San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan only had high praises for Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith who has been leading his team's attack ever since he was given the reins over Dwayne Haskins. His impressive performance under center as of late has contributed to making for a stronger case on his candidacy to be named this season's NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

His efforts and newfound success simply haven't gone unnoticed, at least for the 40-year-old tactician.

“He knows where to go with the ball, which to me is one of the biggest things for any quarterback. You read coverages and stuff and there’s always a spot, there’s a hole in it and you want to get the ball there, and Alex is efficient at doing that as anybody. When you pair that with, and why is he helping them so much? They have such a great defense.

When you’re playing as one of the top defenses in the league, and then you have a quarterback who knows where to go with the ball, you don’t have to do a lot of risky things because of what your defense is doing and then your quarterback’s not going to turn it over. He’s going to be very efficient, allows you to stick with the run and you can play the right type of ball that you never beat yourself,” Shanahan said via Niners Nation.

Smith's veteran presence was able to steer Washington's offense to topple the league-best Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13 proceedings. He balled out with 296 passing yards on a 31-of-46 passing clip and a scoring touchdown to lead his team to a 23-17 victory and improve to a 5-7 win-loss record.

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On the other hand, the 49ers are coming off a loss against the streaking Buffalo Bills who defended their home turf with a 34-24 triumph. The loss ultimately dropped back Shanahan and his team to a 5-7 tally to settle in the bottom spot of the NFC West division.

The tenured playmaker in Alex Smith will once again serve as a vital component of the team's attack as they aim to extend their ongoing three-game winning streak and potentially gain the NFC East's top spot with a win at the expense of the depleted 49ers squad for Week 14 action.