Even though the San Francisco 49ers have a bye this weekend, Smith plans on testing his rapidly recovering right throwing shoulder.

"I'd like to throw 80, 100 passes," said Smith of his weekend plans. He separated the shoulder Sept. 16 when he was sacked by 318-pound Seahawk defensive tackle Rocky Bernard. He missed the 9-7 loss last Sunday against the visiting Ravens.

Smith made a strong case for returning for the Oct. 21 game against the sack-crazed Giants.

Smith put his arm strength at 90 percent after a heated passing session yesterday.

"It took me a while to warm up, but I was throwing it pretty good," he said.

He didn't throw much today and had his shoulder wrapped in ice after watching practice. Nevertheless, he feels he'll be able to start in the Meadowlands.

"I don't know if it's strong enough to take any hits," Smith admitted. "I think I can. I don't know if I have to run into walls or what, to test it."

Backup quarterback Trent Dilfer is a veteran of shoulder separations — he had 10 of them over his 13-year career, including six on his throwing shoulder.

In all but one of those injuries, Dilfer returned within two weeks.

"You've heard me say this many times, but Alex is as tough a quarterback as I have been around," Dilfer said. "When he gets hit the first time, it's going to hurt a lot. It will hurt the second time and the third time."

But just what kind of offense will Smith be steering?

The 49ers spent their four days of bye-week practices to rectify an offense that's last in the league in six offensive categories. The team's average of 202.3 yards per game, if maintained for the season, would be the lowest output since the NFL's 1978 expansion to a 16-game format.

Despite the stagnation, the 49ers have often moved the ball when they've been forced to do so.

In the fourth quarter against Baltimore, Dilfer led the team on an 8-play, 46-yard drive that ended when Joe Nedney missed a field goal. Smith led fourth-quarter marches for wins in last year's season finale in Denver and this year's opener against Arizona.

So why can't the 49ers take a hurry-up, pass-orientated mentality to start games?

Offensive coordinator Jim Hostler said defenses are reluctant to blitz when protecting a lead in the fourth quarter for fear of giving up the big play.

"People play you different late in games when they are ahead of you," Hostler said. "If you look at the two-minute drive in the Arizona game, he (Smith) mostly had clean looks."

By a clean look Hostler means a basic four-man rush from the defense.

Looking at the games, it's difficult to pin the problem on one area or player.

The offense had severe protection breakdowns in the 23-3 loss to Seattle but held up well against the exotic defenses of Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Sometimes running back Frank Gore isn't seeing the cutback lane. Receivers, at times, struggle to get open and Smith hasn't been able to evade a blitzer, get out of the pocket and make a big play.

Despite a soul-searching session on Monday, where each player was given a card and asked for anonymous input and criticism, the team believes the offense will rebound.

And even though Hostler has faced some media heat, players retain faith in him. Tight end Vernon Davis and Dilfer have spoken up on his behalf, and Hostler himself, spends little energy stewing.

"If you are doing that in this business, you are really going to struggle," Hostler said. "Half the teams out there are .500 or worse, and a lot of them have higher expectations — although ours are high — are struggling even more than us. So I'm not the only one going through this."