Given the struggles that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers experienced in the team’s second preseason game, there’s talk that the 49ers game-planned on defense with one primary goal in mind — to not make the Niners look any worse for picking Alex Smith over Rodgers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Rodgers was sacked four times, completing nine of 16 passes for 58 yards.  When he wasn’t sacked, he was running away from the Niners’ defense.

In passing over Rodgers, the 49ers opted against a former Cal quarterback who grew up in the Bay Area.  [UPDATE:  As a reader pointed out, Rodgers is from Chico, which apparently isn’t part of the Bay Area.]  And though Rodgers spent three years languishing on the bench in Green Bay, he now has the keys to the car.

Even though it was a preseason game, if Rodgers had rolled into San Fran and torched the Niners, more criticism would have been lobbed at coach Mike Nolan and the powers-that-be regarding the decision to take Smith instead of Rodgers.

Especially since Smith is now on the bench.

As to Smith, we’re hearing that Nolan wants to keep him there.  Nolan, as we hear it, is still pissed about last year’s pissing match between the two men regarding Smith’s shoulder injury has made Nolan intent on benching Smith.  The fact that the media is trumpeting J.T. O’Sullivan as the likely starter makes Smith’s benching seem more inevitable.