A month ago, the San Francisco 49ers became the first team to clinch its division, shutting out the St. Louis Rams to win the NFC West. Beat them again in the finale, and there’s a nice bonus for the Niners: the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.

Sure, they’re in. There’s still plenty of incentive for a franchise that’s made a rapid rise to the top under rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh.

“Anytime you could lock up a bye, you’d take it,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “Great opportunity for us, we’ve just got to go seize it.”

They couldn’t have picked a more vulnerable opponent.

The bedraggled Rams (2-13) are in danger of a dubious honor — landing the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second time in three years. All it’ll take is dropping their seventh in a row and the Colts winning at Jacksonville and again they will be at the bottom of the barrel.

St. Louis, just 10-37 under third-year coach Steve Spagnuolo and 12-51 with fourth-year general manager Billy Devaney, could be on the verge of a housecleaning. That’s led to a lot of questions this week about trying to save Spags’ job.

“We don’t worry about things we can’t control,” middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “He’s that way, we’re that way. We’re just going to go out there and play our rear ends off.”

Owner Stan Kroenke has been silent on the subject of what comes next for the Rams, who had been viewed as a franchise on the rise after last year’s six-win improvement. Now they’re playing to a half-full stadium and reduced to muttering about injuries that have decimated the secondary and offensive line besides a persistent high left ankle sprain that almost assuredly will knock out quarterback Sam Bradford for a sixth game.

Attendance is likely to be more sparse than usual given the noon CST start coming off New Year’s Eve partying. The Rams asked Thursday for a 24-hour extension to meet NFL sellout requirements.

The 49ers (12-3) have already doubled their win total from a disappointing 2010 season, and even with a loss can get the No. 2 seed and bye if the Saints lose at home against the Panthers. If they can repeat the performance from the 26-0 whipping they handed out in San Francisco, Harbaugh would be just the fourth coach in NFL history to win 13 games in his first year. Two 49ers coaches have already done it, George Seifert going 14-2 in 1989 and Steve Mariucci at 13-3 in 1997.

San Francisco could also land its first 13-win season since ’97. A sixth road win would match their total from the previous three seasons, rewarding them for attention to detail.

“The biggest thing that I’d point to is a lot of little reasons that a lot of people think are the minutia that aren’t important that add up to make all the difference,” Harbaugh said. “And our guys continually do the little things, and they stack on each other and they build on each other. And lo and behold, you win games in high pressure situations, or find ways to do enough things right to win games and get better.

“Enough of those things lead to championships.”

The 49ers are stout on defense, on pace for a franchise record while allowing a league-low 13.5 points per game, and sound on offense behind come-back quarterback Alex Smith. They lead the NFL with a plus-26 turnover ratio, with the most takeaways (36) and the fewest turnovers (10) in the league.

Aldon Smith has 14 sacks, one shy of the NFL rookie record. Cornerback Carlos Rogers and free safety Dashon Goldson, two of the 49ers’ four Pro Bowl starters on defense, have six interceptions apiece.

Kicker David Akers, who has set an NFL record with 42 field goals, and punter Andy Lee are both Pro Bowlers, too.

They’ve stayed healthy, too, with 30 players appearing in every game and 12 making every start. That dwarfs the Rams’ totals of 14 and four. The 49ers have eight Pro Bowl representatives, the Rams none.

“They’ve put it together and you get on a roll,” Spagnuolo said. “It works both ways. You get on a roll winning, confidence and boom, boom, things are working and clicking.

“It happens the other way, too, where you can’t really find any continuity.”

The 49ers have won six of seven in a series knotted at 61-61-2, and Frank Gore always seems to get some of his best days against the Rams, totaling 832 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games. He’ll be facing a defense in danger of setting a franchise record for rushing yards allowed in a season.

The Rams have been giving up an NFL-worst 154.5 yards per game and if they surrender 159 yards it’ll break the previous franchise worst in 2008. The 49ers got 144 yards the first time around.

The 49ers’ biggest worry might be encountering an opponent trying anything and everything to finish with a good taste.

“They have nothing to lose, so they can come out with whatever,” linebacker Patrick Willis said. “For us, there’s a lot riding on this game. We have to come out and play like we have all season. We know what’s at stake.”

Most every week, the Rams stay in it for a while and then a key play or two goes the wrong way and it snowballs to the finish of another failure. That was the case in the first meeting when the 49ers were held to three field goals in the first half, then busted loose with a pair of big plays — pass plays of 52 and 56 yards to Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.

Special teams have sprung several leaks in recent weeks, and the offense is the NFL’s worst, averaging just 11 points with 15 touchdowns in 15 games. They’re coming off a 27-0 loss at Pittsburgh, the second time they’ve been shut out the last month.

It’s been a complete bust of a comeback season for new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

“No regrets, no regrets,” McDaniels said. “Every year is different, every year is a challenge in this league. You have to do everything you can to try to help the team win.”

More slogging lies ahead. The Rams totaled just 157 yards and were just 3 for 13 on third down in the first meeting against San Francisco.

Steven Jackson became the seventh player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in seven straight seasons last week. Against the 49ers, he got just 19 yards on 10 carries.

“It was what we expected and they gave us exactly that,” Jackson said. “We’re going to have another tough time on Sunday but as long as you keep them balanced, and keep them out of what they want to do, we’ll be fine.”

Journeyman Kellen Clemens is expected to get his third straight start at quarterback. He passed for 91 yards last week in a 27-0 loss to the Steelers after throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown the previous week in a 20-13 loss to Cincinnati.

“If there’s a defense that’s better than Pittsburgh,” Clemens said, “we’re playing them this week.”

Thanks for reading! .

Credit: AP

St. Louis Rams kicker Josh Brown (3) walks away after missing a field goal in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 27-0. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Read More: jeff fisher, jon gruden, bill cowher, St. Louis Rams

With the 2012 NFL Football Season drawing to a close, Don Banks from SI.com takes a look at the 2012 NFL coaching carousel. According to Banks, the St. Louis Rams may in fact not pursue former head coach Jon Gruden, contrary to various reports.

The Rams are currently 2-13 in the 2011 NFL Season, Spanguolo’s third season with the Rams. The Rams have won a total of 10 games under his watch and again look poised for a No. 1 or No. 2 draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Banks names long-time Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher as a top candidate for the potentially open position:

For starters, Fisher, the onetime L.A. Rams defensive coordinator and USC defensive back, has been represented for years by veteran agent Marvin Demoff, the father of Rams football operations chief, Kevin Demoff.

Though the Spagnuolo firing is not yet certain, it would appear the Rams have a better chance to hire Fisher instead of both Gruden and Bill Cowher, who both appear partial to remaining in a television during the 2012 season.

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.

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St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is doubtful for the regular season finale against the San Francisco 49ers. Bradford has missed five games with a high ankle sprain. Bradford is actually in an interesting position. If he plays and helps his team win, he might actually save his job. If the Rams lose, they might wind up with the top pick in the draft. That means the team is likely to draft Andrew Luck and jettison Bradford. But as much as Bradford might want to play, the likelihood is that he will be on the sidelines once again.

Bradford has not returned to practice with the Rams in the week leading up to the Week 17 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. He was hoping to push toward playing but with the game just a few days away, the chances are slim to none. Bradford has been battling the ankle injury for much of the season. The five games he missed haven’t come in succession. Bradford missed Week 6 and Week 7 but returned. He aggravated the injury again and missed more time. He last played on December 12 when the Rams faced the Seattle Seahawks. Given the nagging nature of his injury, it seems all but certain that the Rams will sit him in the final game. That means that veteran Kellen Clemens will start once again for the lowly Rams.

Bradford had a nice rookie season in 2010 but he has been a disaster in 2011. He has just six touchdown passes on the season. The Rams have the worst scoring offense in the NFL and the prevailing thought is that the team will go in a new direction. Just two years after Bradford was selected first overall in 2010, he could be out of a job if the Rams select Luck with the top pick. St. Louis will get the top pick if they lose and the Indianapolis Colts win. If that happens, the team will certainly move Bradford. Even if the Rams earn the second pick, there is a chance that a new coaching staff could move the quarterback. 2011 has been a cruel year for Bradford on the football field. It looks like he won’t get a shot at redeeming himself in the final game.

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What are your opinions.

On Monday, Dec. 26, reports surfaced that St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke is prepared to hire A.J. Smith as the team’s general manager if he is let go by the San Diego Chargers. Smith would replace Billy Devaney in the Rams front office.

I hope this rumor isn’t true. Smith is an accomplished general manager who did an outstanding job building the Chargers from the ground up. However, he also has a huge ego and has failed to reach the Super Bowl despite having one of the NFL’s most talented rosters for the past seven years.

I’m sure some Rams fans would be happy at this point just to reach .500. However, the franchise has had its issues over the years with people in positions of power within the front office. All I need to do is recall the exploits of John Shaw, Jay Zygmunt and Mike Martz. The dysfunction that took place in the Rams front office during their tenure literally ripped apart a championship-caliber team. I don’t want to see a repeat performance, and I think that would happen if the Rams hire A.J. Smith.

Despite building a roster full of Pro Bowl talent, Smith’s inability to get along with people has hurt his football teams. In Feb. 2007, Chargers president Dean Spanos fired one of the best coaches in the NFL, Marty Schottenheimer, because he had a dysfunctional relationship with Smith. The Chargers did this despite finishing their season with a 14-2 record. The team hired the mediocre Norv Turner to take his place, and the Chargers have gone downhill ever since.

In the meantime, Smith has struggled to get along with his own players. He alienated future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson prior to his departure to the New York Jets, and even now Smith has a more combative style than most general managers in professional football.

One of the players Smith has clashed with, Vincent Jackson, told FoxSports.com that he wasn’t certain if the Chargers were “only team that deals with (animosity from the GM) but it’s something that’s been around.”

With Smith’s inability to get along with others, it doesn’t sound like he’s the right person to stabilize the Rams franchise. I firmly believe the team needs to hire an excellent football man as general manager. However, Smith isn’t the man for the job unless we’re willing to live through the dysfunction that will likely come with him.

Derek Ciapala has been a Rams fan since he was a child and the team was in Los Angeles. His favorite Rams moments include Flipper Anderson’s 336-yard receiving night against the Saints in 1989, and their miracle 1999 run to their first Super Bowl victory. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

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What are your opinions.

While the Rams do have Bradford, they will also be picking first in the draft. That leads to the inevitable “Andrew Luck or Bradford” debate, should this scenario unfold.

I’ve already discussed the six scenarios facing the Rams in this draft. However, the introduction of Gruden introduces a seventh possibility: Robert Griffin III.

When the Rams played on Monday Night Football, Gruden couldn’t help but reveal his man-crush on RG3. If the Rams do land the No. 1 overall pick, and they will, can you imagine the bedlam that would ensue if the Rams traded Bradford and the No. 1 pick?

I know it sounds crazy, but it just might happen.

I’ve gone on the record as saying I’m in favor of keeping Bradford no matter what, but if the Rams could trade Bradford for multiple picks, then trade the No. 1 overall pick for multiple picks, that would have the Rams reloaded and on the road to respectability in a hurry.

Of course, all of this hinges on RG3 actually being a franchise QB, and of course, on whatever GM the Rams hire being competent enough to make those picks matter.

Speaking of the GM…

Gotta run!.

On Monday, Dec. 26, St. Louis Rams cornerback Justin King was ruled out of the team’s season finale at home against the San Francisco 49ers. King is the fourth Rams cornerback lost to a season-ending injury.

King didn’t fly back to St. Louis with the rest of the team after the Rams’ 27-0 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead, he is being examined in Pittsburgh. It’s possible King’s shoulder could require surgery.

King’s physical style of play has kept him on the trainer’s table throughout the season, but losing him for the season’s final game is just another reminder of how awful 2011 has been for the Rams. There are plenty of teams dealing with injuries in the NFL right now, but few of them have had the problems St. Louis has dealt with. It’s getting old watching the Rams struggle to stay healthy. They did a reasonable job of it in 2010, but 2009 was another living nightmare. Actually, besides the 2010 season, I can’t remember another year when the team managed to stay relatively injury-free. The Rams are definitely a snake-bitten franchise.

I think the worst part of King’s injury is that members of the front office won’t be able to get an accurate evaluation of him for next season. This is also true for other injured members of the club. How is the team supposed to get a solid assessment of Jason Smith’s progress (or lack thereof) on the football field when he keeps getting hurt? Right now, Smith is probably viewed as a draft bust.

Ron Bartell also has a contract option coming up, but he’s missed the entire season. Do the Rams keep him for the final year of his deal, or do they let him go? It’s a tough decision because Bartell was the team’s number one receiver entering 2011, but now we don’t know if he’ll still be the same player when the league kicks off in 2012.

King’s injury is just a reminder of how much work the Rams front office has to do in the offseason to evaluate the roster. With so many players on the team out of action, the Rams are at a disadvantage heading into 2012. Hopefully, the evaluations have already begun. The club needs to take advantage of every second it has available.

Derek Ciapala has been a Rams fan since he was a child and the team was in Los Angeles. His favorite Rams moments include Flipper Anderson’s 336-yard receiving night against the Saints in 1989, and their miracle 1999 run to their first Super Bowl victory. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

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

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Read More: Philip Rivers (QB – SDC), Chris Long (DE – STL), San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams

With the St. Louis Rams sitting at 2-13 and lacking any sense of direction heading into Week 17 of the NFL season, the questions surrounding the future of Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo. Now it appears as if Jon Gruden could be in the mix for becoming the next head coach of the Rams. According to Brad Biggs of the National Football Post, Gruden would become the next head coach if Rams owner Stan Kroenke decided to fire current GM Bill Devaney and replace him with current Chargers GM A.J. Smith. If both are fired, as expected by many NFL experts, Smith is apparently interested in teaming up with Jon Gruden wherever he lands next.

As a defensive-minded coach, Spanuolo has done nothing to stabilize the performance of the defensive unit, perhaps outside of Chris Long’s great season, so he hasn’t given many good reasons to justify his return next year. Although the team has dealt with a rash of injuries, especially in the defensive secondary, GM Bill Devaney has also come under fire for leaving the team without the talent needed to compete. The Devaney-Spanuolo combo just hasn’t worked well enough.

A.J. Smith has been under fire in San Diego for years, as his very talented teams have routinely underachieved. This season Philip Rivers seemed to take a step back, while the team was recently eliminated from an otherwise wide-open AFC West division title race. Despite the failings of Chargers teams over the few years, it is hard to deny the talent A.J. Smith has acquired and assembled out on the west coast.

As the Rams prepare for the 2012 NFL Draft with a premium pick, all that remains to be seen is whether team owner Stan Kroenke will make a fundamental change that has the potential to move the team in a new direction.

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.

Leave your comments on the news below.

James Hall goes for the strip and gets nothing. Donnie Jones needs 10 yards on a fake punt and gets 9.

Two big whiffs in another dispiriting loss Saturday that has put the lowly St. Louis Rams in the running for the No. 1 overall draft pick for the second time in three seasons.

The Rams (2-13) and Colts are tied for the NFL’s worst record heading into the final week of the season. St. Louis hosts NFC West champion San Francisco. If Indianapolis wins at Jacksonville (4-11) and the Rams drop their seventh in a row, St. Louis gets the top pick.

The season finale could also signal the end for coach Steve Spagnuolo, who is 10-37 in three years at the helm. The roster has been devastated by injuries, with the top four cornerbacks on injured reserve, three offensive linemen also out for the year and quarterback Sam Bradford missing five starts with a high left ankle sprain — but St. Louis played poorly when healthy, too.

The NFL’s worst offense has just 15 touchdowns, is averaging 11 points per game and ranks last in third-down efficiency. St. Louis needs nine points this week to match the meager total of 175 from Spagnuolo’s first season in 2009, a 1-15 campaign that led to Sam Bradford being drafted with the top pick

The defense is last against the run after yielding 169 yards and a 6-yard average per carry to Rashard Mendenhall and the Steelers in a 27-0 defeat Saturday.

St. Louis has the league’s worst kicker, too. Josh Brown is 19 for 26 on field goals and missed a chip shot 33-yarder against Pittsburgh.

Spagnuolo sounded hopeful on Monday, saying it would be nice to finish with a victory to give the franchise some momentum going into the offseason. The last time that happened was 2006, when St. Louis finished with three straight wins for an 8-8 record.

“There is something to winning the last game in my opinion, whether you’re moving on to the playoffs or not,” Spagnuolo said. “I think it carries you.

“One of the most rewarding things in this business is the locker room at the end of a win.”

Spagnuolo said owner Stan Kroenke had not given him an indication where he stood. A spokesman for Kroenke has not responded to repeated requests for comment by the AP.

“And those conversations wouldn’t happen anyway, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary,” Spagnuolo said. “That’s nothing different.”

Spagnuolo said he enjoyed spending time with his wife, Maria, on Christmas. He wouldn’t say if he also spent time at Rams Park searching for answers, jokingly issuing his first no-comment of the season.

Hall was poised to ride Charlie Batch to the turf and poke the ball loose on the Steelers’ second snap of the game, but tried to tackle Batch high. The quarterback ducked just in time, then got free for a 35-yard pass to Mendenhall that put the ball on the St. Louis 37. Instead of third-and-long, the Steelers ended up with a field goal.

With his team down 3-0 midway through the second quarter, Spagnuolo called for a fake punt and pass on fourth-and-10 from the Steelers 44. Jones took off after deciding no one was open and was tackled 1 yard shy of the first down.

Even though the Steelers didn’t score on the ensuing possession, it was a crucial setback for an offense starving for points. The Rams have been shut out two of the last four games, also losing 26-0 at San Francisco in Week 12.

Spagnuolo gave Brown a pass on the 52-yard attempt that was wide left to end the first half, but not the 33-yarder early in the fourth quarter. If Brown makes those two, the Rams are down just 13-6 and the game is up for grabs.

Spagnuolo elected not to give Brown a third try at the end of the game when the Rams were at the Pittsburgh 23, allowing the final 30 seconds to run out. Instead of playing to the finish, Spagnuolo handed the Steelers a shutout.

“I mean, the game was over,” Spagnuolo said. “That did not cross my mind.”

One positive heading into the finale is the injury list isn’t as bad as in recent weeks, aside from the loss of yet another cornerback. Justin King, who has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, was ruled out for the finale and the team thinks he’ll need surgery.

The top four cornerbacks to open the season are out for the year, and a fifth potential heavy contributor, Jerome Murphy, was knocked out in the preseason. The Rams have compensated for all those losses by playing as many as four safeties at a time.

Spagnuolo said he hadn’t spoken with Bradford, who has insisted he wants to play whenever he’s able.

“We know we’re dealing with a competitive guy and all I can say is we’ll take it day by day and we’ll be smart with it,” Spagnuolo said.

What do you guys think about this.