49ers vs. St. Louis Rams

Shaun Hill threw two touchdown passes and the 49ers blew out the St. Louis Rams 35-0 at Candlestick Park. Glen Coffee ran for 74 yards on 24 carries. Hill finished 14-of-24 for 152 yards and a 104.9 rating. Vernon Davis caught a touchdown. The defense intercepted Kyle Boller once and held St. Louis to under 200 total yards. Joe Nedney made two field goals before being pulled in the blowout. The 49ers improved to 3-1.[1][2][3]

The 49ers crushed the St. Louis Rams 35-0 at Candlestick Park Sunday afternoon. Mike Singletary's defense, holding the Rams scoreless and to under 200 total yards, produced the kind of home shutout the season's identity is supposed to be built on. The kind of home game where everything went according to script.

Shaun Hill went 14-of-24 for 152 with two touchdowns. Glen Coffee, the rookie filling in spot duty for Frank Gore, ran for 74 on 24 carries. Vernon Davis caught a touchdown. The defense intercepted Kyle Boller once and held Steven Jackson to 79 yards on 23 carries. Patrick Willis with double-digit tackles. Justin Smith with a sack.

3-1. The kind of home shutout in a division game that, two-and-a-half weeks into the season, makes the NFC West conversation legitimately about who finishes second to the 49ers. The Atlanta Falcons come to Candlestick next Sunday in a cross-conference matchup. Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez visit the kind of 49ers home crowd that has not had this much actual football to talk about in years.

49ers 35, Rams 0. Margin: +35. Four-game record: 3-1, +49 differential.

* Shaun Hill: 14-of-24 for 152, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 104.9 rating.
* Glen Coffee: 24 carries for 74.
* Vernon Davis: receiving TD.
* 49ers D: 1 INT of Boller, multiple sacks; held STL scoreless.
* Kyle Boller: 13-of-24 for 108, 0 TD, 1 INT.
* Steven Jackson: 23 carries for 79.
* First 49ers home shutout since 2005.
* 49ers 3-1; Rams 0-4.

A 35-0 home shutout of the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick. The 49ers improve to 3-1 with the first home shutout since 2005.

How it unfolded

The 49ers scored on their second drive of the first quarter with a Glen Coffee short run to make it 7-0. The Rams managed nothing on three first-quarter drives. The second quarter was a Shaun Hill touchdown pass to Vernon Davis to make it 14-0. The third quarter was a touchdown to Josh Morgan and another touchdown drive that ended on a Joe Nedney field goal followed by a Coffee touchdown. The fourth quarter was a Glen Coffee second touchdown and a Joe Nedney field goal that closed it 35-0.

The turning point

Glen Coffee's first-quarter touchdown run. With the rookie filling spot duty for Frank Gore, the early touchdown drive gave the 49ers the kind of lead the defensive identity could close out, the kind of opening 15-minute period the team's coaching had been pointing toward.

By the numbers

Hill 152 passing on 24 attempts with two TDs. Coffee 74 rushing on 24 carries with a TD. Davis 43 receiving on 3 catches with a TD. Morgan a receiving TD. Boller 108 passing on 24 attempts with an INT. Jackson 79 rushing on 23 carries.

Personnel watch

Glen Coffee in his most productive game of the year. Shaun Hill efficient. Vernon Davis productive. The defense generating multiple sacks and an interception. The kind of home game where the Singletary defensive-identity coaching produced the season's first shutout.

What it means

3-1 with the Falcons coming to Candlestick next Sunday. The kind of home win that puts the 49ers as the only NFC West team above .500 and in the conference's playoff conversation. Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez visit the kind of crowd that, six weeks ago, had not seen actual playoff football conversation.