COMMENTARY : Seifert’s Calm Melts as 49ers Prepare for Face-Off With Rams

In his first season as the San Francisco 49ers’ coach, George Seifert has been the picture of calm, unfazed by injuries, player complaints or the NFL’s weekly apocalypse. No game, whether the opponent was a division leader or a coach-killer, was more important than any other. Emotions had no place.

On Wednesday all that changed. Seifert, with a chance to beat an archrival and clinch a division and home field advantage through the playoffs, made it clear that he considers Monday night’s showdown with the Rams in Anaheim the 49ers’ most important game of the year.

As the club practiced Wednesday morning, team official Rodney Knox walked into the pressroom and told reporters that Seifert was considering closing practice to the media. No one could remember Bill Walsh, even in the tensest moments of his regime, closing practice.

Seifert relented, but Knox hinted that the reporters shouldn’t report what they saw on the field. And two writers from Los Angeles were barred from practice--a first. Why?

“Because of all this secret stuff we’re putting in,” Seifert said. “All the new formations and plays and defenses. We don’t want the Rams to know about it. Things are pretty tight. There are a lot of things we’d just as soon keep to ourselves.”

Such an action by Walsh would not have been surprising. His mind games with players and media were legendary. But Seifert’s relatively straightforward approach has been one of the major differences between his style and Walsh’s, and Wednesday’s weirdness seemed to come from nowhere.

Seifert said it has nothing to do with the fact that the Rams have won two straight over the 49ers.

“It could be Atlanta or the New York Giants or Denver or anybody,” he said. “This just happens to be the game.

“Each one of the last three games is monumental, and this just happens to be the first to see if we can make it to the playoffs. That’s where we’re at. We’re trying to get there.

“I’m excited, anxious about it, just like everyone else is. It should be a great game. They’re a great football team. They have a great quarterback, a great offense, and their defense is playing well. And we’ve done some good things, too, so it’s a classic situation. It’s a fun thing for a lot of people.”

But not for Seifert. “No, not right now it’s not,” he said.

Few players said they found Seifert to be any more intense this week. For the most part, they appreciate his low-key style. Then again, low-key isn’t exactly what this game is all about.

“You need the little bump in the road so you know it’s something special,” quarterback Steve Young said. “I’d like George to do something weird just because it would be fun. Week after week, it does get a little monotonous.

“Preparing our game plan, it was like, ‘Remember what happened to us four games ago? Remember what the Rams did to us?’ You know them like your in-laws--what you like about them, what you don’t like about them and what you can expect. The one thing we do know about the Rams is that we can expect the unexpected.”

Said running back Roger Craig: “We’re in a good position right now, and he doesn’t want any distractions. If we win this game, we’ll clinch our division. It’s crucial for us to keep our momentum going and not start relaxing.”

Tight end Brent Jones said it’s not going to take “anything extra” to get up for this game. “If you can’t get excited on your own, just by the things going on around you, you don’t belong here. Everybody knows what’s at stake.”

With Seifert admitting to a case of pregame paranoia, only one 49er professed not to care at all about clinching the division.

“There’s nothing special about this week,” wide receiver Jerry Rice said. “This week is just like any other week. You don’t think like that; you’re going to lose. What you want to think about right now is the Rams. You don’t want to think about clinching the division. Everybody has their own way of looking at the game.”

49ers Notebook--Quarterback Joe Montana, who has never lost in seven starts in Anaheim, said he’ll take a cortisone shot for his bruised ribs, if necessary, in order to play Monday. Montana took a pain-killing shot earlier this year. He skipped Wednesday’s practice but hopes to work out Thursday.

Looking for support on the defensive line, the 49ers signed former Chicago Bears defensive end Sean Smith. Smith started three games for the Bears last season but was waived before this season. He played two games for Dallas and was waived, then signed with Tampa Bay and played three games before being waived again. Seifert said he’ll use Smith primarily at defensive end, but with nose guard tackle Pete Kugler bothered by a sore lower back, Smith could help out there, too. “I’ve been calling myself ‘The Bag Man’ because I’ve gone from team to team,” Smith said. “I’m glad I’m ending up with a team that’s going to the playoffs. I prayed and prayed, and my dream came true.”

Running back Terrence Flagler missed practice Wednesday, apparently because his flight back from Atlanta--via Sacramento--was delayed by fog. Flagler had permission to remain behind after the Atlanta game to visit with family in northern Florida. Seifert said that the absence was excused and that Flagler should be at practice today.

Safety Chet Brooks and linebacker Charles Haley didn’t practice Wednesday because Seifert wanted to rest them. Jones missed practice because of a partially dislocated right shoulder, and tight end Jamie Williams may be activated for the first time this season.