Read More: A.J. Feeley (QB – STL), Michael Crabtree (WR – SFX), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams

Prior to the season, most fans would have thought that it would be the St. Louis Rams clinching an NFC West title, while the San Francisco 49ers would be struggling towards another high draft pick. However, this season has proven to be a disaster for the Rams, as they fell 26-0 to the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers.

With Sam Bradford sidelined by an ankle injury, it was clear that it would take something special for the Rams to generate any sort of offense against San Francisco. Unfortunately, the Rams delivered an uninspired offensive performance, as they gained only 157 yards. The offensive line continued its poor play, with the Rams only able to rush for 31 yards. Steven Jackson was limited to 19 yards on 10 carries, while A.J. Feeley completed 12/22 for 156 yards.

On the defensive end, the Rams couldn’t maintain their form from the first half, as Alex Smith torched the secondary twice. Smith threw a 52-yard TD pass to Michael Crabtree and a 56-yard TD pass to Kyle Williams to help the 49ers cruise to another comfortable win.

The Rams will look to end their three-game losing streak when they travel to Seattle for a Monday Night Football matchup. San Francisco pays a visit to Arizona next Sunday.

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.

Read More: Tom Brandstater (QB – STL), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams

As if the St. Louis Rams needed any more obstacles for Sunday’s road matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, the team is starting to prepare for Sam Bradford missing Week 13 with an ankle injury. Bradford originally suffered left high ankle sprain in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers, after which he missed two games, and now he re-aggravated the injury in the Week 12 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. 

Bradford was walking with a limp in practice on Friday, and did very limited work with the first team offense before giving way to veteran quarterback Jay Feeley, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The team is making subtle preparations for having to play Feeley on Sunday as well, resigning QB Tom Brandstater to the practice squad to help take the scout team load off of Feeley for Friday’s practice. 

Head coach Steve Spagnuolo didn’t sound optimistic about Bradford on Friday:

He was very limited. Didn’t do much at all. He’s still a little sore. So we’ll see where we are (Saturday), and as always, this will be a day-to-day deal…We wanted to make sure we didn’t play him until we knew he could get himself in and out of trouble, so that’ll be part of the decision.

via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

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 St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers are set to renew their age-old NFL rivalry in the Bay Area on Sunday.

Both teams have been among the biggest surprises in the league this season—the Rams for their ineptitude with Sam Bradford under center, the Niners for their excellence under first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh.

San Fran has all but locked up the NFC West title, but don’t expect that to take away from the fire that burns between these two foes.

Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco

When: Sunday, December 4th, at 4:15 p.m. EST

Watch: FOX

Spread: 49ers -13.5 (according to sportsbook.com)

Take the spread here. Only three of San Fran’s nine wins have come by double digits this season. The Rams have a good enough running game to keep this one within striking distance.

Over/Under: 38 points (according to sportsbook.com)

Go with the under. These two teams combine to score fewer than 37 points per game and neither has the sort of firepower needed to light up the scoreboard on Sunday.

Key Injuries:

The Rams may be without star quarterback Sam Bradford and defensive end Chris Long, both of whom have missed practice time this week and are listed as questionable for Week 13 on account of ankle injuries.

The Niners receiving corps could be missing one of its key components if Braylon Edwards, who did not participate in practice on Friday, has to sit out to nurse his injured knee.

Fantasy Big Plays:

START: Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers

The Rams defense ranks last in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed—a measure of mediocrity bolstered and confirmed by Beanie Wells’ 228-yard day last weekend. Gore is a better back with a better offensive line playing in a much more ground-oriented offense.

In other words, expect Gore to approach, if not fly right past, the 20-point plateau on Sunday.

SIT: Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams

Don’t be fooled by Bradford’s bum ankle into thinking Steven Jackson will have a big day against the Niners. Sure, Jackson will have every opportunity to run.

It’s just not a friendly defense to run against. San Fran ranks first in the league in rushing yards allowed and hasn’t given up a touchdown on the ground all season. Don’t think that will change just because St. Louis is in town.

Keys to Rams Win:

St. Louis needs to do everything it can to keep the ball away from Frank Gore, lest the Rams subject their defense to humiliation on down after agonizing down. The best way to do that, of course, is to pound the rock with Steven Jackson.

That won’t be easy, seeing as how the Niners are tops in the NFL against the run, but unless Bradford proves healthy enough to be effective, it’s the only chance the Rams have have.

Key to 49ers Win:

The Niners need only do what they’ve been doing all season—run the ball on offense, stop the run on defense and limit their mistakes—to come out on top in this one. Frank Gore should have plenty of room to roam against the Rams’ defense—more than enough to make the game a runaway for San Fran.

Prediction: 49ers 20, Rams 10

The 49ers have the defense to shut the Rams down, but lack the explosion on offense to turn this one into an absolute laugher. Still, this one won’t feel close whatsoever, even if the scoreboard suggests otherwise.

The San Francisco 49ers will look to rebound from their November 24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup against the St. Louis Rams. San Francisco will try to clinch the NFC West division championship and a playoff berth with a win. At 9-2 this would allow them to clinch the division with still four week left to play in the regular season.

The Rams have struggled greatly this season and have seen a regression from quarterback Sam Bradford(notes). Bradford has not played nearly as well in his second season and the team is just 2-9 through the first 11 games. For St. Louis, receiver Brandon Lloyd(notes) has played very well for the team since they traded for him and is always a downfield threat. Lloyd has scored a touchdown in each of the last three games. Steven Jackson is also a very good player and is a threat in any game. San Francisco’s defense is playing historically well against the run and should be able to continue that this week. This will leave the Rams very limited offensively in this game.

49er fans should pleased to hear that fullback Bruce Miller(notes) is likely to return in this game from a concussion. Without Miller the rushing attack struggled against Baltimore. Miller will look to help open up running lanes for Frank Gore(notes) and Kendall Hunter(notes). San Francisco should have no trouble moving the ball up and down the field and should be able to control the game against the Rams.

San Francisco should be able to use this game and then final month of the season to improve the offensive line and other areas they have struggled.

In this game fans should expect to see San Francisco return to their style of physical football and control the game from start to finish. They are clearly a superior team and will prove that on the field. This is a big game for the team to show that they can mentally and physical rebound from a big loss. I thin Jim Harbaugh and his staff will have the team ready and they will respond to the challenge.

Prediction: 49ers 27, Rams 13

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and grew up in Northern California rooting for the 49ers teams led by Joe Montana and Steve Young. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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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.

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.