49ers clinch first trip to playoffs in 9 years

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

Vernon Davis pulled on a black “NFC West champions” hat to dress up his suit and tie for a snazzy night on the town with some San Francisco offensive teammates. They were off for a celebratory steak dinner at one of the city’s hotspots.

This meal — for Davis, Frank Gore, Alex Smith and many others — has been years in the making. Seven, to be exact, for Gore and Smith, and six for Davis. Linebacker Patrick Willis, he’s been waiting five.

The 49ers trounced the St. Louis Rams 26-0 on Sunday to become the NFL’s second team to secure a playoff berth. Jim Harbaugh’s focused bunch wrapped up that long-awaited division title for a once-proud franchise determined to return to the glory days of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana, Steve Young and Roger Craig.

The 49ers are NFC West champs and back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

“We want to make it to the championship. It’s something we’ve been wanting for a long time,” Davis said. “This is the reason why I’m here. It means a lot to me.”

Harbaugh delivered exactly what the 49ers hired him for back in January: immediate success, a major transformation in a matter of months. So much for the lockout slowing him down.

“This step, this game today is for all those strong and mighty men who have been carrying the flag for this many years,” Harbaugh said. “Each year that they’ve been here, thinking that was going to be the year, the year we go to the playoffs ... and there’s disappointment when you don’t make that.”

Gore helped run San Francisco (10-2) right into the postseason, becoming the 49ers’ career rushing leader by passing late Hall of Famer Joe Perry and finishing with 73 yards.

Alex Smith threw second-half touchdowns of 52 and 56 yards to Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams and David Akers kicked four field goals.