SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
Vernon Davis
pulled on a black “NFC West champions” hat to dress up his suit and tie for a snazzy night on the town with some San Francisco
offensive teammates. They were off for a celebratory steak dinner at one of the city’s hotspots.

This meal – for Davis,
Frank Gore
,
Alex Smith
and many others – has been years in the making. Seven, to be exact, for Gore and Smith, and six for Davis. Star linebacker

Patrick Willis
, he’s been waiting five.

The 49ers trounced the beat-up St. Louis Rams 26-0 on Sunday to become the NFL’s second team to secure a playoff berth behind
unbeaten defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay. Jim Harbaugh’s focused bunch wrapped up that long-awaited division title
for a once-proud franchise determined to return to the glory days of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, Steve Young and Roger Craig.

The 49ers are NFC West champs and back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

“We want to make it to the championship. It’s something we’ve been wanting for a long time,” Davis said. “This is the reason
why I’m here. It means a lot to me.”

Harbaugh delivered exactly what the 49ers hired him for back in January: immediate success, a major transformation in a matter
of months. So much for the lockout slowing him down.

Left tackle
Joe Staley
delivered the Gatordade dousing on Harbaugh’s head in the closing moments – sneaking up on the coach at the 2-minute warning.
Or so he thought. Harbaugh, a 15-year NFL quarterback himself in his day, dodged out of the way to avoid being fully soaked.

“This step, this game today is for all those strong and mighty men who have been carrying the flag for this many years,” Harbaugh
said. “Each year that they’ve been here, thinking that was going to be the year, the year we go to the playoffs … and there’s
disappointment when you don’t make that.”

Gore helped run San Francisco (10-2) right into the postseason, becoming the 49ers’ career rushing leader by passing late
Hall of Famer Joe Perry and finishing with 73 yards.

Alex Smith
threw second-half touchdowns of 52 and 56 yards to
Michael Crabtree
and
Kyle Williams
and
David Akers
kicked four field goals to help Harbaugh join George Seifert (1989) and Steve Mariucci (1997) as the only rookie coaches in
franchise history to win the division.

The only downer came when Willis left the game in the first half with a right hamstring injury that Harbaugh afterward said
he didn’t consider serious.

Rams quarterback A.J. Feeley struggled in place of injured starter
Sam Bradford
for the reeling Rams (2-10), who watched several more key players go down.

Even Feeley needed X-rays afterward on his right thumb.

“It’s kind of the same story we’ve had all year. We just can’t seem to put anything together,” he said. “It’s like a clock
where everybody’s got to be in sync. When that doesn’t happen you put yourself in a tough situation.”

The 49ers bounced back from a discouraging 16-6 loss at Baltimore on Thanksgiving night against the Ravens and Harbaugh’s
big brother, John, with another methodical victory. Smith was sacked nine times in that game and four more Sunday.

Despite further problems converting in the red zone early, San Francisco shut out an opponent for the first time since a 35-0
home win at Candlestick Park on Oct. 4, 2009. That was also the Rams’ last shutout.

The Niners also avenged a late-season loss from 2010 that was still plenty fresh. They had won five straight before losing
at St. Louis in the second-to-last week. It was after that game when coach Mike Singletary was fired. That led to the high-profile
hiring of Harbaugh in January. And the 49ers’ transformation began in earnest.

San Francisco’s impressive season might help shed that “NFC Worst” stigma from the West.

“It’s not a Hollywood team,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a blue-collar team.”

Smith, who didn’t start that last game against the Rams, completed 17 of 23 passes for 274 yards with no interceptions to
finish with a career-high 142.3 quarterback rating. He gave way to rookie backup
Colin Kaepernick
midway through the fourth.

Gore ran for 2 yards early in the second quarter to give him 7,345 career yards rushing, moving him past Perry (7,344) for
most in franchise history.

The 28-year-old Gore, a two-time Pro Bowl selection in his seventh NFL season, has said it was a goal for this season to become
the career rushing leader – though getting to the playoffs for the first time has always been the top priority.

“There’ve been some tough years here,” Gore said. “To get an opportunity to get to the postseason and to get it early, that’s
a blessing.”

Gore and his teammates are wearing No. 34 helmet decals this season in honor of Perry, the first player with back-to-back
1,000-yard rushing seasons and nicknamed “The Jet” for his sensational speed. He died in April at age 84.

Willis watched the second half on the sideline in a sweatsuit.

The four-time Pro Bowler landed awkwardly after missing a tackle on fullback
Brit Miller
, who made an 18-yard completion from Feeley with 4:28 left in the first quarter. Willis’ body twisted as he fell to the ground
and he stayed down for a short time as trainers ran out to check on him, then helped him limp off the field.

Akers kicked field goals of 36 and 19 yards then booted a 28-yarder 1:41 before halftime for his 31st of the year, topping
Jeff Wilkins’ single-season franchise mark of 30 set in 1996.

That gave the 49ers nine field goals – with only three TDs – in the last 14 trips to the red zone before Crabtree’s TD catch.
Akers kicked a 34-yarder in the third quarter.

Notes: Rams LG
Jacob Bell
(right knee) left and didn’t return. … The Niners are unbeaten in their last 10 home games vs. NFC West. … Rookie
Aldon Smith
also had two sacks. … Rams DE
Chris Long
has a sack in six straight games.

© 2011 STATS LLC

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

Vernon Davis pulled on a black ”NFC West champions” hat to dress up his suit and tie for a snazzy night on the town with some San Francisco offensive teammates. They were off for a celebratory steak dinner at one of the city’s hotspots.

This meal – for Davis, Frank Gore, Alex Smith and many others – has been years in the making. Seven, to be exact, for Gore and Smith, and six for Davis. Star linebacker Patrick Willis, he’s been waiting five.

The 49ers trounced the beat-up St. Louis Rams 26-0 on Sunday to become the NFL’s second team to secure a playoff berth behind unbeaten defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay. Jim Harbaugh’s focused bunch wrapped up that long-awaited division title for a once-proud franchise determined to return to the glory days of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, Steve Young and Roger Craig.

The 49ers are NFC West champs and back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

”We want to make it to the championship. It’s something we’ve been wanting for a long time,” Davis said. ”This is the reason why I’m here. It means a lot to me.”

Harbaugh delivered exactly what the 49ers hired him for back in January: immediate success, a major transformation in a matter of months. So much for the lockout slowing him down.

Left tackle Joe Staley delivered the Gatordade dousing on Harbaugh’s head in the closing moments – sneaking up on the coach at the 2-minute warning. Or so he thought. Harbaugh, a 15-year NFL quarterback himself in his day, dodged out of the way to avoid being fully soaked.

”This step, this game today is for all those strong and mighty men who have been carrying the flag for this many years,” Harbaugh said. ”Each year that they’ve been here, thinking that was going to be the year, the year we go to the playoffs . . . and there’s disappointment when you don’t make that.”

Gore helped run San Francisco (10-2) right into the postseason, becoming the 49ers’ career rushing leader by passing late Hall of Famer Joe Perry and finishing with 73 yards.

Alex Smith threw second-half touchdowns of 52 and 56 yards to Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams and David Akers kicked four field goals to help Harbaugh join George Seifert (1989) and Steve Mariucci (1997) as the only rookie coaches in franchise history to win the division.

The only downer came when Willis left the game in the first half with a right hamstring injury that Harbaugh afterward said he didn’t consider serious.

Rams quarterback A.J. Feeley struggled in place of injured starter Sam Bradford for the reeling Rams (2-10), who watched several more key players go down.

Even Feeley needed X-rays afterward on his right thumb.

”It’s kind of the same story we’ve had all year. We just can’t seem to put anything together,” he said. ”It’s like a clock where everybody’s got to be in sync. When that doesn’t happen you put yourself in a tough situation.”

The 49ers bounced back from a discouraging 16-6 loss at Baltimore on Thanksgiving night against the Ravens and Harbaugh’s big brother, John, with another methodical victory. Smith was sacked nine times in that game and four more Sunday.

Despite further problems converting in the red zone early, San Francisco shut out an opponent for the first time since a 35-0 home win at Candlestick Park on Oct. 4, 2009. That was also the Rams’ last shutout.

The Niners also avenged a late-season loss from 2010 that was still plenty fresh. They had won five straight before losing at St. Louis in the second-to-last week. It was after that game when coach Mike Singletary was fired. That led to the high-profile hiring of Harbaugh in January. And the 49ers’ transformation began in earnest.

San Francisco’s impressive season might help shed that ”NFC Worst” stigma from the West.

”It’s not a Hollywood team,” Harbaugh said. ”It’s a blue-collar team.”

Smith, who didn’t start that last game against the Rams, completed 17 of 23 passes for 274 yards with no interceptions to finish with a career-high 142.3 quarterback rating. He gave way to rookie backup Colin Kaepernick midway through the fourth.

Gore ran for 2 yards early in the second quarter to give him 7,345 career yards rushing, moving him past Perry (7,344) for most in franchise history.

The 28-year-old Gore, a two-time Pro Bowl selection in his seventh NFL season, has said it was a goal for this season to become the career rushing leader – though getting to the playoffs for the first time has always been the top priority.

”There’ve been some tough years here,” Gore said. ”To get an opportunity to get to the postseason and to get it early, that’s a blessing.”

Gore and his teammates are wearing No. 34 helmet decals this season in honor of Perry, the first player with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and nicknamed ”The Jet” for his sensational speed. He died in April at age 84.

Willis watched the second half on the sideline in a sweatsuit.

The four-time Pro Bowler landed awkwardly after missing a tackle on fullback Brit Miller, who made an 18-yard completion from Feeley with 4:28 left in the first quarter. Willis’ body twisted as he fell to the ground and he stayed down for a short time as trainers ran out to check on him, then helped him limp off the field.

Akers kicked field goals of 36 and 19 yards then booted a 28-yarder 1:41 before halftime for his 31st of the year, topping Jeff Wilkins’ single-season franchise mark of 30 set in 1996.

That gave the 49ers nine field goals – with only three TDs – in the last 14 trips to the red zone before Crabtree’s TD catch. Akers kicked a 34-yarder in the third quarter.

Notes: Rams LG Jacob Bell (right knee) left and didn’t return. . . . The Niners are unbeaten in their last 10 home games vs. NFC West. . . . Rookie Aldon Smith also had two sacks. . . . Rams DE Chris Long has a sack in six straight games.

The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss in 10 weeks at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving Day. Now at 9-2 the 49ers have an opportunity to clinch their division and earn a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The Ravens got pressure on Alex Smith and it hurt the team as the game was within reach for nearly all four quarters thanks to the defense. As for their matchup against the St. Louis Rams, the pressure will not be nearly as high as it was for the hyped-up HarBowl.

Maybe the pressure is relieved because the Rams are a far less impressive team than the Ravens are, or because the 49ers are at home after 10 days of rest. Either way, this game should not be a stumbling point for the 49ers. Coach Harbaugh wanted to make sure his team knew what the reward for a Week 13 victory against the Rams would be, so he didn’t shy away from making it clear that he wanted the team to clinch their division with a win.

As far as the Rams and 49ers look head to head, here’s the comparison:

Offense

Steven Jackson of the Rams is the last player to score a rushing touchdown against the 49ers’ tough defense. That score came on December 26 of 2010, and there hasn’t been a rushing touchdown against the 49ers defense since – something Jackson is aiming to do, I promise you that. The 49ers have their own running back that is looking to set a record himself. Frank Gore(notes) needs just 22 yards to become the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher. Frank gets his yards, but Jackson doesn’t get his TD.

Edge: 49ers

Defense

The same crew that hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 33 games and hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown in 13 games spanning two seasons, also happens to lead the league in points allowed – averaging just 14.6 points per contest. Not to mention the Rams may be without Sam Bradford(notes) for the game. I think that means the 49ers defense will have a monster day, and the Rams defense won’t be able to stop Vernon Davis(notes) or Frank Gore – I’m predicting a big game from Davis.

Edge: 49ers

Special Teams

David Akers(notes), as I have said before, has revived his career by coming to San Francisco and it looks like he will get to appear in at least his 20^th playoff game of his career. Don’t forget about the 49ers’ punter Andy Lee(notes), as he is perennially one of the league’s premier punters, or Ted Ginn, Jr. who has been tearing it up in the return game this year. The Rams don’t have the answer or even a response to any of that.

Edge: 49ers

Prediction: 49ers 31 – Rams 10

David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where they post fresh content daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions – all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, “Not knowing any better”. Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.

You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp .

Sources:

NFL.com. 49ers vs. Rams Game Preview. NFL 2011.

More From David Mehrwein and the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

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San Francisco Giants’ Youth Ranks Tops among the Majors: Fan Reaction

Jim Harbaugh Addressed the Media on November 28: Fan Reaction

Andrew Luck Makes Cardinal History with Big Game Fan Reaction

Fan Opinion: Reds Dangling Yonder Alonso; Should the San Francisco Giants Offer Up Brian Wilson?

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Read More: Danario Alexander (WR – STL), Darian Stewart (S – STL), Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are going to need every bit of help if they want to pull of an upset in San Francisco against the 49ers on Sunday, but it turns out they will be without starting strong safety Darian Stewart. The only good news is that after missing five weeks, speedy wide receiver Danario Alexander may return to the lineup and give the offense a vertical threat it has sorely lacked over the past few weeks.

Stewart, a second-year safety from the University of South Carolina, who has been dealing with concussion symptoms since the Week 12 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, revealed that he would not play on Sunday against the 49ers, saying:

It’s just one of those things where you have to be safe and be smart, and I feel like it’s best that I don’t go this week….With those concussions, it’s my first, and I know that it’s something that can keep coming back from what people tell me. So I want to be smart with it.

via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Meanwhile, Rams’ wide receiver Danario Alexander, who has 20 receptions for 306 yards and one touchdown on the season, says he is ready to return to the lineup on Sunday:

I went out there and basically practiced almost every snap. It’s a good sign. I’m ready for the game.

via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Alexander has been dealing with an injury suffered back in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

The San Francisco 49ers missed out on an opportunity to wrap up their first
NFC West title in nine years last week, but they should have a better chance to
celebrate Sunday.

The 49ers welcome the last-place St. Louis Rams to Candlestick Park as they
try to become one of the league’s first teams to clinch a playoff berth.

San Francisco (9-2) went into Week 12 needing a win at Baltimore on
Thanksgiving and a Seattle loss on Sunday to clinch the NFC West with nearly a
third of the season still to play. The Seahawks lost 23-17 to Washington, but
all that did was help the 49ers maintain their five-game division lead after
falling 16-6 to the Ravens.

That defeat also ended an eight-game win streak, the team’s longest since an
11-game run in 1997. Alex Smith was sacked a franchise record-tying nine times
as the 49ers finished with a season low for points and yards (170).

“The men put a lot into it. They were disappointed,” coach Jim Harbaugh
said. “They’ll bounce back. This is a team that’s a resilient team, and we’ll
learn from it.”

San Francisco will try to get back on track by clinching its first
postseason berth since winning the NFC West in 2002. If the 49ers lose to St.
Louis (2-9), they can still wrap up that spot with losses from Seattle and
Arizona.

“It’s a big deal. It’s a step. We may be ahead on the chip count, but we
don’t have a seat at the final table,” Harbaugh said. “We need to focus on this
game. We need to do everything we can to physically, mentally, emotionally
prepare for this game because we know that the St. Louis Rams will be doing the
same thing.”

The Rams enter looking to recover from back-to-back division losses.

The league’s worst rushing defense, giving up 159.0 yards per game, allowed
another record-setting performance Sunday just five weeks after letting Dallas’
DeMarco Murray(notes) scamper for a rookie franchise-record 253 yards.

Beanie Wells(notes) ran for a Cardinals-record 228 on Sunday, and his 53-yard
sprint in the fourth quarter set up the decisive field goal in Arizona’s 23-20
win.

“You have to forget about it and move on, but as a competitor they’re going
to really get under your skin,” Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis(notes) said. “I hate
losing, I hate losing, and am never going to get used to losing. … Nobody
should in this locker room, in this organization.”

The 49ers will certainly hope to see Frank Gore(notes) shake his recent struggles
and continue to exploit St. Louis’ run defense.

Since his franchise-record streak of five games with 100 or more yards
ended, Gore has just 127 yards over his last three games – though nagging knee
and ankle injuries haven’t helped.

Gore has averaged 96.3 yards in his seven career starts against the Rams and
scored at least one touchdown in six of those. Gore, though, missed the most
recent matchup Dec. 26 because of a hip injury, and the 49ers had a five-game
win streak in the series snapped with a 25-17 loss.

St. Louis’ Sam Bradford(notes) passed for 292 yards and a pivotal fourth-quarter
touchdown while breaking the NFL’s single-season record for completions by a
rookie. The 49ers fired former coach Mike Singletary following that defeat,
paving the way for Harbaugh to come over from Stanford.

San Francisco has won three straight home games over the Rams and seven of
nine, but needed overtime to prevail in the most recent matchup in San Francisco
last November.

Michael Crabtree(notes) caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of that win,
and he might need to step up again in this game with Braylon Edwards(notes) still
dealing with knee and shoulder problems.

Edwards said he’s had his playing time limited in recent games because of
the injury but hopes to be 100 percent for the playoffs.

“I’ve been hurt. I had knee surgery. Now I have a bad shoulder,” Edwards
said. “I haven’t ever had a season where I’ve been hurt, with the exception of
my rookie year. This is all new to me. It’s very frustrating, but I ask the team
to bear with me.”

The Rams, meanwhile, are hoping to get receiver Danario Alexander(notes) back from
a hamstring injury that’s caused him to miss the past five weeks.

This prediction may sound ordinary, but for Rams fans the reality is far different. The Rams currently sit at 1-7. The schedule is decent from here on out though.

In their last eight contests the Rams play the Browns, the Seahawks twice, the 49ers twice, the Bengals, the Steelers and the Cardinals again.

In all reality, it looks like the Rams can expect to lose at Pittsburgh and at Seattle. The Rams don’t have the experience to beat the Steelers at Heinz Field, and the Rams never play well against the Seahawks on the road.

So realistically to get to a 4-4 record over these last eight games would mean beating the Seahawks and Cardinals at home. That combined with a win over the Browns and an upset win over the 49ers one time or the Bengals gets the team to four wins.

That was the word Thursday from Rams running back Steven Jackson, who pointed to offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s offseason departure as a setback for a young offense.

“I’m not making any excuses, but we’re all still learning,” Jackson told reporters. “It would be different if we were still in the West Coast offense and you still had Pat calling the plays. I think you could be a little bit harsher on the performance of the offense, but when you have a bunch of young guys, you have some free agents and really only six weeks to try to jell this thing together, it’s hard.”

Other teams with young offenses and new coordinators are faring better. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks come to mind. Those teams also have strong defenses, however. The Rams were supposed to have one, but they’ve struggled keeping games close, putting the offense in worse situations. It’s become a cycle.

Seattle and San Francisco failed to generate much offense in the first few games. Each team averaged about 214 yards per game through Week 3. The 49ers have averaged 430 yards per game since then. The Seahawks’ average has been 398 yards over the same period. The Rams’ totals have fallen over their last three games, as the chart above shows.

“We’re not asking for any pity parties, but what you’re seeing is some guys resorting back to things they’ve used in the past that’s just not matching up with the scheme,” Jackson said.

Injuries to Jackson and top receiver Danny Amendola have also hurt. Jackson said he’s now 100 percent, but Amendola, the one receiver the Rams could count on, is out for the season.

Jackson’s comments about the Rams’ youth invite scrutiny.

With the Rams 0-4 and the 49ers 4-1, I’ve put together a chart comparing ages for each team’s starters on offense. The Rams’ offensive starters are only slightly younger on average, and the gap would nearly disappear if Chilo Rachal, 25, were still starting for the 49ers at right guard, where Adam Snyder, 29, has taken over recently.

The 49ers, like the Rams, have had issues at receiver, losing Braylon Edwards, who has yet to return, and more recently Josh Morgan, who landed on injured reserve. Running back Frank Gore also suffered an ankle injury that limited him for one game.

Even though the 49ers’ offensive line struggled early in the season, quarterback Alex Smith has outproduced the Rams’ Sam Bradford. Smith gets some credit for that, obviously, but so do the 49ers, who have put him in better position, whether by scheme, a resurgent ground game or through strong defense and special teams.

.

My weekly NFC West conversation on 101ESPN St. Louis carried on Tuesday (audio here). We discussed teams in the division, as usual, and I challenged at least one lingering perception from Week 5: whether the Seattle Seahawks were fortunate to beat the New York Giants. They were fortunate in a way, but they also dominated that game early, producing a first quarter featuring two touchdown drives and another drive to the Giants’ 13-yard line, this one ending with a lost fumble. My thoughts, as shared on 101ESPN St. Louis:

“You mentioned the Giants gave it away. The Seahawks lost two fumbles inside the 13-yard line and should have been up by 20. They went in there and dominated the Giants. The second half against Atlanta the week before, they came back from 27-7 down and lost by two. San Francisco and Seattle have combined for 110 points [on offense] since halftime of Week 4. That definitely puts on notice the other teams in the division. It’s going to be hard for Arizona and especially the Rams to catch up.”

I base that last part more on how the Cardinals and Rams are playing than on differences in the standings. Arizona is one game behind Seattle and two behind the 49ers with 11 games to play. The Cardinals still have a home game against Seattle and two games against the 49ers.

While the 49ers and Seahawks are the only NFC West teams showing improvement lately, the division race is only beginning. The Rams don’t even play a division game until Week 9.

So, relax Sando, just relax.

The 49ers are playing some dang good football right now.  They are 4-1, averaging over 28 points per game, and their offense is gaining about 300 yards per game.  They have produced eight interceptions as a team, they have a power running game led by RB Frank Gore and Alex Smith is completing 65.9 percent of his passes.

Ladies and gentleman, Alex Smith has a QB rating of 104.1.

Give Jim Harbaugh a ton of credit.  He has changed the culture in San Francisco, getting this team to play smart, tough, physical football.  I called it before the season started, the 49ers probably have the most talent in the division.  They have playmakers on both sides of the ball.  The problem was Smith.  The former No. 1 overall pick in the draft wasn’t living up to expectations, and in today’s NFL, if you don’t have a QB, you don’t have a chance.

The 49ers have already picked up big wins over Seattle (a division game), Philly (the “Dream Team”) and Tampa Bay (a playoff-caliber team).  Their only loss was to the Cowboys when the ‘Boys made a miracle, come-from-behind comeback. 

So the 49ers are for real.  The schedule only gets easier from here on out:

Week 6 – at Detroit, LOSS

Week 7 – Bye

Week 8 – Cleveland, WIN

Week 9 – at Washington, WIN, the ‘Skins have overachieved, but don’t have a lot of talent.

Week 10 – NYG, WIN, I’m just down on the Giants after that loss to the ‘Hawks

Week 11 – Arizona, WIN

Week 12 – at Baltimore, LOSS, Ravens are the best team in the AFC

Week 13 – St. Louis, interesting game, WIN

Week 14 – at Arizona, WIN

Week 15 – Pittsburgh, a winnable game, at home…LOSS

Week 16 – at Seattle, LOSS, I just don’t think the 49ers can run the table in the NFC West

Week 17 – at St. Louis, need a win to clinch a bye, WIN

The 49ers finish the season 11-5.  They win the tiebreaker over New Orleans and have a bye in the first round of the playoffs.  Unfortunately for 49ers fans, they draw the winner of the Atlanta vs. Philly game, and Philly comes back to San Francisco with revenge on their mind.

The Eagles remember their embarrassing loss in San Francisco back in Week 4.  They decide, “Hey, instead of trying this ‘Wide 9′ crap, why don’t we put eight guys in the box and stop Frank Gore.”  The plan works to perfection, as Alex Smith is forced to carry the team.  Unfortunately for Smith, he doesn’t have the weapons that Vick has, so he loses a shootout, 38-31.

The 49ers have the 26th pick in the draft, and they use it to select Courtney Upshaw, the outstanding OLB out of Alabama.  Upshaw gives the 49ers one more great defensive player, assuring that the 49ers will keep distancing themselves from the rest of the NFC West.

They made a six-game jump to 7-9 and came within one victory of a postseason berth.

Are they more likely than the Dallas Cowboys and other 2010 also-rans to break through with a postseason berth in 2011?

ESPN’s John Clayton and I considered the matter in our recent Hot Button discussion. He took the Cowboys. I took the Rams. We both painted reasonable pictures, I thought.

The Seattle Seahawks missed the cut because they won the division and won a playoff game, putting them in position to fall off even if they remain on their intended track from a long-term planning perspective.

And what about the San Francisco 49ers? They’ve won plenty of offseason championships over the past few years. Perhaps a break from inflated expectations will do them good.

From a perception standpoint, drafting Colin Kaepernick 36th overall gave the 49ers a long-range outlook that didn’t exist when the team was making shorter-term bets on Alex Smith. It’s also plausible to think an extended lockout might hurt the 49ers in particular as they implement new schemes on offense, defense and special teams.

The 49ers did join the Rams in getting support during a recent “NFL Live.”