Resistance is pointless

<p>SAN FRANCISCO — While the offense was in one portion of the locker room doing some soul-searching, 49ers nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin spread the word among his defensive teammates.</p><p>How 'bout pitching a shutout?</p><p>The overall performance was less than perfect, but so was the 49ers' opponent on Sunday. Still, it's hard to dismiss a 35-0 victory of any kind — against any opponent. The 49ers helped the St. Louis Rams extend the league's longest current losing streak to 14 games.</p><p>In the process, San Francisco made it through the first half of its NFC West schedule unbeaten for the first time since 2002. That was the season the 49ers last won the division title and advanced to the playoffs.</p><p>“Our first goal is to win the division, but that's not our only goal,” 49ers coach Mike Singletary said. “The most important thing for us right now is to win the division. But as we go forward, we want to be one of the best teams in the NFL. That's where we want to go.</p><p>“Obviously, we've got a lot of work to do, but that's where our sights are.”</p><p>Nobody who played a snap of defense for the 49ers on Sunday was around the last time the club had recorded a shutout. That hadn't happened since the final Sunday of the 2001 season.</p><p>“Aubrayo was the first to say something,” 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes said. “He said, ‘We have an opportunity for a shutout. Let's get it done.'”</p><p>Said Franklin: “I felt when we got the first touchdown, that should be enough to win as long as we did our jobs. Everybody was feeding off that.”</p><p>The 49ers' defense not only held the Rams without a point. The unit also scored as many touchdowns as the 49ers' offense. Patrick Willis intercepted Rams quarterback Kyle Boller in the third quarter and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown. And early in the fourth quarter, Ray McDonald picked up a fumble and returned it 11 yards for a score.</p><p>In a young career that has brought two Pro Bowl appearances in two seasons, Willis might have had his best game on Sunday. In addition to his touchdown, he also recorded 2½ sacks and three tackles for loss.</p><p>“I'm glad he's on my team,” quarterback Shaun Hill said. “That guy, he's awesome, flying around making plays. That whole defense, the way they're playing is unbelievable. I love watching them play.”</p><p>Singletary said Willis — and many others on the team's defense — has yet to “scratch the surface.”</p><p>And what happens when that comes to be?</p><p>“Wow,” Singletary said. “Just ‘wow' would be the only thing I can say. Wow, because he has so much talent. He just has to tie his talent and knowledge together and that's where he's going to take it to the next level.”</p><p>The 49ers' offense was just along for the ride through most of the victory at Candlestick Park. Rookie Scott McKillop scored the 49ers' first touchdown when he recovered a touched punt in the end zone for a 7-0 lead at halftime.</p><p>Through 30 minutes, the dull play of the 49ers' offense was keeping St. Louis in the game.</p><p>“Some players on different units stepped up and said some things,” Hill said of the 49ers' 15-minute halftime session. “I think he (Singletary) felt like what was said was sufficient and left it at that.”</p><p>Hill completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 152 yards, with second-half touchdown passes to Vernon Davis and Josh Morgan.</p><p>The 49ers improved to 3-1, and they still have yet to tie their offense to their defense. With star running back Frank Gore out of the lineup with an ankle injury, rookie Glen Coffee managed 74 yards on 24 carries.</p><p>“It's a good sign that we can generate points somewhere else,” Singletary said. “It's just one of those things that you look at and say, ‘OK, once our offense gets set, we're really going to make some strides.' We just have to keep working at that.”</p><p>-- For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco via e-mail at matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.</p>