NFC PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK : Michael Carter Feels Fit Enough to Play

Michael Carter gained fame putting the shot. It earned him a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics.

Now he makes his living with the San Francisco 49ers putting quarterbacks.

On their backs.

The 6-foot-2, 285-pound nose tackle is hoping to have that opportunity against Jim Everett and the Rams Sunday, but he won’t know until today. A stress fracture in his right foot sidelined Carter, a Pro Bowl player last year for the second time, in October.

Now, two weeks removed from a cast he wore for eight weeks, Carter is eager to test his foot straight up the middle toward the man the 49ers know they have to stop.

“I was encouraged today,” Carter said after Friday’s practice. “There’s still some pain, but I can play with it.”

Coach George Seifert isn’t quite as confident, saying that the two will re-evaluate the situation again today. “Michael and I still have to talk about it,” Seifert said. “I thought we would activate him all week long, but I’m just not sure. It’s something that Michael has to feel good about, too.”

Carter, who had 6 1/2 sacks in 1988, is a strong pass-rusher up the middle, which might be just what the doctor ordered for defending against one of the league’s top-rated passers.

Unless, of course, the doctor orders Carter not to play.

A key to a 49er victory is stopping Everett, according to All-Pro safety Ronnie Lott. “If we let that guy stand back there all day we will have trouble,” he said. “We’ve got to put pressure on him.”

And that is Carter’s specialty from the middle. Jim Burt, the transplanted New York Giant, is the third man to start at nose tackle this year. His first start was against the Rams in Anaheim, where he replaced Pete Kugler, who injured his back the week before. Burt’s strength is against the run.

“If it’s up to me, I’ll play,” Carter said. “But I do have to be honest with myself and to the rest of the team. If I’m not going to help the team, it won’t make much sense for me to play.”

And at what point will Carter know?

“If I’m at 70%, I think I can do a little damage,” Carter said. If all goes well today, he said the original plan is to come in on passing situations. “We need to apply pressure up the middle against Everett. Actually, that will be easier than defending the run. Going straight ahead puts a lot less pressure on my foot than the lateral and back-and-forth movement of the run.”

Carter will have some protection. “I’ve got everything in my shoe,” he said. That includes additional tape and a steel plate. And a size-14 shoe to accommodate those and his size 13-foot.

He also foresees the possibility of facing only one blocker, at least at the beginning. And that would be a rare treat for a man used to fighting off two offensive linemen to get his job done.

“Yeah, that could really work in my favor,” he said. “If they think I’m less than 100%, maybe they’ll single me.”

And if they do double-team him?

“Then maybe I’ll just line up and hit somebody in the mouth.”

Sunday’s Bay Area forecast calls for a cloudy sky, scattered showers and mid-day temperatures ranging between 48 and 58 degrees.

The Rams are 8-3 when they score first, but the 49ers are 10-1 in the same situation--the loss was to the Rams at Candlestick Park.

San Francisco has not lost a game this year when leading at halftime, but the Rams have lost twice, including the 30-27 defeat by San Francisco at Anaheim Stadium.

The teams are close in almost every statistical category, but San Francisco holds the edge in most of them, including rushing yards, 125.2 to 122.2; passing yards, 267.2 to 261.1; average points scored, 28.4 to 25.9, and points allowed, 15.6 to 20.2.

Looking for an edge for the Rams? Try points scored by the defense, 18 to 12.

Roger Craig has four 100-yard rushing games for the 49ers this season, including three in the last eight games. He also had a 97-yard effort during that stretch. Against the Rams, Craig gained 67 yards at Candlestick Park and 48 yards at Anaheim Stadium.

Ram running back Greg Bell also has four 100-yard games. Two of those were in the first three games of the season, including 221 yards against Green Bay. Against the 49ers, Bell gained 33 yards at Candlestick Park and 48 at Anaheim Stadium.

Craig finished the regular season with 1,054 yards and six touchdowns. Bell finished with 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The injury report for San Francisco: Safety Tom Holmoe (knee) is questionable; fullback Keith Henderson (neck), cornerback Tim McKyer (groin), linebacker Matt Millen (back) and tackle Steve Wallace (calf) are probable.

For the Rams, safety Vincent Newsome (ankle) is questionable, and cornerback Darryl Henley (shoulder) is probable.