Rams edge 49ers, 20-17, end 5-game losing skid

St. Louis won the game on Marc Bulger's 5-yard TD pass to Kevin Curtis.
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- It took a crucial stop by St. Louis' beleaguered defense, and Marc Bulger being nearly perfect on the winning drive, to enable the Rams to break their five-game losing streak.
The Rams (5-6) broke another team's heart for a change on Bulger's 5-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis with 27 seconds to go for a 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Twice during the skid they lost in the final minute.
"We needed to win in the worst way," Curtis said. "To come out of there and score when we need to gives us a lot of hope for the rest of the season."
San Francisco (5-6) totaled 171 yards rushing against the NFL's worst defense against the run, including 134 yards on 21 carries by Frank Gore. He's the fifth player in six weeks to top 100 against the Rams, and totaled 261 yards in two games against St. Louis.
Leading 14-13 midway through the fourth quarter, the 49ers marched down the field on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that chewed up more than 71/2 minutes and included only one pass.
The drive screeched to a halt at the 7 when Michael Robinson was stopped for no gain on third-and-1 by Brandon Chillar and Raonall Smith, forcing a 24-yard field goal by Joe Nedney with 3:54 to go.
"That was a big moment," Rams middle linebacker Will Witherspoon said. "That was a game-changing moment."
Gore injures ankle
Gore was not in the game for the big carry after rolling his right ankle four plays earlier, an injury coach Mike Nolan described as a bruise. He was taken for X-rays after the game and again before the 49ers left town.
Before leaving for the second set of X-rays, Gore said Robinson, the 49ers' short-yardage back, would have gotten the third-down call in any case.
"I would have played it, but Mike does the short yardage," Gore said.
Nolan wouldn't second-guess his decision not to go for the first down.
"I thought about it at the time, running it hard, but we're on the road," Nolan said. "Make it a touchdown game. I wouldn't change anything."
Stymied much of the game, Bulger was 9-for-9 for 66 yards during a 12-play, 80-yard drive for the winning score. He finished 23-for-34 for 201 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Bulger not sacked as much
Bulger was sacked twice, a big improvement after absorbing 11 sacks the previous two weeks. The Rams have a makeshift line featuring three replacements.
"He's a little sore from the last couple of weeks," guard Adam Timmerman said. "You've just got to keep him clean. That gives him more confidence to sit back there and make the throws."
The 49ers missed a chance to keep pressure on first-place Seattle in the NFC West. San Francisco had won three straight.
"This is a game we felt that we should have won," defensive end Bryant Young said. "But when you allow teams to stick around, they're not going to lay down."
Both of St. Louis' last-minute losses during the slump came against Seattle. This time, safety Oshiomogo Atogwe intercepted a desperation pass by Alex Smith and ran out the clock.
Gore runs well
Gore, who has four 100-yard games in the last five weeks, had 40 yards on five carries in the 49ers' final drive. He also produced the 49ers' lone highlight of the first half, a 12-yard scoring run in which he powered through Atogwe at the 2.
Steven Jackson was just as impressive for the Rams, who returned to basics after a 15-0 loss to the Panthers when they called 41 pass plays and only eight runs.
Jackson, limited to 27 yards, had 121 yards on 23 carries, with a 36-yard scoring run in the first half. He had two carries for 10 yards and four catches for 25 yards on the winning drive to help the Rams beat a resurgent San Francisco defense that had allowed only 30 points in the last 31/2 games.
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