St. Louis @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2013 ) San Francisco 35, St. Louis 11

The San Francisco 49ers looked more like themselves last week, and their identity will crystallize even further when Michael Crabtree makes his season debut Sunday against the visiting St. Louis Rams. Colin Kaepernick threw for three touchdowns in a 27-6 win over Washington on Monday night and now will have his No. 1 wideout from last season's Super Bowl run back in the fold. “He’s a great player,” Kaepernick said of Crabtree, who tore his Achilles' tendon in late May. “He can make a lot of plays. I think everybody knows that.”

The win over the Redskins snapped an uncharacteristic two-game losing streak for the 49ers, who are battling for their playoff lives with five weeks to go in the season. The postseason is a longshot for the Rams, although St. Louis has come on strong with back-to-back wins over Indianapolis and Chicago by the combined margin of 80-29. Still, defensive end Robert Quinn is not ready to give up, saying earlier this week that their "guys have that eye of the tiger. We have the talent and the coaches to make that run. Guys are continuing to believe. Now let's see what happens."

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox. LINE: 49ers - 8. O/U: 42

ABOUT THE RAMS (5-6): Kellen Clemens has stepped in nicely for the injured Sam Bradford, recording a 100.5 passer rating with four touchdowns and no interceptions over the last three weeks. Last week, Clemens was helped out by three rookies - Benny Cunningham, Zac Stacy and wideout Tavon Austin, who combined for 261 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 26 attempts. Austin, an electrifying playmaker out of West Virginia, joined Jim Brown and Gale Sayers as the only players with four touchdowns of 50-plus yards over a span of two games.

ABOUT THE 49ERS (7-4): The 49ers rank last in the NFL in passing yards (173.5 per game), so the return of Crabtree, who had 85 catches for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns last season - all team highs - should be a welcome sight. Frank Gore, on the other hand, appears to finally be on the decline, as the 30-year-old running back has averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry just once in his last six games. The San Francisco defense allowed only 190 yards against Washington last week, with Aldon Smith, Justin Smith and Ahmad Brooks each recording a pair of sacks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. No tight end in the NFL has more touchdowns since 2009, including the playoffs, than 49ers TE Vernon Davis (45).

2. The Rams have a tough schedule down the stretch, including road games at Arizona and Seattle and a home clash with New Orleans.

3. St. Louis is 0-4-1 in its last five trips to San Francisco.

PREDICTION: 49ers 33, Rams 16