Alex Smith no longer a losing quarterback

SANTA CLARA -- He might be as tough as a bad cut of meat, as 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh described him Sunday night.But on the menu of NFL quarterbacks, Alex Smith ranks as filet mignon after the first two weeks of the season.Smith had his second strong game in as many games on Sunday, as the 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions 27-19 at Candlestick Park. Smith completed 20 of 31 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw as many as seven catchable passes that his receivers failed to haul in.In two games, Smith has completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 437 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating is 115.9, which ranks second behind Atlanta's Matt Ryan, who enters play Monday night against the Denver Broncos with a 136.4 rating.The 49ers have won 16 of their past 20 regular-season games with Smith as the starter. After opening his career with a 16-29 record as a starter, Smith has now reached the .500 mark at 34-34."I thought that he had a great game, putting the ball on the money and getting it into the hands of our guys," Harbaugh said. "I thought he played an excellent game both throwing the football and getting us into the right plays."Smith ended the game with a cut to the bridge of his nose after Lions safety John Wendling hit him with a forearm as he was sliding at the end of a 20-yard scramble in the fourth quarter."But I think that was the story of this game. It was a physical game," Harbaugh said. "Yeah, he's as tough as a 2 steak."