll see.”

Nate Byham, the tight end the 49ers selected in the sixth-round, appreciates Boston’s toughness, but can’t see them dethroning the defending champions.

“I’ll take the Lakers and I’ll say six games. Boston is tough, but I think it’ll go six.”

Other rookies seemed to be swayed by the physical style of defense that the Celtics play, a key to helping them defeat the Lakers two years ago in the Finals. (I think Coach Singletary would approve of the defensive thought process behind this).

“I like the Celtics, because they have the experience and they’ve brought it all together in the playoffs, offensively and especially defensively,” rookie cornerback Phillip Adams said.

Sixth-round pick Kyle Williams is pretty blunt about his reasoning for seeing the Celtics hoist another title.

“Celtics in six. I can’t stand the Lakers. My whole family is Lakers fans. I can’t stand them. Can’t do it. Can’t go with them.”

In the short amount of time Karl Paymah has been a part of the 49ers this offseason, several things have impressed the free agent cornerback.

But in particular, the 49ers secondary coaches, Johnnie Lynn and Vance Joseph have really had a positive influence on Paymah already.

“To tell you the truth I think they are the best DB coaches I’ve had since I’ve been in the NFL,” said the five-year veteran, who is with his third team. “I’ve never pounded technique as much as I do here. They’ve instilled confidence in all of us. They believe in you, they trust you and they’re going to let you play the game. It’s a good situation.”

Lynn is entering his 17^th NFL season, and sixth season with the 49ers. For his entire tenure in the Bay Area, Lynn has shared the position group with Joseph, who has coached all six of his NFL seasons with the 49ers.

As a former defensive coordinator with the New York Giants, Lynn is one of the team’s most respected coaches, that’s why he’s also the team’s special assistant to the head coach. Although he’s mostly known by outsiders for his raspy voice which tends to give-way the first week of training camp, inside the building Lynn is one of the most respected coaches. The same goes for Joseph, who is not afraid to motivate players if he’s not satisfied with their effort.

Paymah showed early return on the wisdom he’s attained so far from both coaches, intercepting a pass from Alex Smith at Wednesday’s voluntary organized team activity.

“I was just out there playing,” Paymah said downplaying the turnover. “I knew the situation and I just reacted. I tried to get a good jam on (Ted Ginn Jr.) and I noticed him trying to cut back, I was surprised (Smith) threw the ball. I just tried to beat him to the ball and make a play.”

Paymah’s pretty interception on such a nice day weather-wise was fitting for the defensive back, considering how much he was looking forward to Bay Area weather when signing with the 49ers in March.

“It’s beautiful out there, sometimes I refer to it as Club Med,” Paymah said while cracking a grin. “I don’t really feel like I’m at work, except for when practice starts hurting. But really I’m just trying to have fun, play ball and not think too much. I’m just trying to make it happen.”

Likewise, rookie defensive backs are adjusting to their new surroundings. Fortunately, Lynn and Joseph have made the experience a challenging one.

Second-round pick Taylor Mays is just like Paymah, loving his new position coaches.

“They’re good coaches because they coach you, the individual player. I think that’s important. They’re coaching me up on everything I do,” the rookie safety said.

Mays knows he won’t be perfect this week, but as long as he’s giving maximum effort, the former USC standout can live with that at the end of the day.

“It’s about giving full effort. That’s all I can really do right now. I’m trying to learn as much as I can, retain as much as I can and just go from there. I’m trying to get as much work in as I can. I’m not really worried about messing up or anything. I’m trying to get as many mistakes out the way and go forward,” Mays said.

Mays said he already understands what type of effort is needed just from watching two solid safeties like Michael Lewis and Dashon Goldson.

“I know what to expect and know what the tempo should be,” Mays said. “It’s good to see guys at the highest level prepare and see what it takes to be great and successful. We have two successful safeties to watch and I couldn’t think of a better situation to be in.”

Notes and Quotes

Greg Manuksy wore a microphone for 49ers.com on Tuesday. On Wednesday, head coach Mike Singletary wore the wire and the defensive coordinator stepped up to a podium with a microphone to answer questions from the media. Many wondered about his initial impressions on the three defensive players selected by the 49ers in the 2010 Draft, but Manusky wasn’t quick to judge his new talent. “There are a lot of things thrown at them the first couple of weeks. They just got out of a scenario of a worldwide tour going to teams and stuff like that. It’s good to get them here, start sitting them down, understand the system and understand where their role is. They’ll eventually and hopefully move on and upward.”

Manusky was also questioned about his defensive philosophy of using defenders who mirror each other and Navorro Bowman’s name came up. The third-round pick out of Penn State, who played outside linebacker in a 4-3 college scheme, is now making the change to inside linebacker in a 3-4. But the change is not a problem according to Bowman who is relishing the opportunity. “I’m glad to be back inside, you get to each side faster,” Bowman noted. “Being an outside ‘backer you’re stuck to one side and you can’t really make plays on the other side of the field. I’m glad to be inside, but whatever the coaches need me to learn – I’ll do that.”

Speaking of linebackers, Takeo Spikes is a veteran in the truest sense of the word. Asked if he’s excited about the upcoming season, the 13-year veteran said he’ll curb his enthusiasm until late July. “When training camp comes around and we start playing games, I think that’s when it really gets all the way turned up.”

Mike Iupati has been off to a good start so far this week. During the team period, the rookie left guard did a nice job of pulling and kicking out the blitzing Bowman, to give running back Glen Coffee a huge running lane. “Nice job Mike!” offensive line coach Mike Solari belted out upon seeing the play develop.

Smith rebounded from the early interception and completed several passes in the 10 to 20-yard range, but none more impressive than the touch pass 25 yards or so down the middle of the field to wide receiver Dominique Zeigler, who got past the coverage of cornerback Tarell Brown and ran right under the perfectly thrown pass.

Although Patrick Willis is recovering a minor offseason knee surgery, he’s still very active at practice. Besides leading stretches with the rest of team captains, he’s been 50 yards behind the defense during team periods, mirroring the movements of both inside ‘backers. Willis might not be on the field with his teammates full-go, but he’s getting plenty of mental reps.

In the spirit of March Madness, linebacker Scott McKillop paid tribute to Kentucky’s dynamic freshman point guard during Monday’s first OTA practice session of the 2010 offseason.  While making “reload” calls in reaction to shifts by the offense, the second-year player from Pittsburgh not only called out the change in assignments, he did so with flare.

“I did the John Wall dance a couple of times, he’s the guard from Kentucky,” linebacker Scott McKillop said.  ”I also did a little Spiderman, a little bowling and a few leg kicks.  I just wanted to make it fun so when the offense watches film, we can laugh about it.”

McKillop and the rest of his teammates are much more relaxed at this point of the year than any other season in recent memory.  The offense will be running the same system for two years in a row while McKillop will play in a defense that will be headed up by Greg Manusky for the fourth straight season.

“I’ve got about a month head start compared to last year and I’m familiar with the guys, familiar with the system,” McKillop said.  ”I’m more comfortable so you can have fun.  If you can’t have fun out there, you shouldn’t be playing.”

Like McKillop, the rest of the players went through a very lively practice, especially considering training camp is roughly five months away.  Below is a video and several photos from Monday.

QB Alex Smith

WR Michael Crabtree

TE coach Pete Hoener with the tight end group

LB Takeo Spikes

Eagles head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb called in to the 49ers media room today for their game week conference calls.  Both Reid and McNabb described the 49ers as a “dangerous” football team and stressed the importance of Sunday’s matchup to both clubs.

McNabb also said that the 49ers middle linebacker tandem of Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis has the makings of a Hall of Fame combination.  He also spoke glowingly of his former teammate Michael Lewis who in his opinion, is a natural leader.

Reid reflected on the team’s decision to draft DeSean Jackson in 2008.  The coach said he didn’t have any reservations about Jackson after being well-informed by California head coach Jeff Tedford.

Take a listen to the entire conference calls of Reid and McNabb and be sure to check back each week as we’ll post the audio of the opposing coach and one key player.

Mike Singletary began his Monday press conference by announcing that two starters in right tackle Tony Pashos and inside linebacker Takeo Spikes will undergo MRI’s today on the shoulder injuries they sustained against the Texans.

Singletary went over the rest of the 49ers injury report from the Houston game and then made an announcement on the team’s starting quarterback position for the 49ers next game at Indianapolis and for the foreseeable future.

“As far as this upcoming week in terms of quarterback, Alex Smith will be the quarterback,” Singletary said.

“As far as, ‘Will Shaun Hill be back?’ and all this other stuff… we’re not going to be a flavor of the month kind of team,” he added. “I wanted to make the decision based on who gives us the best chance to win.”

More Notes from Monday

-Singletary said Pashos suffered a left shoulder contusion, outside linebacker Marques Harris suffered a hamstring strain, defensive tackle Justin Smith suffered a left calf strain, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin suffered a right knee sprain and Spikes suffered a right shoulder sprain.

-The 49ers head coach touched on the play of his offensive line again on Monday, but he sounded confident that the group would improve its play and reestablish Frank Gore and the 49ers running attack.

“We want to run the ball, but usually they have 8.5 guys in the box, sometimes nine. Sometimes that makes it a little more difficult. When you have an offensive line that has been banged up and is trying to get things right, it makes for not a good combination. But as we build confidence and continue to get better, it will work itself out.”

-If Pashos is unable to return in time for Sunday’s game against the Colts, Singletary said the team would “figure it out,” in naming a replacement.

-Singletary sat in on the team’s defensive meeting this morning to cover some communication issues that have been hampering the unit’s play. Singletary wants to see better results from that side of the ball, but was sure to remind them know how highly he thinks of them.

“We’re a good defense with the opportunity to be a great defense,” he said of his message to the defense. “But because of the communication factor, particularly in the last couple of games, you get guys starting to do their own thing. That’s when you really have to communicate very well, to make sure guys don’t start doing their own thing. We just have to get on one page, relax, settle down and let’s go from there.”

-Singletary said nothing stood out to him from watching the film in regards to the play of Michael Crabtree.

“Nothing jumped out to me, it was very evident yesterday,” Singletary said. “I just wanted to see it on film, just like when you see a good movie; you want to see it again.”

-Singletary spoke with Crabtree earlier this morning to let him know how he appreciated all the work Crabtree did while he was away from the team.

“All of the work he did, all of the studying he did while he wasn’t here – it showed,” Singletary said.