SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Alex Smith believes he's ready to take over the San Francisco 49ers again. Coach Mike Nolan thinks his quarterback's competitive streak is healthier than his shoulder.
Trent Dilfer will start again for the 49ers (2-3) on Sunday, though Smith also will be in uniform when they visit the New York Giants.
Nolan made his decision Thursday after watching two days of practice with Dilfer and Smith, who separated his right shoulder on the third play of San Francisco's 23-3 loss to Seattle on Sept. 30. Dilfer, a 14th-year pro, is 24-of-52 for 254 yards with three interceptions and one touchdown pass since then.
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Though Smith returned to practice this week and participated in most drills while wearing pads Thursday, Nolan isn't ready to put a key game on the sore shoulders of his former No. 1 overall draft pick.
"I'm not certain that the confidence in Alex, or my confidence in watching him, is where it needs to be," Nolan said. "I know he wants to play in the worst way, but I think he understands what I mean."
The 49ers were cautiously optimistic Smith could return quickly from a potentially serious injury, and he rewarded them by jumping back into practice following the club's bye week. But he didn't participate in every drill Wednesday, and Dilfer took most of the first-team snaps Thursday while Smith watched with the coaches.
"It's disappointing," Smith said. "I've been with this team for a while now, and to see another guy in your huddle, it's a strange feeling."
Smith, the 49ers' starter since midway through his rookie season, took every snap for San Francisco last year. Nolan hasn't decided whether Smith or third-stringer Shaun Hill will be Dilfer's backup.
"You need reps in practice to get your confidence in what you're doing," Nolan said. "Any quarterback will tell you they need reps to be certain."
Smith led the 49ers to season-opening victories over Arizona and St. Louis, but his numbers are unimpressive with a mediocre receiving corps and a struggling offensive line. He's 43-of-84 for 461 yards with one TD pass and one interception while getting sacked 10 times for a 66.6 passer rating.
"It's tough, because I'm competitive and I think I can do it," Smith said. "But to not have practiced for a couple weeks and go out there and not be 100 percent confident in your arm and what it can do, it probably wouldn't be the best thing for this team in the big picture."
Nolan claimed his decision wasn't influenced by the Giants' vaunted pass rush, but keeping Smith out of harm's way could be important against a defense led by sack specialists Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka.
No matter who's taking the snaps, the offense has failed to gain 200 yards in four of the Niners' five games. After a slow start under Smith, San Francisco has scored just 10 points in nearly two full games under Dilfer, who is getting his first playing time since 2005.
"The mind-set is no different, but that uncomfortableness of what's going to happen, I think coach Nolan did the right thing to make a decision," Dilfer said. "You always want to be part of the solution, and I'm very excited about the opportunity. I've established a great rapport with the guys, and I think that shows on the practice field."
Nolan also expects tight end Vernon Davis to play Sunday after missing the last two games with a sprained knee ligament, while linebacker Hannibal Navies (knee) and special-teams standout Keith Lewis (hamstring) probably won't play. Davis, last year's No. 6 overall pick, participated in all parts of practice for the second straight day.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
