For the very first time all season the Texans have back to back wins.

They nearly let this game get away with their terrible second half performance.

Two touchdowns were scored by Steve Slaton and Houston built up a big lead. The Texans then held on to win 24-21 on Sunday over the 49ers.

At halftime Houston (4-3) were leading 21-0. After that they survived a rally by the 49ers led by Alex Smith, backup quarterback. An interception by Eugene Wilson on fourth down put a stop to the last gasp drive of the 49ers.

Gary Kubiak, Houston coach said, we got down and they got up. Suddenly they grabbed the game’s momentum. But we were able to make some very big plays late in the game. Eugene defensively make a really big play. This was a very big win for us.

The 49ers (3-3) sent Shaun Hill to the bench after his horrible first half. After coming into the game Smith three three touchdown passes, all to Vernon Davis, and closed the gap in the score.

Mike Singletary, 49ers coach said, I thought that it was about time for us to make a change. Simple as that. It wasn’t some drawn out, long thought process. It was more, we need to make a change.

Singletary didn’t say who the starting quarterback would be in next week’s game.

Michael Crabtree made his debut in the NFL. He caught five passes for 56 yards receiving. Coach Singletary was happy with the performance of Crabtree.

I was calm, said Crabtree. I practiced coming into a game and getting calm so I would know what I needed to do and just execute my plays out there. I think that I did do a pretty good job, but still have lots more work I can do.

With 3:49 left to play the third touchdown for Davis on a reception of 23 yards moved the 49ers to within 24-21. The only points in the second half for Houston came with around 7 ½ minutes remaining on a field goal of 50 yards by Kris Brown.

The first game for Crabtree after ending a contract holdout of 71 days on October 7 got overshadowed by the change in quarterbacks. Smith, playing for the first time since 2007, provided a spark for the offense of the 49ers during the second half. He went 15 for 22 for a total of 206 yards passing. Smith only made one major error, a desperation throw picked off by Wilson.

The first touchdown for Smith came on a pass of 29 yards to Davis, making the score 21-7. The drive also included a reception of 17 yards by Crabtree.

Down by three scores to start the second half, you see stale looks coming out of the defense, Smith said. They are not throwing quite so much at us.

Smith connected with Davis once more on a touchdown pass of 14 yards with around 13 minutes to play and cut Houston’s lead even more to 21-14. The touchdown was scored ten plays after a fumble was forced and then recovered by Dashon Goldson off of Slaton.

Mario Williams, the overall pick in the draft in 2006 a year after Smith was said, it was difficult dealing with quarterback changes.

Williams said, when he came in I didn’t really know who he was. Really I didn’t. He definitely did manage the football game for them out there. He got rid of the football on time and moved the ball.

A touchdown pass of 42 yards from Matt Schaub over to Owen Daniels during the second quarter made the score 21-0. The scores from Slaton came on a reception of 9 yards and run of one yard.

Schaub went 20 for 30 for a total of 264 yards passing along with two touchdowns.

During the first quarter San Francisco wasn’t able to get much going. They netted only one yard. The defensive front of the Texans rushed Hill constantly. Williams, who had been slowed down due to a sore shoulder, was able to get his first sack in a game since October 4. He took Hill down on the first play for the 49ers.

San Francisco said it was miscommunication with Crabtree and Hill ruined that play.

Hill said, it was really lack of being experienced more than anything. He knew just what had happened. After that he was ready for moving forward.

Before halftime San Francisco only managed to gain 40 yards along with three first downs. That was the lowest number of yards ever allowed by the Texans during a first half in the history of the franchise.

Hill only went 6 for 11 passing for a total of 45 yards.

The leader of the 49ers knows that he really lost his cool.

The 49ers head coach Mike Singletary got so frustrated with the poor play of his team that he couldn’t help responding to Harvey Dahl, former 49er, when the Falcons offensive lineman started engaging with Singletary near the sideline of the 49ers with Atlanta once again driving down field.

Roddy White scored a touchdown on a catch and run play of 90 yards and also had a touchdown reception of 31 yards. Michael Turner had three running touchdowns as Atlanta pummeled San Francisco on Sunday 45-10, snapping the five home game winning streak of the 49ers.

Singletary said, let me put it to you this way, really I do wish that I had a lot more etiquette in terms of coaching. I don’t though. I really love my players. When people respond in particular ways about my players, I might end up doing things that I shouldn’t do. Yes, I do need to get better when it comes to those things over time.

Although that player was talking with me, really I shouldn’t have said the things I said. What I said wasn’t bad, but it was something that really should have never happened.

Dahl, referring to their spat in the third quarter just said, he is a very fiery guy.

White caught eight passes for 210 yards receiving, his career high and record for the franchise, against what is normally a stingy 49ers defense. Six of his catches came during the first half for a total of 185 yards. Atlanta (3-1) coming into the game off of their bye week were sharp. They out gained the 49ers 477 yards to 279 yards. Matt Ryan went 22 for 32 passing for a total of 329 yards. He threw two touchdown passes and also had a running touchdown late in the game.

San Francisco (3-2) flunked their biggest test so far. They suffered their worst defeat since October 1, 2006 when they lost in Kansas City 41-0 under Mike Nolan, former head coach. According to Singletary the player were not prepared for the game.

Manny Lawson, 49ers linebacker said, we lost some of our composure out there.

On a gray afternoon in October, Candlestick Park got quiet early. At halftime the fans booed the 49ers off the field as they trailed 35-010. During the fourth quarter fans were leaving in droves.

Even after Singletary called a timeout mid first quarter and had a spirited pep talk with his team, San Francisco still failed to respond. On the next play of the game, White score the first of his touchdowns. The big day for White helped the Falcons get their first win on the road of the 2009 season.

On his touchdown run of 90 yards, White did a somersault to get to the end zone. His flip earned him a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

He missed the landing, Mike Smith, Atlanta head coach joked. If he had hit the landing it wouldn’t be a penalty of 15 yards. I told him that if was going to do something like that, he needs to do it like Olga Korbut. He just looked at me, as if he didn’t have any idea who Olga Korbut was. So I said, okay maybe like Mary Lou Retton. I figured that was in ‘86, but he didn’t know who Retton was either. It just right over the top of his head and also my head, Smith said laughing.

White broke Atlanta’s previous franchise record of 198 receiving yards that was set December 13, 1998 by Terrance Mathis versus New Orleans.

White said, I think up to this point I haven’t really been playing too well this season. Coach Smith and I had a talk together. He said to me that I need to just be myself again. He said to go out and just be like the old Roddy. There’s no pressure. Just get out there, just play.

The three turnovers by the 49ers were one more than San Francisco had committed during their first four games in total. Following the second touchdown by White during the first half, the ensuing kickoff was fumbled by Delanie Walker and Atlanta recovered the ball. It appeared as though maybe the ground had caused the fumble. However, the 49ers didn’t have any timeouts left so they couldn’t even challenge that play.

Even things that looked like they were going right for San Francisco ended up going wrong instead.

Dre’ Bly picked off a Ryan pass at the 10 yard line of the 49ers mid third quarter. However he got caught from behind as it appeared he was starting to celebrate the return. The ball was knocked loose by Ryan and Todd McClure, Falcons center, fell on the ball for Atlanta.

Bly said, Dre will be Dre. When I do make the play, and I have made lots, then I express myself.

49ers quarterback Shaun Hill struggled greatly along with the entire offense of San Francisco. Hills 7-0 perfect home record as a starting quarterback evaporated. San Francisco is clearly missing Frank Gore, their star running back. He won’t be back until after their bye week due to a sprinted ankle.

Shaun Hill only completed four of the first 15 passes that he threw. For the game he went 15 out of 38 for a total of 198 yards passing and was sacked three times.

Michael Lewis, 49ers strong safety, went out due to the third concussion he has suffered this season. Lewis went out early third quarter after he went helmet first into Turner attempting to tackle him. During an 11 day span during the preseason Lewis suffered two concussions.

Mike Singletary, 49ers coach, gave another of his motivational speeches at halftime. San Francisco woke up quickly.

In every phase of game.

Singletary said, I just needed to remind them just what really was at stake.

That would be to lead the NFC West.

Vernon Davis, 49ers tight end, caught a pass of 13 yards and scored the third touchdown for him in two weeks, while Patrick Willis had an interception return of 23 yards to score another touchdown. San Francisco was able to overcome the absence of Frank Gore, their star running back, with their 35-0 rout on Sunday over the winless Rams.

San Francisco (3-1) was able to score in multiple ways to take control over the NFC West, following their defeat of Arizona, reigning division champion, as well as Seattle. It was their first recorded shutout in their last 119 games. Their last one came January 6, 2002 in their 38-0 defeat of New Orleans.

Willis said, anytime you can get a goose egg that is great. Today we made a big step. People will say it was only the Rams. That really doesn’t matter.

St. Louis (0-4) lost for the 14th time in a row. It is the longest losing streak in the NFL. It was the second time the Rams have been shut out this season. They lost to Seattle 28-0 in their season opener.

The 49ers scored touchdowns via offense, defense and special teams. It was the very first time that had accomplished that since November 10. 1997 when they defeated Philadelphia 24-12. It was also the biggest margin of victory for the 49ers since December 7, 2003 when they defeated Arizona 50-14.

Singletary, quoting from his message at halftime said, this here is our house. We want to be able to set the tempo, and don’t want other teams coming here and set the tempo against us. I thought they were taking it to us.

Early fourth quarter Shaun Hill connected on a touchdown pass of 24 yards with Josh Morgan. Just 14 seconds later, Kyle Boller, Rams quarterback, fumbled the ball and Ray McDonald recovered and ran back 11 yards to score another touchdown.

Late first half the 49ers found a wacky and lucky way to finally score. Scott McKillop, fifth round rookie draft pick, recovered a punt return that was botched by the Rams inside the end zone. The 49ers lackluster offensive first half got turned around in the second.

Hill said, it was huge how all of the units pitched in. We are leading or division. At the one quarter mark that’s exactly where we want to be.

McKillop was able to capitalize when Danny Amendola of the Rams let the punt of Andy Lee’s go. Quincy Butler, a teammate of Amendola’s tried to pick the ball up but couldn’t get control of it. As the 49ers swarmed the ball, McKillop was able to recover it in the pile up.

Steve Spagnuolo, Rams coach said, you need to communicate will the guys who are blocking for you and tell them the ball is on the ground. I am not sure if it was due to the noise. Danny just didn’t get out. The ball hit Quincy and he knew then he needed to get the ball. He tried doing that.

It was a rough return back to the Bay Area for Boller in his first game as the starting quarterback for the Rams. The former Cal college star was 13 out of 24 for a total of 108 yards passing. He got sacked five time while playing for Marc Bulger, Rams regular starting quarterback, who was out with a bruised rotator cuff.

49ers linebacker Willis wreaked havoc. He frequently went untouched on blitzes and went at the offense of the Rams from all angles. He had eight tackles, with five of them being solo tackles and three tackles went for a loss. He also had 1 ½ sacks along with three additional hits against Boller.

It was obvious that Boller was frustrated.

Boller said, it’s really hard for me to explain. It was just one of those things that we can’t let happen. We can’t have big plays followed by something that takes us back. It kills our drives, it kills all of our momentum and rhythm.

The 49ers clearly missed Gore, who is out with an injured ankle that he hurt during Week three in the 49ers loss to the Vikings. They struggled to move the ball within their power run offense. Glen Coffee, the rookie, took a bigger role on. He rushed for 74 yards in 24 carries for the game.

Hill now has a 7-0 career record as a starting quarterback at Candlestick Park. He went 14 for 24 for a a total of 152 yards passing and was sacked four times.

Some are concerned that Hill is getting hit too much.

When asked how he felt Hill replied, like I just played a football game in the NFL.

Josh Brown, Rams kicker, missed a field goal of 51 yards during the first quarter. After that the Rams didn’t have many other chances. On third down St. Louis went 5 for 16 and managed only 177 yards.