NFC PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK : Plans of Irvin, Slater Soured by 49er Rout

SAN FRANCISCO — This wasn’t the way they envisioned it. A Super Bowl ring would have been the perfect going-away gift, but Sunday’s 30-3 drubbing in Candlestick Park was a retirement party from hell.

Ram veterans LeRoy Irvin and Jackie Slater are both thinking seriously about putting an end to their professional football careers, but the quiet, steamy environment of a losing locker room hardly seemed the appropriate place for such an announcement.

“I’m very disappointed,” said Irvin, a 10-year veteran. “I didn’t want to go out like this. I don’t know for sure, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be back.

“I’ll keep the door open a little bit, though. I’ll see what happens with the Rams and the draft and the Plan B (free-agency) and all that. I’d hate to end it like this. But maybe it’s time. It looks like that was my last hurrah and it hurts.”

Slater, an offensive tackle who is in his 14th year but still playing well enough to have been named to his sixth Pro Bowl team in the last seven seasons, expressed similar sentiments.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “This was a good year for me. I’ll take the memories of this year into the rest of my life.”

Jerry Rice gets more attention among the 49er receivers and Roger Craig is the star among the running backs, but Tom Rathman enjoyed the most productive day of all. The 27-year-old fullback rushed for 63 yards on 10 plays and caught 6 passes for 48 yards, second on his team in both categories but second to none in value.

His plays weren’t glamorous but were crucial: on the 49er second touchdown drive, he gained six yards off tackle on a second-and-eight to set up Joe Montana’s 15-yard pass to Craig for a first down, and he kept their third touchdown drive alive when he caught a Montana pass for 13 yards on a third-and-12 at the 49er 18-yard line. “Tom never ceases to amaze me,” Rice said. “Once he gets a hole, he goes straight ahead and really covers some ground.”

49er cornerback Ronnie Lott offered consolation to several Rams as the teams walked off the field, and he saved some special words for quarterback Jim Everett.

“I said to him, ‘Keep your head up. You’ve got a great career ahead of you,’ ” Lott said. “I expect to see him back in the same position in the future.”

Ram running back Greg Bell, reflecting on the season: “After today, the only positive thing is that we got a taste of a little success. We had the opportunity to become a world champ. We had the opportunity to get close. Other than that, everything’s bad.”

After being routed by the 49ers, what do the Rams think of Denver’s chances in the Super Bowl?

QB Jim Everett: “I don’t think I want to be the Broncos playing these guys now. They’re awfully good.”

DB Leroy Irvin: “They’re gonna beat all over Denver. We were the only team who could beat them and we didn’t do it.”

Coach John Robinson: “Denver? I’m not sure they’re going to call us for advice.”

The three points for the Rams was their lowest total since the last game of the 1987 season, when they were shut out by the 49ers, 48-0. It also was the first time in two years that they hadn’t scored at least 10 points and the first time since Oct. 30, 1988 that they hadn’t scored a touchdown. In that game, against New Orleans, Mike Lansford kicked four field goals in a 12-10 Ram victory. Everett had thrown at least one touchdown pass in eight consecutive games before Sunday. The only other team to hold Everett scoreless this season was Chicago.

Times staff writer Helene Elliott and associate sports editor Jim Colonna contributed to this story.