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“The St. Louis games are great, but we don’t see them as our rivals though,” said tight end Delanie Walker, a Central Missouri State product.
Even so, the 49ers players have a healthy amount of respect for the newly improved Rams.
“St. Louis is playing better football,” said defensive end Justin Smith, the University of Missouri product out of Jefferson City. “That was our toughest opponent this year.”
“Give credit where it’s due,” star linebacker Patrick Willis said. “They won the (second) game. They made more plays than we did and we didn’t make enough. It’s never good to play five quarters, but if you play five quarters, then you must get the win and we didn’t.”
And even Walker conceded, “They were really the only team that had our number this year.”
Smith said that the ’Niners weren’t shocked by the Rams’ improved play in those two contests because of what they saw on tape leading up to the games.
“We know they have a really good defense,” Smith said. “We have a lot of respect for Sam Bradford and some of the things they were doing. Steven Jackson’s a top back in this league. We weren’t too surprised.”
The loss and the tie helped cost San Francisco home-field advantage in the playoffs. Even so, the 49ers should offer some thanks to their NFC West rivals. (Or is it “non-rivals” according to Walker?)
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