SAN FRANCISCO — When Mike Singletary talks to Patrick Willis about his potential, the 49ers coach tells him he could one day be a better linebacker than the Hall of Famer himself.

Now that's the ultimate vote of confidence. Whether or not it's the case, only time will tell. Singletary was one of the greats, winning a Super Bowl during a spectacular 12-year career with the Chicago Bears. Willis is all of 24, a third-year pro on the rise who is quickly showing he's a game-changing defender with his speed, explosiveness and grit.

"He doesn't come right out and say it but he sometimes tells me that if I continue to work and continue to be humble and continue to believe and do things right, then I can be one of the elite linebackers to ever play," Willis said. "To hear that from him means a lot, because he's a Hall of Fame guy."

Some of Willis' teammates see him as a young Ray Lewis, another nice ego boost for an emerging star.

Willis was a menacing presence all over the field in San Francisco's 35-0 rout of St. Louis last Sunday, the 49ers' first shutout in 119 games since Jan. 6, 2002.

He's the heart of a defense largely to credit for San Francisco's spot atop the NFC West standings. The 49ers are off to their best start since capturing the division in '02, their last winning season.

"He can be better than me. He's an athlete," Singletary said. "I wasn't a 4.3 (40-yard dash) athlete. That's special."

Against the Rams, Willis had eight tackles — five solo and three for loss — 2 1/2 sacks against fill-in starter Kyle Boller, and a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown.

"Today was just a day where you just say, 'Wow,' " Willis said afterward, crediting the entire defense in his modest and unassuming way.

That touchdown? Well, Singletary didn't have many of those.

"Not an interception returned for a touchdown," the coach said. "Those didn't come very often for me. Hands like rocks."

Willis' fire on the field rubs off on the rest of the defense, a strong point for the 49ers so far. Willis blitzed untouched on several occasions and had three other hits on Boller aside from his sacks.

"It fired us up," linebacker Manny Lawson said.

The Niners selected Willis 11th overall in the first round of the 2007 draft out of Ole Miss. He was a Pro Bowler in each of his first two NFL seasons. If he keeps playing like this, he'll surely be there again.

"Ah, man, unbelievable," linebacker Parys Haralson said of Willis. "It's amazing some of the things he's able to do."

It was Willis who in Week 2 knocked Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck out of the game in a 23-10 win over the Seahawks. Willis' hit — he later said it was clean and he was sorry Hasselbeck got hurt, but that's part of the game — near the goal line just before halftime sent Hasselbeck to the locker room with a broken rib. He hasn't played since, though the Seahawks hoped to have him back tomorrow against Jacksonville.