Week 11: St. Louis at San Francisco

You can’t get much lower-profile than this one. Two of the NFL’s floundering teams square off in San Francisco. For once St. Louis comes in a little hotter — well, at least tepid compared to San Francisco’s ice-cold state.

The Rams, after losing their first eight in a row, upset New Orleans last week. St. Louis allowed an opening TD to fall behind by a quick 7-0, then got everything right, scoring the game’s next 34 points to take a stunning 34-7 lead. The Rams looked like the team their fans hoped they would be for once during that stretch, then got a little squirrelly but still held on to win, 37-29.

San Francisco, meanwhile, embarrassed itself on “Monday Night Football,” getting shut out, 24-0, by Seattle. The 49ers’ anemic offense is dead last in all sorts of categories in the NFL right now and only had six first downs against the Seahawks.

San Francisco coach Mike Nolan coached that game the day after his father — former 49ers head coach Dick Nolan — died. If it had been a movie, Nolan’s team would have somehow found a way to beat Seattle. Instead, the 49ers kept moving backwards, with QB Alex Smith plagued once again by a number of terrible throws. Ever since Smith returned three games ago from a separated passing shoulder, he has been all over the place. It looks to many like Smith is playing through such pain that he probably won’t be right again for the rest of the season. RB Frank Gore also is having an off year. The 49ers’ defense isn’t playing that badly, but with so little help from the offense, it inevitably breaks down at some point during the game.

St. Louis has had its own injury problems, but several of its key players are now on the upswing. QB Marc Bulger, who has had several injury problems this season, threw for 302 yards against New Orleans. RB Steven Jackson isn’t totally healthy, either, but forgot about his back and groin injuries and rushed for 76 yards. He also threw a two-yard touchdown pass.

The Rams will likely be missing WR Isaac Bruce again this week. But WR Torry Holt — in the NFL’s top 10 in most receiving categories once again — is playing well despite a nagging knee injury. And WR Drew Bennett has finally gotten healthy and given Bulger another weapon.

Rams coach Scott Linehan knows he needs a lot more than one good win against New Orleans to save his job, however. At the Linehan household last week, Linehan’s seven-year-old son asked him: “Dad, why don’t you make game plans that work?”

Deadpanned Linehan in a news conference this week: “So, everybody out there, you’re not alone.”

Make it two in a row for the Rams this week, because Bulger is throwing the ball so much more accurately than Smith.

St. Louis by 5