The 49ers (5-9) travel to the Edward Jones Dome for a 10:00 PT kickoff against the St. Louis Rams (6-8) in the NFC West rematch.
Sam Bradford starts at quarterback for St. Louis. Steven Jackson runs the ball. Danny Amendola is the Rams' WR1. Alex Smith starts for the 49ers; Brian Westbrook the lead back. Vernon Davis the tight end.
Sunday afternoon at the Edward Jones Dome with the season effectively on the table. A 49ers win and they are 6-9, the Rams 6-9, Seattle 6-8 ahead, the kind of one-game-back-with-one-to-play scenario the NFC West allows. A loss and the season is over.
Alex Smith stays the starter. Brian Westbrook the lead back. Singletary's job security and the team's playoff hopes hinge on the same outcome.
Favored by the Rams by 3.5 at home. The Rams have been the more functional NFC West team across the year, the kind of road game where Bay Area football's competitive year either extends or ends.
Week 16 across the NFC sees the playoff field largely settled. The Falcons (12-2), Saints, Bears, Packers, and Eagles lead the conference. The Buccaneers and Giants are wild-card contenders. The NFC West leader, somehow, will likely finish 7-9. Inside the division, the Rams (6-8) and Seahawks (6-8) lead, the 49ers (5-9) and Cardinals (4-10) trail. The Sunday game between the Rams and 49ers is the kind of week where, somehow, both teams are still alive in the division because the division is the kind of division it is.
Through fourteen games the 49ers are 5-9 with a -64 point differential. Alex Smith averaged 5.7 yards per attempt against San Diego. Brian Westbrook averaged 4.0 yards per carry post-Gore. The defense allows 21.7 points a game. The Rams are 6-8 with Sam Bradford averaging 220 passing yards a game and a 78.4 rating, leading rookies in completion percentage. Steven Jackson averages 76 rushing yards a game. Danny Amendola leads the team in catches. Vegas opens the Rams as 3.5-point home favorites; total 39.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 12-2 | W6 |
| New York Jets | 10-4 | W1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7-7 | L1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4-10 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 10-4 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-4 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-9 | L2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3-11 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 8-6 | W2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 8-6 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 6-8 | W1 |
| Houston Texans | 5-9 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9-5 | W1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 8-6 | W2 |
| Oakland Raiders | 7-7 | W1 |
| Denver Broncos | 3-11 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Rams | 6-8 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6-8 | L2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5-9 | L1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4-10 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10-4 | W3 |
| New York Giants | 9-5 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5-9 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 5-9 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 10-4 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-6 | L2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5-9 | L2 |
| Detroit Lions | 4-10 | W2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 12-2 | W8 |
| New Orleans Saints | 10-4 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-6 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 2-12 | W1 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Steven Jackson 1 yard rush ( Josh Brown kick) | 0-7 |
| Rams | Safety, Troy Smith tackled in end zone by Eugene Sims. | 0-9 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Ted Ginn Jr. 78 yard punt return ( Jeff Reed kick) | 7-9 |
| Rams | Josh Brown 43 yard field goal | 7-12 |
| 49ers | Michael Crabtree 60 yard pass from Troy Smith ( Jeff Reed kick) | 14-12 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Josh Brown 30 yard field goal | 14-15 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rams | Laurent Robinson 3 yard pass from Sam Bradford ( Josh Brown kick) | 14-22 |
| 49ers | Jeff Reed 47 yard field goal | 17-22 |
| Rams | Josh Brown 28 yard field goal | 17-25 |
Sam Bradford threw a touchdown pass and the St. Louis Rams beat the 49ers 25-17 at the Edward Jones Dome. Steven Jackson ran for 48 and a touchdown. Troy Smith came in for an injured Alex Smith in the second half and threw a touchdown to Michael Crabtree and an interception. Crabtree caught six for 122. Singletary was fired after the game. The 49ers fell to 5-10 and were eliminated from NFC West contention.[1][2][3]
The 49ers lost 25-17 at the Edward Jones Dome Sunday afternoon. Mike Singletary's tenure ended in the postgame locker room when Jed York fired him. Jim Tomsula was named interim head coach for the season finale.
Troy Smith came in for an injured Alex Smith in the second half and threw a 14-yard touchdown to Michael Crabtree to keep the game competitive. Crabtree caught six passes for 122 yards. Sam Bradford threw a touchdown and the Rams' Steven Jackson scored. The 49ers were officially eliminated from NFC West contention with the Rams' win.
The kind of late-season road loss that, by itself, would only have been the worst kind of December football. With the postgame firing of Mike Singletary it became the symbolic end of an era. Singletary, the franchise's defensive-identity head coach who took over from Mike Nolan in 2008, finished 18-22 across his two-and-a-half seasons. The kind of Sunday in St. Louis that closes one chapter and opens another. The Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick next week.
Rams 25, 49ers 17. Margin: -8. Fifteen-game record: 5-10, -72 differential.
* Sam Bradford: 28-of-37 for 292, 1 TD, 0 INTs.
* Steven Jackson: 24 carries for 48, 1 TD.
* Troy Smith: 7-of-19 for 153, 1 TD (14y to Crabtree in 4Q), 1 INT.
* Alex Smith: injured 2H (out for game).
* Michael Crabtree: 6 catches for 122, 1 TD.
* Brian Westbrook: 10 carries for 40.
* Singletary fired postgame; Tomsula named interim HC.
* 49ers eliminated from NFC West contention.
* 49ers 5-10; Rams 7-8.
A 25-17 road loss at St. Louis. Mike Singletary fired postgame. The 49ers fall to 5-10 and are eliminated from NFC West contention.
How it unfolded
The Rams kicked a field goal on their opening drive and added a second field goal to take a 6-0 lead before the first quarter ended. The 49ers tied it with a Brian Westbrook short touchdown run early in the second quarter to make it 7-6, then Joe Nedney added a field goal to make it 10-6. The Rams answered with a Bradford touchdown to Brandon Gibson to make it 13-10 at halftime. The third quarter was Steven Jackson's touchdown to push the lead to 19-10 after a missed extra point and a Rams field goal. The fourth quarter was Troy Smith's 14-yard touchdown to Michael Crabtree to make it 19-17. The Rams added two more field goals to close it 25-17.
The turning point
The Alex Smith injury in the second half. The starter went down and the team went to Troy Smith, the kind of in-game quarterback change that no offense recovers from in real time. The Rams' two field goals in the final period sealed the loss.
By the numbers
Troy Smith 153 passing on 19 attempts with a TD and an INT. Crabtree 122 receiving on 6 catches with the TD. Westbrook 40 rushing on 10 carries with a TD. Bradford 292 passing on 37 attempts with a TD. Jackson 48 rushing on 24 carries with a TD. Amendola 7 catches for 50.
Personnel watch
Alex Smith out with an injury in the second half. Singletary's last game as head coach, the kind of road loss that produced the firing within an hour of the final whistle. Jim Tomsula named interim head coach for the Cardinals finale. Michael Crabtree's most productive game of the year.
What it means
5-10 with the season finale against Arizona at home next Sunday. The kind of road loss that produced the firing and the kind of firing that resets the franchise's offseason. The General Manager Trent Baalke watch begins for the new head coach. Singletary's 18-22 record across his tenure ends with the loss.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Troy Smith | 7/19 | 153 | 1 | 1 | |
| Alex Smith | 10/15 | 120 | 0 | 0 | |
| STL | |||||
| Sam Bradford | 28/37 | 292 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Brian Westbrook | 10 | 40 | 0 | 9 |
| Troy Smith | 5 | 28 | 0 | 14 |
| Anthony Dixon | 6 | 17 | 0 | 5 |
| STL | ||||
| Steven Jackson | 24 | 48 | 1 | 12 |
| Brandon Gibson | 2 | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| Mike Karney | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Laurent Robinson | 1 | -5 | 0 | -5 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Michael Crabtree | 6 | 122 | 1 | 60 |
| Vernon Davis | 3 | 70 | 0 | 29 |
| Josh Morgan | 2 | 39 | 0 | 33 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 1 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| Delanie Walker | 3 | 17 | 0 | 7 |
| Brian Westbrook | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| STL | ||||
| Danario Alexander | 6 | 99 | 0 | 46 |
| Brandon Gibson | 3 | 69 | 0 | 41 |
| Danny Amendola | 8 | 53 | 0 | 10 |
| Daniel Fells | 3 | 28 | 0 | 11 |
| Laurent Robinson | 3 | 25 | 1 | 17 |
| Steven Jackson | 3 | 19 | 0 | 9 |
| Kenneth Darby | 2 | -1 | 0 | 4 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2010 W16 - 49ers at St. Louis Rams - Game Thread
