PRO FOOTBALL — January 3

SAN FRANCISCO at ST. LOUIS
(Niners -8, Total 40) — [private] If you are looking for a team to come out and go through the motions in the season’s last weekend, don’t look at the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners are staring a .500 season in the face, and to Mike Singletary’s way of thinking, that represents a major step forward. It looks like they have found an acceptable balance on offense, with Frank Gore rushing for 345 yards in the last three games, receivers like Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis, combining to make Alex Smith (17 TD’s, 12 INT’s) more “efficient.” Steven Jackson, sore back and all, may go out there for the Rams, but that guarabntees nothing, because he plays into the strength of that Frisco defense, which allows just 3.7 yards a carry. In fact, Jackson had 79 yards on 23 carries in the first meeting between these teams, a 35-0 Niner win. Keith Null may be part of the future, but the present is still a bit rocky, as Ryan Leaf’s protege has been intercepted nine times in his three starts. Without a dependable offensive line or dynamic receivers, there isn’t much he can do. Remember that the Rams have exceeded 17 points only twice all season, and have lost 24 of their last 25 games.

THE PLAY: SAN FRANCISCO -8 ***

(All information is for news matter only; All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars. Lines are subject to change)
[/private]