GREEN BAY, Wis. — OK, we get it.

Aaron Rodgers is better. Aaron Rodgers would have been the smarter 2005 draft pick for the 49ers. Aaron Rodgers was the best quarterback on the field Sunday in the Green Bay Packers’ 30-24 victory over the 49ers. Aaron Rodgers has a more accurate arm. Heck, Aaron Rodgers is probably a superior Karaoke singer, stock-market analyst and TV game-show contestant.
So. Where does that leave Alex Smith?
Sunday afternoon, it left him somewhere back in 2006 or 2007.
Which is to say that Smith regressed. In a big way. As the 49ers fell behind by 20 points at Lambeau Field on a chilly but otherwise benign day, Smith was rushed, bewildered and aimless. He had 5 passing yards at halftime.
In fact, Smith was so wretched that even when he recovered to throw three second-half touchdown passes, he still convinced no one that he is the long-term answer to the 49ers’ quarterback issues.
Yet for the record, 49ers coach Mike Singletary was holding firm to his stance of patience without evidence.
“I look at Alex, as he continues to develop,” Singletary said. “Obviously, in the first half, I still don’t think his play was where he wants it to be or where he needs it to be ... but he’s getting there.”
Not fast enough. Not nearly fast enough.
For those of us who have generally showed faith in young Alex and have believed that one day he could become a solid NFL starter, Sunday’s first half was a total hope-killer. Smith did not complete his first pass until about halfway through the second quarter. He failed to see open receivers. He was sacked three times.
Explain, please, Mr. Smith.
“I think we came out, for whatever reason, apprehensive, cautious and kind of waiting for somebody to make a play,” Smith said.
Did it ever occur to him that maybe he should have been the one to make it?
In fairness to Smith, the 49ers do have a patchwork offensive line (all three Packers sacks were by defensive linemen, not blitzers) as well as an inexperienced group of receivers who sometimes run to the wrong spots.
Doesn’t matter. In a game like this, with the 49ers desperate to remain in the playoff hunt and facing a beatable Green Bay team, a team needs more than one good half from its quarterback. Keep in mind that Smith had been given a few extra days to study the Packers’ defense, because the 49ers had not played since their Nov. 12 Thursday night victory over the Chicago Bears.
Guess what? We learned that Smith does not pitch well on nine days’ rest. More disconcertingly, as Rodgers was ripping up the 49ers for 344 yards of passing, Smith was showing no signs of progressing in his own ability to take charge, improvise when necessary and find open targets.
Just one example: Early in the second half, the 49ers faced a fourth-and-two situation at the Green Bay 28-yard line. Singletary decided to go for the first down. But coming out of the huddle, confusion caused Smith to call timeout. When he finally did run the play, Green Bay blitzed. Smith made the wrong hot read. He forced a weak incompletion to running back Frank Gore, who was covered by two Packers.
Smith also threw a killer interception early in the fourth quarter when he was backed up at his own 2-yard line. He miscommunicated with his receivers. Green Bay safety Nick Collins was reading Smith’s eyes and caught the ball. That set up the Packers’ only points of the second half — and their eventual winning margin.
To the extent that Smith was successful Sunday, it was again when he operated out of the shotgun and spread formation, which puts everything in front of him as he takes the snap and sends more receivers into the secondary.
But in his postgame remarks, Smith disagreed with the notion that he is better as a spread quarterback, even if “it might have looked like that today.” Smith also opined that it would be “impossible” to change the entire offense in midseason, anyway.
His receivers don’t sound as sure. Michael Crabtree, the rookie who caught his first NFL touchdown pass in the third quarter, expressed his preference for a full-time spread offense but added: “All I can do is run the plays the coaches assign.” Tight end Vernon Davis also was a spread proponent: “Maybe we need to do that, but it’s not up to me.”
Perhaps, then, we have discovered a larger 49ers issue. Let’s review: Singletary and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye say they want their offense to be based on a power running game. Which isn’t working. The receivers say they would prefer a 100 percent spread offense. Which isn’t on the agenda. And the quarterback says it would be folly to attempt a complete switchover at this point. Which doesn’t show much adaptability.
Some would argue for the return of Shaun Hill at quarterback, saying Hill would have managed Sunday’s game with more calmness and skill. They might be right. But looking ahead, with Arizona leading the division by three games with six games left, what’s the point? We know what Hill can and can’t do.
Tough as it may be to accept, Smith should be the 49ers’ starter until they are officially out of playoff contention — just to see if he makes any progress. Then, in the final few games, rookie Nate Davis should get the chance to demonstrate what he can do with his cannon arm. Then, come offseason, the 49ers brass can make some difficult decisions.
Consider: No one thought the 49ers were going to win the Super Bowl this season. So in the big-picture sense, this season has been all about the 49ers trying to identify their next playoff quarterback.
Sadly, they still haven’t done it.
Unless they can negotiate a do-over and get Rodgers.