Postgame notes: 49ers clinch NFC West title

When Patrick Willis left Sunday's game against the Rams with a hamstring injury in the first quarter, there was reason to believe the 49ers defense would miss a beat.

Instead, the rhythm continued.

The 49ers posted their first shutout in two years, beating the Rams 26-0 to clinch the NFC West division title.

Alex Smith was 17 of 23 with 274 yards and two touchdowns. Smith posted a 142.3 QB Rating, his best single-game rating in his career.

The 49ers continued their trend of letting their opponent hang around. Despite three trips to the red zone, all San Francisco could muster were three first-half field goals.

The Niners finally broke through when Smith hit Michael Crabtree for a 52-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

I don't mean to be a downer, but the 49ers do have a few negatives to take from this game. Not being able to score from inside the 1-yard line is a huge issue moving forward. Also, the 49ers inability to pound the rock with Frank Gore is becoming a trend.

Gore had 73 yards on 21 carries, a rather quiet performance considering the Rams came into the game with worst-ranked run defense.

But one thing's for sure -- this defense is outstanding, and the Niners will be in every game as long as they limit their turnovers.

If the Saints and 49ers finished at 13-3, San Francisco would get the second seed in the NFC Playoffs. The 49ers have already defeated three of its remaining opponents by a combined scored of 82-24, but keep in mind that each of those games were in San Francisco.

Stats to note:
The 49ers have allowed one touchdown in the first half of home games this year (vs. Dallas with 1:48 to go in the half).

Steven Jackson rushed for 19 yards, his lowest total since the 2007 season.

The 49ers have outscored their opponents 144-40 in their last five home games.

San Francisco is 14-3 in its last 17 division games (6-1 vs. Stl, 5-0 vs. Arz, 3-2 vs. Sea) and has won its last 10 division home games