Grbac, 49ers Again Rout Rams
Backup quarterback Elvis Grbac threw three touchdown passes, two of them to reserve tight end Ted Popson, and the San Francisco 49ers took advantage of three early turnovers Sunday to beat the St. Louis Rams for the 13th consecutive time, 28-11.
Yet another backup, Terry Kirby, scored in the first half and Jerry Rice caught a 31-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter.
Since Rich Brooks took over as Ram coach last season, the 49ers (4-1) have outscored the Rams, 147-34, in four games. The Rams’ last victory over San Francisco came in 1990 and they have not beaten them at home since Sept. 14, 1986.
“We’re the kind of team that if we’re emotionally prepared, we’ll kill people, crush people,” 49er safety Tim McDonald said.
Grbac stepped in for Steve Young, who took a week off to heal a nagging groin sprain suffered in the 49ers’ 34-0 victory over the Rams on Sept. 8 in San Francisco.
Grbac sat out Thursday’s practice because of back spasms but looked fine on Sunday, completing 20 of 33 passes for 222 yards before sitting down early in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers led, 21-0, by halftime and it could have been a lot worse. The Rams (1-4) stopped Tommy Vardell twice inside the one to take over on downs midway through the first quarter, and an ill-advised Grbac pass from the Ram 14 was picked off by Keith Lyle in the end zone with 30 seconds left in the half.
Grbac, 5-2 as the 49er starter, wasn’t the only backup having a big day. Kirby filled in for Derek Loville, who has a strained left knee, and ran for 73 yards in 13 carries. He also caught five passes for 57 yards.
Popson caught scoring passes of one and nine yards while filling in for Brent Jones, out because of a shoulder injury.
The Rams scored for the first time in seven quarters against San Francisco when Chip Lohmiller kicked a 28-yard field goal with 5:15 left in the third period.
They got their first touchdown in eight quarters after Antonio Goss blocked a punt and recovered it on the San Francisco three in the closing minutes. Tony Banks threw to Harold Green for the score on the next play, and the Rams added the two-point conversion on a run by Banks. By then, only a few thousand of the crowd of 61,260 were still around.
St. Louis started the NFL’s first all-rookie backfield since 1976 with Banks at quarterback, Lawrence Phillips at tailback and Derrick Harris at fullback.
Banks was 18 for 33 for 180 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Rice caught seven passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.