NOTEBOOK : Irvin Says Fumbles, Poor Pass Coverage Helped Taylor to His Big Night

Rams cornerback LeRoy Irvin needed only four words to sum up John Taylor’s performance in San Francisco’s 30-27 victory over the Rams Monday night.

“It was his destiny,” Irvin said of Taylor, the 49er wide receiver who caught 11 passes for a team-record 286 yards.

“It was Taylor’s night to have a great game. It was Monday night and everyone was watching. He was due, but we helped him out a little bit.”

Irvin said the “help” came in the form of fourth-quarter fumbles by Ram quarterback Jim Everett and return man Ron Brown, as well as poor pass coverage.

“We screwed up,” Irvin said. “We dominated for a long time, but the fumbles and the long pass plays killed us.”

Most of Taylor’s yardage came on a 92-yard touchdown pass play from Joe Montana in the second quarter and a 96-yard touchdown catch that keyed a 20-point fourth quarter. His 286 yards broke the 49er record of 240 set by Jerry Rice against the Rams in 1985.

Cornerback Jerry Gray said the Rams gave Taylor plenty of room to run once he caught the ball.

“When (Montana) throws the ball and we let (Taylor) catch it, run and not even try to tackle him, anyone will look great,” Gray said.

Add Irvin: The cornerback did have one bright spot--an 18-yard interception return in the first quarter that set up a 25-yard field goal by Mike Lansford. It was his first interception in 19 games against the 49ers.

And did Irvin plan to get over the loss? “I’m going home to listen to some jazz,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to do.”

Everett, on his fumble at the 49er five with 6:41 left to play: “The turf is worn in that part of the field and I couldn’t get the ball up off the turf. It was too bad it had to happen in that situation.”

Everett’s fumble was recovered by 49er linebacker Matt Millen, a former Raider. Millen said the game stirred memories of the Raiders’ glory days.

“This team reminds me of (Jim) Plunkett and the old Raider team. . . . The never-say-die attitude.”

Bill Hawkins, the Rams’ rookie defensive tackle, on the 49ers outscoring the Rams, 20-3, in the fourth quarter: “They (49ers) will always be up, even when they’re down.

“We had a couple of chances to bury them and we didn’t. In case no one saw it, we fell apart.”

Pete Holohan, the Rams’ holder on kicks, on being stopped on the one-yard line by Michael Walter as he was trying to score on a fake field goal attempt in the second quarter: “I was a fingernail away from the end zone. I was close. Real close.”

On the defeat, Holohan said, “It hurts, but that’s an understatement. It will hurt today, hurt tomorrow and then we’ll forget all about it.”

The Rams’ Flipper Anderson entered the game needing only three receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the season, and Everett didn’t waste any time making sure he got it.

Everett threw to Anderson on a 34-yard pass play on the first play for scrimmage.

But Anderson had only one catch the rest of the game and finished with 78 yards, raising his season total to 1,075. It was first time in Ram history that two receivers surpassed 1,000 in the same season. Henry Ellard has 1,214 yards.

The 49ers have won six of 10 Monday night games against the Rams. San Francisco is 18-14 overall on Monday night.

San Francisco improved its road record in the 1980s to 47-21-1, but 49er safety Ronnie Lott said he wouldn’t mind playing the Rams anywhere.

“When you try to play the Rams, you could play this thing on the parking lot and there would still be some vengeance.”

Rock star Huey Lewis, a devoted football fan in attendence Monday night: “Just another ho-hum Rams-49ers game.”