MKRob Sports

Coach Mike Singletary said he’s closer to a decision at quarterback, which is good news because the 49ers open the regular season in three weeks. Don’t read anything into it, but Alex Smith will get the start Saturday night against the Raiders.

He’s just keeping it fair, Singletary said, as the order will be reversed from the first exhibition game. Shaun Hill started the first game, and Smith also played with the first-team offense. This time, Smith will start, and Hill will see action with the ones.

Regardless of how the competition turns outs, Smith said he feels like he’s in much better position, as far as knowledge of the 49ers’ offense, than he has ever been at this stage of the year. And that’s been apparent on the practice field this summer. He has generally played very well.

But Hill is also performing well. Singletary has said that Hill is less of a mystery. Smith will have to play with poise and consistency in the exhibition games — to remove all doubt that might still exist in Singletary’s mind — if he is going to leapfrog Hill for the starting job Sept. 13 against the Cardinals.