Forty-niners rout Rams, clinch NFC West title

SAN FRANCISCO — Team owner John York happily emerged from the 49ers locker room wearing a "Division Champions" cap.

General manager Trent Baalke donned a similar souvenir as he modestly ducked out of Candlestick Park.

Quarterback Alex Smith may have worn that cap best, however, out of all the 49ers' embattled figures over the franchise's eight-season playoff drought.

"This isn't a fluke or anything like that," Smith said after the 49ers clinched the NFC West and a playoff berth by virtue of a 26-0 win over the St. Louis Rams.

The 49ers (10-2) rebounded from a Thanksgiving night loss at Baltimore with a dominant performance against the last-place Rams (2-10).

Individual milestones were set, both by Frank Gore (the 49ers' new all-time rushing leader) and David Akers (franchise-record 32 field goals this season).

One marquee individual, linebacker Patrick Willis, had to watch most of Sunday's game from the sideline because of a strained right hamstring.

But the Willis-less defense still managed to deliver its first shutout since a 35-0 rout of the Rams on Oct. 4, 2009.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said he "wanted to see how our team would come back after a tough loss on the road, and they responded like mighty men. It was a tremendous performance defensively, a real gem."

With that defense on the field during the two-minute warning, left tackle Joe Staley sneaked up on Harbaugh and tried dousing him with a Gatorade cooler.

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