49ers withstand Rams' late rally to win, 34-27.

For the San Francisco 49ers, a week 17 victory over the St. Louis Rams meant they could take the following week off with a BYE in preparation of the Playoffs as well as guarantee themselves home-field advantage with the NFC's no. 2 seed. And though they would face the same Rams team they shutout by a final score of 26 to 0 several weeks ago to clinch the division, St. Louis would come out swinging in the rematch in their own stadium.

With neither team's passing offense known for blowing away the opposition in the box score, it would be the quarterback's legs that were showcased in the game's early going. The 49ers who had not allowed a rushing touchdown all season long until last week's run in with Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, would witness third-string quarterback Kellen Clemons make his way into the end zone with a rushing touchdown on St. Louis' first drive on offense. Two drives later Alex Smith would answer Clemons with a rushing touchdown of his own to tie the game up at 7-7. The Rams would try to respond on the following drive with a bit of trickery by running a direct-snap play to Jerious Norwood who lobbed an errant pass intended for Clemons resulting in a Tarell Brown interception.

Coming into the game Alex Smith needed only 69 passing yards to reach the 3,000 yard plateau for the first time in his career. Smith would reach that mark two plays after the interception with a hitch pass to Michael Crabtree for a 28-yard touchdown to give San Francisco a 14-7 lead. After forcing the Rams to punt, a 44-yard reception to Vernon Davis would setup a David Akers field goal to pad the lead to 17-7. Akers would add another field goal to his resume before the half ended to give the 49ers 20 unanswered points after falling behind 7 to 0. Both team would exchange punts to open the second half until Rams kicker Josh Brown added a season-long field goal from 49 yards out to make it 20-10, but not before the 49ers defense added insult to injury to St. Louis' dismal season as the Rams Pro-Bowl running back Stephen Jackson who's been the heart and soul of the franchise for the last several years left the game with an injury after absorbing a huge hit from safety Dashon Goldson. Though he would later return to the sidelines after undergoing x-rays, the Rams all-time leading rusher would see his day end early.

The 49ers who had a trick play unsuccessfully ran on them earlier in the game would turn the tables on the Rams with a fake field goal. Head coach Jim Harbaugh who's been known for his creativity would run one of his most creative plays yet, catching the Rams defense sleeping with a direct-snap to David Akers who found a wide-open and unguarded Michael Crabtree who pranced into the end zone for his second score of the day. Having starred in 205 career games, the touchdown pass was the first of Akers' career and resembled a similar play 49ers special teams coach Brad Seeley ran several years ago against this very Rams squad when he was at the helm in New England. Another Josh Brown field goal to open the 4th quarter would make it 27-13, SF.

After being pinned deep in their own territory by a sellar punt from Andy Lee who's been magnificent all season long and will be making his third trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl this year, Clemons would throw his second pick of the game as Tarell Brown undercut a pass to WR Brandon Lloyd for his second interception on the day. San Francisco would capitalize on the turnover with Anthony Dixon plowing into the end zone from a yard out to increase the lead to 34-13. Just when the game appeared to be over and well out of reach, the Rams began to make some noise with Lloyd hauling in a 36-yard touchdown reception from Clemens to inch St. Louis a bit closer, 34-20. The Rams would get the ball right back with a well executed onside kick from Josh Brown. On their first play of the drive, Clemens would take a shot at the end zone where Brandon Lloyd and Tarell Brown were tangled up, resulting in a pass-interference call which then set up a Cadillac Williams rushing touchdown on the very next play to cut the deficit to 7.

With all the momentum in the world on St. Louis' side, the Rams would be hit with a reality check as their late-game heroics were derailed with Clemens leaving the game with a foot injury as Navarro Bowman recorded his one and only sack on the day. St. Louis would end up turning the ball over on downs allowing Jim Harbaugh and company to milk the clock and come out victorious. For the Rams, the loss is the 14th of the season and the 38th in three seasons under head coach Steve Spagnuolo who according to sources will be fired on the first day of the postseason which has notoriously been known as "Black Monday" when teams often fire unsuccessful coaches and general managers alike. For San Francisco's next opponent, the 49ers will host the winner of Saturday's Saints-Lions match up the following weekend.


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