NOLAN AND DEL RIO DRESSED FOR SUCCESS.

Byline: BILLY WITZ NFL 

Jerry Rice, looking ever so graceful as he ran one last route for Steve Young in a caramel-colored suit, and the new-look 49ers, no longer resembling the NFL's street urchins, were all dressed up Sunday with someplace to go.

For Rice, it was a halftime ceremony honoring his career. For the 49ers, after their third consecutive victory, 20-14 over the Seahawks, dare we say ... the playoffs?

OK, that may be getting carried away -- even if this is the NFC West -- but at least they're starting to look the part.

The same could be said for Mike Nolan.

Skeptics wondered last season if the rookie head coach was in over his head, but his young 49ers, whose roster has been overhauled from the mess Terry Donahue left behind as general manager, own the NFC's longest winning streak and are one game behind Seattle for the division lead.

He didn't look bad getting there, either.

Nolan became the first NFL coach in 13 years to wear a coat and tie on the sidelines, sporting a black suit, a crisp, white shirt and a red-black- and-gold striped tie.

Nolan looked more Joe Friday than Giorgio Armani, but style in the NFL is all relative. Across the field, Mike Holmgren -- in a polo shirt and slacks -- was dressed less to the nines than to the back nines.

That's the way most coaches have looked since 1993 when Reebok entered into a licensing agreement with the NFL to outfit all coaches. Long gone are the days when Hank Stram strutted up and down the sidelines with a red handkerchief tucked inside the breast pocket of his blazer, or when Paul Brown and George Halas wore their Sunday best.

Gradually, fedoras have given way to frump.

When Nolan became the 49ers coach a year ago, he planned to wear a jacket and tie during games as a tribute to his father, Dick Nolan, who coached the 49ers and Saints in the `60s and `70s, and Dan Reeves, his mentor.

But the NFL nixed the idea since Reebok didn't manufacture suits. In the off-season, the apparel company designed a suit for Nolan and also for Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio, who wore a gray suit with a black- and-teal tie Monday night.

The idea seems popular with fashionistas and football fans.

``I thought it was great,'' said Heather Cocks, a Los Angeles resident whose Web site www.gofugyourself.com throws darts at celebrity fashion faux pas. ``He looked dapper. It's probably more comfortable to wear those grandpa sweater vests if you're running around and screaming at officials, but wearing a suit is classy. I'll be fascinated to see whether it catches on.''

Consider the possibilities:

Patriots coach Bill Belichick, still the alpha male of the coaching fraternity, in a navy blue power suit and red-striped tie -- with a hood and the sleeves cut off.

Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer could go two ways. A powder blue leisure suit with a white leather belt and loafers for the freewheeling, AFL style of football San Diego's playing now. Then when the playoffs arrive -- and Martyball returns -- something Amish.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli, the former Vietnam vet with the drill sergeant's demeanor, patrolling the sideline in full dress.

Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, the erstwhile NASCAR owner, a bright orange jumpsuit covered with sponsors' patches.

Holmgren, the former high school teacher, would look at home in a tweed sport coat -- with elbow patches, of course -- and saddle shoes.

For Eagles coach Andy Reid, the Angelino whose physique does nothing to betray his frequent adolescent trips to Tommy's, pinstripes -- most definitely pinstripes.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, whose team leads the league in arrests, would fit well into a dark gray suit that speaks authority -- or whatever it is that wardens wear these days.

As for that last one, Cocks says the Bengals might actually respond to Lewis dressing up.

``Maybe it would bring an air of professionalism,'' said Cocks, who considers herself a big NFL fan.

``They've had problems with four or five guys in the organization. When the coach wears a suit it makes the coach less one of `us.' It turns that person into more of an authority figure and some teams could stand to have more authority figures.''

Still, it's hard to tell whether this will catch on.

As Cocks notes, it's hard envisioning Bill Parcells in a three-piece suit -- not without a cummerbund, anyway.

And even when the Redskins went on a winning streak last season after Clinton Portis began showing up for weekly press conferences dressed as a different person -- Sheriff Gonnagitcha and Southeast Jerome, among them -- there are limits.

``I would not expect to see anyone in chains and bling and pimp couture, she said.

But remember this is the NFL, where there are no copyrights on winning. And with the way Jacksonville and San Francisco played, there may be only one thing for coaches around the league to do:

Follow suit.

Elsewhere around the league in Week 11:

The Colts still have the same issues that have shown up against New England and Pittsburgh in the playoffs -- keeping Peyton Manning clean against a 3-4 defense and stopping the run. But if losing by a touchdown on the road to a quality team, without your best defensive player (Bob Sanders) and on a day when Peyton Manning comes up empty on two trips inside the 10 is being exposed ... the Chargers, Bears, Patriots et al have surely looked more bare this season.

UCLA rookie safety Jarrad Page's first interception came in the end zone in the final seconds and sealed the Chiefs 17-13 win over Oakland.

``That was not a game-saving play. That was a season saver,'' Kansas City cornerback Patrick Surtain said.

The Patriots, after shutting out Green Bay, head into this week's game with the Bears having won 18 of their last 20 games against NFC opponents (including postseason) and haven't lost at home to a NFC team since 2002.

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(1 -- color) Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio received permission from the NFL to wear a suit during Monday's game.

Doug Benc/Getty Images