St. Louis Finishes Season in Style
ST. LOUIS — In their season finale, the St. Louis Rams looked more like defending NFC champions than the underachievers who finished two games below .500.
Dre’ Bly returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown and the Rams scored 28 fourth-quarter points to go out as winners, defeating the playoff-bound San Francisco 49ers, 31-20, Monday night.
“I wish we’d have played a little better in the first half,” Ram Coach Mike Martz said. “But what the heck.”
Bly stripped Garrison Hearst after a screen pass for the first scoring return this season by the Rams (7-9).
“It ended the season in a perfect way,” Bly said. “It’s a tremendous way to finish and it’s a great feeling.”
The NFC West-champion 49ers (10-6) played a game of keep-away in the first half, taking a 17-0 lead in a tune-up for a wild-card playoff game against the New York Giants on Sunday.
“We had 33 yards at halftime,” Martz said. “I was getting ready to check the paper to look for a job.”
Then the Rams rallied against a 49er defense largely manned by backups.
“As a coach you want to keep playing, put the pedal to the metal so to speak,” Coach Steve Mariucci said. “Then there is the side of you, in the back of your mind, that says, ‘Get these guys fresh and healthy and not produce any more injuries for the next game.’ ”
Jamie Martin, who didn’t start because of a bruised left knee that kept him out of three practices last week, hit Brandon Manumaleuna for a six-yard touchdown pass and Isaac Bruce for a 26-yard score that cut the Rams’ gap to three points with 7:09 to go.
On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Bly put them over the top.
Hearst’s fumble with 2:51 to go, forced by Leonard Little and recovered by Dexter McCleon at the St. Louis 49, finished off the 49ers.
Martin, who completed 22 of 35 passes for 245 yards and a career-best three touchdowns, tacked on a 32-yard scoring pass to Ernie Conwell with 1:53 remaining.
Jeff Garcia opened by directing the league’s longest-lasting drive of the year, with the 49ers chewing up 12:07 on a 20-play, 81-yard march capped by Jeff Chandler’s 19-yard field goal.
Seldom-used quarterback Tim Rattay then took over, throwing touchdown passes of two and 27 yards to Tai Streets for a 17-0 halftime lead.
The 49ers had the ball for nearly two-thirds of the first half, 19:29 to 10:31 for the Rams, and outgained them, 224 yards to 33.
The opening drive surpassed one of 10:04 by Jacksonville in the first week of the season.
“It was fun,” Rattay said. “It was good to get out there and move the ball.”
San Francisco dominated in the first half without two offensive linemen nursing minor ankle injuries, guard Ron Stone and tackle Derrick Deese. The 49ers also were without receiver Terrell Owens, who sat out the last two games because of a groin injury.
The Rams got 23 of their 33 first-half yards on two completions from Martin to Torry Holt near the end of the half. Martin had a pass intercepted by Ronnie Heard at the 49er 19 to end the brief threat with 10 seconds to go.
