Gore loves 49ers' success through the air

SAN FRANCISCO -- Frank Gore, who has represented the 49ers' run game for the past six seasons, was excited Sunday to see some big plays available in the passing game.Quarterback Alex Smith threw for 274 yards with touchdown passes of 52 and 56 yards on Sunday as the 49ers clinched the NFC West with a 26-0 victory over the St. Louis Rams."I love it. I love it. I love it," Gore said. "If they want to keep playing eight or nine men in the box, Alex will keep killing them. As long as we get the win, hey, I'm good with whatever happens, whether it's running or passing, whatever, as long as we win."Gore on Sunday became the 49ers' all-time rushing leader since the franchise moved to the NFL in 1950. But the yards have been a little more difficult in recent weeks for Gore.Gore had a franchise-best streak of five with more than 100 yards rushing this season. Now, he's gone four games without 100 yards. He gained 73 yards against the Rams, but his final carry came with 14:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. He sat out the final 20 minutes of a blowout win over Cardinals three weeks ago, and still gained 88 yards.
"We're still doing great in the running game," Gore said. "A lot of guys are gearing up to stop the run. The biggest thing is we're winning. I'm good with it."Gore said he immediately got nervous when he saw linebacker Patrick Willis go down in the first quarter with an injury. But he said he believes Willis' injury will have no long-term effect."I was kind of scared," Gore said. "He is a big part of this, as a team leader. I feel good whenever he's on the field. I'm happy it's just a hamstring. He'll be back."Willis sustained a strain to his lower right hamstring -- just above the knee. He was scheduled for an MRI examination today. Coach Jim Harbaugh will be asked to update Willis' condition during his day-after-game press conference at 3 p.m.Harbaugh said Gore tried to reassure him throughout last week that there was no chance the 49ers would look past the last-place Rams."I worry about a lot of things," Harbaugh said. "I think Frank noticed that. He came up to me probably half a dozen times and said, 'Coach, we got this. We got this.' And I believed him. I trusted him."Gore said he has been in the same position with the 49ers so many times in which they were out of the playoffs. So he knew that the 49ers would get the Rams' best effort. After all, he said the 49ers always played hard late in the season, even when they had no hope of a playoff appearance."They were coming in to play hard," Gore said.