49ers Can Feel Right at Home for Packers

The San Francisco 49ers are getting the Green Bay Packers where they want them.

By defeating St. Louis, 38-19, Sunday for their 17th consecutive regular-season home victory, the 49ers (12-4) earned the right to play host to the Packers (11-5) in Sunday’s wild-card playoff game rather than having to travel to icy Lambeau Field.

“We had to win this game to avoid going back to 38-below,” San Francisco Coach Steve Mariucci said. “This was step one, and next week against Green Bay is step two.”

Rookie R.W. McQuarters returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown and Steve Young passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in the victory.

Wade Richey added field goals of 44, 27 and 20 yards for the 49ers, who haven’t lost to the Rams (4-12) since 1990, when they were based in Anaheim.

“We needed this, not only to get the next game at home but to build some momentum going into the playoffs,” 49ers guard Ray Brown said. “Now, there’s no excuses, no holding anything back. Let’s just go win this thing.”

But the 49ers didn’t escape the regular season closer unscathed. Garrison Hearst, who last week set a single-season team rushing record for San Francisco, strained his right hamstring in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Hearst said he felt like he could have gone back in but Mariucci held him out rather than risk aggravating the injury.

“I just had a little knot in there,” Hearst said. “I’m OK. I’m just going to take some precautions and get some treatment on it.”

Mariucci said he expects Hearst to be able to play against the Packers, who have won five in a row against San Francisco and knocked the 49ers out of the playoffs the past three years.